Quantum Field Theory, Quantum Gravity, and the Swampland

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This award funds the research activities of Professor Benjamin Heidenreich at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.A long-standing goal of theoretical physics is to reconcile quantum mechanics and general relativity (Einstein's theory of gravity), two extremely successful paradigms used to describe physics at vastly different scales. String theory provides many mathematically consistent examples of such quantum theories of gravity, but it is unclear which, if any, correctly describes our universe. Thus it is difficult to make experimentally testable predictions. Professor Heidenreich's research concerns the so-called "swampland" program, which attempts to identify features that are common to all mathematically consistent quantum gravities, potentially leading to predictions that can be tested in future experiments. Research in this area serves the national interest by promoting scientific progress on the vitally important question of the nature of quantum gravity which lies at the heart of much of theoretical physics. Longer-term benefits potentially include synergies with experimental physics. This project will also have significant broader impacts, both on the scientific training of undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst involved in this research and through Professor Heidenreich's outreach activities with high-school students in the Amherst area. In addition, Professor Heidenreich will communicate ideas on the forefront of quantum-gravity research to a broader scientific audience through a planned review article.More technically, Professor Heidenreich will study various swampland criteria in depth, such as the Weak Gravity Conjecture, the Swampland Distance Conjecture, and others, in the various forms that they have appeared in the literature. Heidenreich's research aims to sharpen these criteria as much as possible, subject them to strenuous theoretical tests, and if possible relate them to basic principles underlying quantum gravity. The ultimate aim of this research program is to build a scientific consensus on which features are and are not universal to all quantum gravities, potentially enabling testable predictions of quantum gravity to be made in the future. A related, technical focus of Heidenreich's research is the study of strong coupling and S-duality in gauge theories and string theory, especially in theories with four or fewer supercharges. Gauge theory dualities of this kind can lead to additional insights into the physics of D-branes and fluxes in string theory, and vice versa, improving our understanding of the landscape of quantum gravities constructible in string theory.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.