Quantum Field Theory and Cosmology

近年来令人兴奋的事件之一是越来越多的证据表明，非常早期的宇宙经历了一个被称为“原始膨胀”的加速膨胀时期。在原初暴胀期间，通常很小的量子效应会大大增强。原初暴胀的另一个重要特征是，这些量子效应会被量子化，从而可以被当前的观察者检测到。这项研究的目标之一是弄清楚量子效应是如何从原始暴胀中产生的，为了解决长期存在的关于自我是否存在的争议，在膨胀过程中产生的粒子引力可以减缓宇宙的膨胀，并研究可能描述当前宇宙的修正引力理论。这样的研究很有趣，因为在宇宙中有大量未开发的数据。从很远的地方就能看到的早期结构的辐射。这些数据提供了对能量尺度和物理定律的敏感性，远远超出了大型强子对撞机等加速器所能达到的范围。 该项目将促进教学、培训和学习。为此，PI将继续担任佛罗里达大学的初级科学，工程和人文研讨会的东道主。这些演示通常涉及简单的解释，例如，为什么星系旋转曲线表明暗物质。然后PI讨论了学生如何为理论物理学的职业生涯做准备。PI还将继续根据他2009年的评论文章“我们离量子引力理论有多远？””在物理学进展报告。这些座谈会是访问感兴趣的，但非专业的物理学家，并研究生新的领域。

Among the exciting events of recent years has been the mounting evidence that the very early universe underwent a period of accelerated expansion known as "primordial inflation". During primordial inflation there is a vast enhancement of quantum effects, which are ordinarily very small. Another significant feature of primordial inflation is that these quantum effects become fossilized so that they can be detected by current observers. The goals of this study are, among others, to work out how quantum effects arise from primordial inflation, to settle the long-standing controversy over whether or not the self-gravitation of particles produced during inflation can slow down the expansion of the universe and to investigate modified gravity theories which might describe the current universe.Such a study is interesting because there is a vast reservoir of largely untapped data in the radiation from the very early structures which can be seen at great distances. This data offers sensitivity to energy scales and physical laws far beyond those that can be reached in accelerators such as the Large Hadron Collider. This project will promote teaching, training and learning. To this end, the PI will continue serving as a host in the University of Florida's Junior Science, Engineering and Humanities Symposium. These presentations typically involve simple explanations of, for example, why galactic rotation curves suggest dark matter. Then the PI discusses how students can prepare for a career in theoretical physics. The PI will also continue to deliver colloquia based on his 2009 review article, "How Far Are We from the Quantum Theory of Gravity?" in Reports on Progress in Physics. These colloquia are accessible to interested but non-specialist physicists, and to graduate students new to the field.