Research in Quantum Field Theory: Anomalous Properties of Chiral Matter

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The properties of matter at extreme densities and temperatures are of great interest in nuclear physics. The corresponding extreme conditions are realized in the primordial plasma of the early Universe, in the fireballs produced by heavy-ion colliders, as well as in the interiors of neutron stars. Such forms of matter are relativistic because their constituent particles move with speeds close to the speed of light. More importantly, the particles carry a quantum characteristic, called chirality, that can give rise to very unusual macroscopic properties of matter. In this project, the PI will study the underlying physics behind a wide range of chiral properties of relativistic matter. The research outcomes will be relevant also for recently discovered Dirac and Weyl materials that have pseudorelativistic charge carriers and hold a great promise for new technologies. The project will be a platform for training undergraduate and graduate students, who will acquire deep knowledge of physics and mathematics, as well as invaluable analytical and problem solving skills that will help them upon entering the highly educated workforce of the future knowledge-based economy. In this project, the PI and his collaborators will study a wide range of chiral properties of relativistic and pseudorelativistic forms of matter. A special emphasis will be placed on finding macroscopic signature observables that are induced by the chiral anomaly. Using first-principle quantum-field theoretical methods and techniques, and supplementing them with methods of chiral kinetic theory and hydrodynamics, the PI will investigate the following topics: (i) the properties of collective modes and their anomalous features in various regimes of chiral (pseudo-)relativistic plasmas, (ii) the role of nonuniform flow and inhomogeneities in chiral plasmas and their implications for the evolution of the early Universe, (iii) the limitations of the chiral kinetic theory and the ways of circumventing them by using quantum field theory, and (iv) the observable consequences of the chiral asymmetry and chiral effects in Dirac and Weyl materials. The outcomes of this project will contribute to a deeper understanding of theoretical implications of quantum anomalies, as well as of their macroscopic observable effects.