Theoretical Physics

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Research in theoretical elementary particle physics will include numerical studies of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), Quantum Electrodynamics (QED), and Quantum Gravity. Quantum Chromodynamics is the theory of the strong nuclear force, Quantum Electrodynamics is the theory of the electromagnetic force and Quantum Gravity seeks to explain the gravitational force. The present project will develop a practical simulation method for massless quarks in QCD, an algorithm to simulate QCD in environments rich in protons and neutrons, and will determine whether several conventional field theories, including QED, are consistent. Massless quarks and the generation of dynamical masses are essential ingredients in understanding the properties of nuclei. The physics of environments rich in protons and neutrons underlies nuclear physics and should explain the properties of dense stars. The consistency, or lack thereof, of field theories used to build models of strong, weak, electromagnetic and gravitational interactions will determine the directions of elementary particle physics in the near future.