RUI: Testing Spacetime Symmetry Foundations of General Relativity

现代物理学建立在两个广泛成功的理论之上：爱因斯坦的广义相对论和量子物理学。前者在大于微米的尺度上描述所有已知的引力现象，后者描述原子和亚原子世界。物理学家普遍猜测，这两种物质融合在一个至今未知的统一理论中。最近的许多文献工作都揭示了这样一种可能性，即这种统一理论的可观测线索可能会违反广义相对论的基础，包括概括了狭义相对论原理的局部洛伦兹对称。这些研究将在从地球实验室实验到遥远脉冲星观测和引力波观测的实验和观测中研究洛伦兹破坏的新类型信号。本科研究项目和拓展机会计划在这个提案。支持的工作将利用一个有效的场论框架来描述近年来被广泛采用的一般时空对称性破坏。这项工作的很大一部分将涉及太阳系精密重力测试的现象学和分析，包括地球实验室测试和天基测试。在先前工作的基础上，PI还将进一步发展太阳系外天体物理学领域的有效场论框架，并将结果应用于引力波和脉冲星系统的观测。PI还将调查在文献中广泛使用的特定提议模型与该测试框架的匹配情况，目的是用现有和未来的测量来约束这些模型。通过提供动力和额外的领域来寻找超越GR的新物理，这项工作将对参与地球实验室GR精确测试的研究人员、太阳系测试人员和从事引力波观测的研究人员产生积极影响。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Modern physics rests on two widely successful theories: Einstein's General Relativity (GR) and quantum physics. The former describes all known gravitational phenomena on scales larger than micrometers, the latter describes the atomic and subatomic world. Physicists widely conjecture that the two are merged in an as yet unknown unified theory. Much recent work in the literature has revealed the possibility that observable hints of such a unified theory could arise as violations of the foundations of General Relativity theory, including local Lorentz symmetry, which encapsulates the principles of Special Relativity. These studies will investigate new types of signals for Lorentz violation in experiments and observations ranging from Earth laboratory experiments to distant pulsar observations and gravitational waves. Undergraduate research projects and outreach opportunities are planned in this proposal. The supported work will make use of an effective field theory framework for describing generic spacetime-symmetry violation that has been widely adopted in recent years. A significant part of the work will involve phenomenology and analysis in precision Solar-system tests of gravity including Earth-laboratory tests and space-based tests. Building on prior work, the PI will also further develop the effective field theory framework in the area of beyond solar-system astrophysics and apply the results to gravitational waves and observations of pulsar systems. The PI will also investigate the match of specific proposed models, used widely in the literature, to this test framework with the goal of constraining these models with existing and future measurements. By providing motivation and additional areas in which to search for new physics beyond GR, this work will positively impact researchers involved in precision tests of GR in Earth laboratories, solar-system tests, and those working on gravitational wave observations.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.