Fundamental Aspects of M-theory and Superspace

M 理论和超空间的基本方面

• 批准号: 1620742
• 负责人: Katrin Becker
• 金额: $ 16万
• 依托单位: Texas A&M University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-09-15 至 2019-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1620742&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Fundamental; Aspects; theory; Superspace

This award supports the research of Professors Katrin Becker and Melanie Becker at Texas A&M University. One of the biggest challenges in fundamental physics is to develop a unified description of physical phenomena at very large and very small distances. For large distances we use general relativity, and for small distances we use quantum theory. One of the most successful candidates for unifying these two descriptions is string theory, and in particular its most recent generalization into what is called M-theory. After almost twenty years since the discovery of M-theory, we have learned a great deal about this enigmatic theory. However, there are still countless questions about M-theory that are waiting to be answered. As part of their research, Professors K. Becker and M. Becker will explore the formulation, theory, and phenomenology of M-theory. This work advances the national interest by promoting the progress of science at the most fundamental level: the discovery and understanding of the elementary building blocks of matter and of the universe at astronomical scales. The project is also envisioned to have significant broader impacts. Professors K. Becker and M. Becker will involve graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in their research, and thus provide critical training to junior physicists working in this field. More technically, in their research Professors K. Becker and M. Becker will explore the existence of quantum theories that capture the symmetries of M-theory, its higher-order corrections, and their impact on spacetime geometry.

该奖项支持德克萨斯农工大学的Katrin Becker和Melanie Becker教授的研究。基础物理学中最大的挑战之一是对非常大和非常小距离的物理现象进行统一的描述。对于大距离，我们使用广义相对论，对于小距离，我们使用量子理论。统一这两种描述的最成功的候选者之一是弦理论，特别是它最近的推广称为m理论。在m理论被发现近20年后，我们对这个神秘的理论已经了解了很多。然而，关于m理论仍有无数的问题有待解答。作为他们研究的一部分，K. Becker教授和M. Becker教授将探索m理论的表述、理论和现象学。这项工作通过在最基本的层面上促进科学的进步来促进国家利益：在天文尺度上发现和理解物质和宇宙的基本组成部分。预计该项目还将产生更广泛的重大影响。K. Becker和M. Becker教授将让研究生和博士后参与他们的研究，从而为在该领域工作的初级物理学家提供重要的培训。更技术性的是，在他们的研究中，K. Becker教授和M. Becker教授将探索量子理论的存在，这些理论捕捉了m理论的对称性，它的高阶修正，以及它们对时空几何的影响。