Research in Theoretical Elementary Particle Physics

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This award funds the research activities of Emeritus Professor Daniel Z. Freedman of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.According to our present understanding of the laws of nature, there are four different fundamental forces. One of these, gravity, appears to have a very different character than the others. Surprisingly, however, research over the past twenty years has uncovered a surprising connection between theories that include the gravitational force and those that do not. Most striking is the fact that important effects which are very difficult to study by conventional methods in one theory often become relatively simple when approached from the perspective of the so-called "dual" theory to which it is connected. Professor Freedman's research focuses on developing new ways to understand black holes by exploiting these new connections. He will also study certain non-trivial tests of these connections, verifying their internal mathematical consistency. Thus, research in this area advances the national interest by promoting the progress of fundamental science. Such research has also proven to be an excellent training ground for junior scientists who are interested in using sophisticated mathematics to describe real and potentially real applications. Professor Freedman's research involves extensive collaboration with theoretical physicists at other universities in the United States and in Europe, and this award provides travel support that will enable these collaborative efforts to continue.