Collaborative Research: Topics in Gauge Theory, Gravity and Cosmology

该合作奖资助纽约城市大学城市学院的V.P. Nair和Alexios Polychronakos教授以及纽约城市大学Lehman学院的丹尼尔Kabat教授的研究活动。 规范理论描述了所有基本粒子的相互作用。 有一种特殊的规范理论，称为量子色动力学，描述了夸克和胶子的相互作用。这些是原子核内的基本粒子，它们可以结合形成原子核以及其他尚未被检测到的粒子，如胶球。 虽然夸克和胶子在非常高的能量下的相互作用已经得到了相当好的理解，但是对于夸克和胶子如何结合在一起形成核和胶球，以及为什么孤立的夸克不能存在（“夸克禁闭”）的详细理解还远远没有完成。 这个研究项目将在这个方向上作出贡献，建立在以前介绍的技术在两个空间维度的规范理论的简单背景下。该研究项目还将开发计算卡西米尔力的新技术，卡西米尔力来自电磁场的量子波动，是纳米力学中许多技术的核心。 最后，在另一个方面，Nair教授和Polychronakos教授将继续他们在随机矩阵统计分布方面的工作，并对从凝聚态物理到量子引力的各种问题产生影响。 将分析新的物理可观测量，并探索它们对量子引力的影响。该项目将产生更广泛的影响。 Kabat、Nair和Polychronakos教授将让本科生、研究生以及博士后研究人员参与他们的工作，从而为这些初级物理学家提供关键培训。 该项目还将在促进城市学院和雷曼学院之间的持续合作方面发挥重要作用。 保持联合研究计划对吸引学生到这些研究领域产生了积极的影响。 考虑到这两所大学的人口统计数据，对于来自少数民族和代表性不足群体的学生来说尤其如此。

This collaborative award funds the research activities of Professors V.P. Nair and Alexios Polychronakos at the City College of the City University of New York and Professor Daniel Kabat at Lehman College of the City University of New York. Gauge theories describe the interactions of all elementary particles. One particular gauge theory, known as Quantum Chromodynamics, describes the interactions of quarks and gluons. These are the elementary particles inside nuclei, which can bind to form nuclei as well as other yet-to-be-detected particles such as glueballs. While the interaction of quarks and gluons at very high energies is fairly well understood, a detailed understanding of how quarks and gluons bind together to form nuclei and glueballs, and why isolated quarks cannot exist ("quark confinement"), is far from complete. This research project will contribute in this direction by building on previously introduced techniques within the simpler context of gauge theories with two space dimensions. This research project will also develop new techniques for calculating the Casimir force, which arises from quantum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field and which is central to many techniques in nanomechanics. Finally, on another front, Professors Nair and Polychronakos will continue their work on statistical distributions of random matrices, with implications for a variety of questions from condensed-matter physics to quantum gravity. New physically observable quantities will be analyzed and their implications for quantum gravity will be explored.This project will have significant broader impacts. Professors Kabat, Nair, and Polychronakos will involve undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdoctoral researchers in their work, thereby providing critical training to these junior physicists. The project will also play an important role in fostering continuing collaboration between City College and Lehman College. Maintaining a joint research program has had a positive impact on attracting students to these research areas. Given the demographics of the two colleges, this has been particularly true for students from minority and under-represented groups.