Microlensing and Gravitational Backreaction for Superstring Loops

该奖项为康奈尔大学的大卫·沃尔夫教授的研究提供资金。大量的理论和观测证据都支持暴胀发生在非常早期，即宇宙诞生后不久的一段短暂的极其快速的膨胀。该机制是宇宙学和基础物理学的一个深刻问题。弦理论是探索这个时代的最先进的工具，它表明我们今天的宇宙可能包含着那个早期充满活力的阶段的遗迹。遗迹是一圈一圈的绳子，通过快速膨胀从微观尺度延伸到宏观尺度。拟议的研究调查弦环的物理学和检测它们的可能性。 天文探测将是弦理论和宇宙学的革命性发展。这样的发现将提供一个直接的一瞥，否则无法访问的基本物理理论的元素。这将有助于阐明暴胀的机制，同时将我们对宇宙的研究扩展到大爆炸本身的最早时刻。在最初，宇宙被认为是通过暴胀机制以指数方式增长的。 暴胀理论预言的几乎尺度不变的密度扰动谱得到了最近观测数据的有力支持。 大爆炸宇宙学的传统观点是，随后的演化可以用可靠的物理学精确地模拟。然而，精确的暴胀机制仍然是宇宙学和基础物理学的一个深刻问题。 智力优势：弦理论是探索这个时代的最先进的工具，它表明宇宙学大小的一维结构，即宇宙超弦，必然会诞生并存在。长长的、跨越视界的弦分裂成环，这些环落入不断增长的物质扰动中。 这些化石遗迹环在星系内的局部密度比宇宙的平均环密度高出许多数量级，并且星系内存在许多环。PI将研究如何通过背景恒星的光学透镜来寻找这些遗迹，并通过引力波发射进行详细研究。这些物体将提供一些最好的实验手段来了解弦理论和我们宇宙的诞生。 更广泛的影响：作为这项提议的一部分，（1）PI将帮助培养理论物理学和宇宙学方面的博士后研究员、研究生和本科生。 (2)PI致力于宣传理论物理学和宇宙学的重大问题，这些问题激发了这项工作。PI将在当地的科学博物馆演讲，并帮助将研究成果带给普通观众。

This award funds the research of Prof. David Chernoff at Cornell University. Substantial theoretical and observational evidence supports the occurrence of inflation at very early times, a brief interval of extremely rapid expansion of the Universe shortly after birth. The mechanism is a profound problem for cosmology and fundamental physics. String theory, the best-developed tool to explore this epoch, suggests that today our Universe may contain relics of that early, energetic phase. The relics are loops of string stretched from microscopic scales to macroscopic scales by the rapid expansion. The proposed research investigates the physics of string loops and possibilities for detecting them. Astronomical detection would be a revolutionary development for string theory and cosmology. Such a discovery would provide a direct glimpse of otherwise inaccessible elements of the underlying physical theory. It would help elucidate the mechanism for inflation while extending our study of the universe to the earliest moments of the big bang itself.At the very beginning, the universe is believed to have grown exponentially in size via the mechanism of inflation. The almost scale-invariant density perturbation spectrum predicted by inflation is strongly supported by recent observational data. Subsequent evolution, the traditional purview of big bang cosmology, can be accurately modeled with tried-and-true physics. However, the precise inflationary mechanism remains a profound problem for cosmology and for fundamental physics. Intellectual Merit: String theory, the best-developed tool to explore this epoch, suggests the inevitable birth and survival of one-dimensional structures of cosmological sizes, namely, cosmic superstrings. Long, horizon-crossing strings fragment to give loops which fall into growing matter perturbations. The local density of these fossil remnant loops within the galaxy is enhanced over the universe's mean density of loops by many orders of magnitude and numerous loops exist within the galaxy. The PI will investigate how these relics can be sought by optical lensing of background stars and studied in detail through gravitational wave emission. These objects will provide some of the best experimental means to learn about string theory and the birth of our universe. Broader Impacts: As part of this proposal (1) The PI will help train postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and undergraduates in theoretical physics and cosmology. (2) The PI is committed to publicizing the big questions of theoretical physics and cosmology that motivate the work. The PI will speak in local science museums and help bring the research to life for general audiences.