String compactification, generalized geometry, and 4D physics

弦紧化、广义几何和 4D 物理

• 批准号: 0912219
• 负责人: Michael Schulz
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: Bryn Mawr College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-07-01 至 2013-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0912219&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: String; compactification; generalized; geometry; 4D

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).A broad program of research is proposed to elucidate the geometrical structure that underlies the internal dimensions of string theory, and to overcome key obstacles to extracting 4D particle physics from this geometry. The two main areas that will be investigated are warped compactifications and generalized geometry. Three additional areas include global embeddings of local models of particle physics, the string theory LHC inverse problem, and a cosmological model in which conventional string theory vacua arise from a more symmetric phase in the past. Intellectual Merit: Nearly all compactifications of string theory currently under sudy are warped compactifications. It is proposed to apply string duality to derive the precise effect of warping in the reduction to 4D, and to check nonperturbative corrections to warped compactifications. The first project is essential for reliably computing perturbative mass spectra in string theory models. The second will increase confidence in recent nonperturbative mechanisms for moduli stabilization and for the generation of hierarchically small Majorana neutrino masses and mu-terms. Another critical ingredient in moduli stabilization and inflationary scenarios is internal magnetic flux, now generalized to nongeometric flux. The nongeometric flux radically alters our understanding of the internal geometry by destroying the usual 6D interpretation of the extra dimensions as a manifold. A set of strategies is outlined to more precisely characterize compactifications with generalized flux, and to extract the 4D physics of D-branes in this background. Of the remaining three proposed projects, two further advance the goal of connecting string theory to 4D physics at the scale soon to be probed at the LHC. The last project provides a concrete realization of a long speculated idea that conventional string theory vacua describe a symmetry breaking phase of a more symmetric underlying theory. Broader Impacts: The PI brings the exciting frontiers of string theory and elementary particle physics to Bryn Mawr College. Supervised research will foster diversity in science and engineering, by building on Bryn Mawr's strong tradition of individualized research mentoring of talented undergraduate women (a quarter of whom are students of color) and coeducational graduate students, with a proven track record of recruitment and retention. The Ph.D. program, as a feeder to the faculties of regional liberal arts colleges, expands research activity in high energy physics. The plan exploits existing infrastructure: departmental colloquia, the Tri-College PACT seminar, and connections to the University of Pennsylvania. The PI will initiate a Theory Lunch and a visitor program tailored to the needs of a high energy theory program at a thriving liberal arts college.

该奖项是根据2009年的《美国复苏与重新投资法》（公法111-5）资助的。提出了广泛的研究计划，以阐明弦乐理论内部维度的基础的几何结构，并克服从这种几何形状中提取4D粒子物理学的关键障碍。将要研究的两个主要区域是扭曲的压缩和广义几何形状。其他三个领域包括粒子物理学局部模型的全局嵌入，弦理论LHC反问题以及一个宇宙学模型，其中传统的弦理论真空源于过去更对称的阶段。智力优点：目前在Sudy下的弦理论的几乎所有压实都是扭曲的压缩。有人建议应用弦二重性，以使翘曲在减少到4D中的精确效果，并检查对扭曲的压缩的非扰动校正。第一个项目对于在字符串理论模型中可靠地计算扰动质谱至关重要。第二种将提高对模量稳定和产生分层小主要中微子质量和MU-TERM的近期非扰动机制的信心。模量稳定和通货膨胀场景中的另一个关键成分是内部磁通量，现在已概括为非几何通量。非几何通量从根本上改变了我们对内部几何形状的理解，从而破坏了对额外维度的通常的6D解释作为多种层次。概述了一组策略，以更精确地表征通用通量的压缩，并在此背景下提取D-BRANES的4D物理学。在其余的三个拟议项目中，两个进一步的目标是将弦理论与4D物理学的量表连接起来，很快就会在LHC进行探测。最后一个项目提供了一个长期推测的思想的具体实现，即传统的弦理论真空描述了一个更对称的基础理论的对称破坏阶段。更广泛的影响：PI将弦乐理论和基本粒子物理学的令人兴奋的边界带到Bryn Mawr学院。监督研究将通过基于Bryn Mawr的强大传统，即对才华横溢的本科妇女（其中四分之一的有色学生）和男女同校的研究生建立良好的传统研究，并在招聘和保留方面有了可追溯的记录，从而促进了科学和工程学的多样性。博士作为对区域文科学院学院的饲养者的计划，扩大了高能量物理学的研究活动。该计划利用了现有的基础设施：部门座谈会，三项统计研讨会以及与宾夕法尼亚大学的联系。 PI将启动理论午餐，并根据一所蓬勃发展的文科学院的高能理论计划量身定制的访客计划。