Cosmic String Simulation and Analysis

该奖项资助了Ken D教授的一些研究活动。宇宙弦是非常细的，甚至是宇宙长度的基本物体，它可能存在于我们的宇宙中，也可能不存在。宇宙弦的探测将提供一个窗口，让我们了解能量超出任何加速器范围的基础物理学。 对宇宙超弦网络的观测可以证实弦理论的正确性。 奥勒姆教授的研究将推进我们对宇宙弦网络的认识，因为它今天会存在，过去在任何特定的宇宙弦理论下都会存在。 特别是，它将导致有关宇宙弦发射的引力波频谱的准确信息。 这些信息将使我们能够确定宇宙弦网络的性质，如果这样的引力波在未来被检测到。如果它们没有被探测到，这将使我们能够限制宇宙弦的可能性，从而限制高能物理学的基本理论。因此，这一领域的研究通过促进科学在其最基本的方向之一的进步来促进国家利益： 对宇宙的发现和理解。 奥卢姆教授还将让研究生参与这项工作，从而培养未来几代的研究物理学家。这项工作将进一步将宇宙研究与自然基本定律的研究联系起来。更技术性的是，奥勒姆教授将研究宇宙弦环的形状，以确定它们有多少个尖点，并校准它们可能产生的信号，以便与脉冲星计时的引力波观测极限进行比较。 他还将研究可能由宇宙弦产生的网络，当它们彼此相交时，重新连接的概率很低，就像在宇宙超弦理论中可能发现的那样。

This award funds some of the research activities of Professor Ken D. Olum at Tufts University.Cosmic strings are microscopically thin or even fundamental objects of cosmological length, which may or may not exist in our universe. Detection of cosmic strings would provide a window onto fundamental physics at energies beyond the reach of any accelerator. Observation of a cosmic superstring network could provide a confirmation of the correctness of string theory. Professor Olum's research will advance our knowledge of the cosmic string network as it would exist today and would have existed in the past under any specific cosmic string theory. In particular, it will lead to accurate information about the spectrum of gravitational waves emitted by cosmic strings. This information will allow us to determine the properties of the cosmic string network if such gravitational waves are detected in the future. If they are not detected, it will enable us to set limits on the possibilities for cosmic strings, and thus on underlying theories of high-energy physics. As a result, research in this area advances the national interest by promoting the progress of science in one of its most fundamental directions: the discovery and understanding of the universe. Professor Olum will also involve graduate students in the work and thus train future generations of research physicists. The work will further connect studies of the universe with studies of the fundamental laws of nature.More technically, Professor Olum will study the shape of cosmic string loops to determine how many cusps they have and to calibrate the signals that they might produce for comparison with observational limits on gravitational waves from pulsar timing. He will also study networks that might arise from cosmic strings with a low probability of reconnection when they intersect each other, as might be found in cosmic superstring theories.