Theoretical Particle Physics

这项建议资助了康奈尔大学的Csaba Csaki、Yuval Grossman、Thomas Hartman、Peter Lpage、Liam McAllister和Maxim Perelstein教授的研究活动。高能物理是研究物质的基本构件及其相互作用的学科。有几种不同的方法可以回答这一领域面临的最大难题。非常精确的测量-对高能粒子碰撞、大爆炸的宇宙余辉(所谓的“宇宙微波背景辐射”)和其他信号的测量-为基本粒子的相互作用和宇宙的演化提供了新的线索。强大的计算机模拟也可以用来研究强核相互作用的性质。最后，对极端环境中的引力和量子现象的理论研究，例如在黑洞附近或宇宙最早的时刻，可以为将引力和量子力学结合在一起的理论提供洞察。在所有这些方向上，康奈尔粒子理论小组将通过促进科学在其最基本方向之一的进步来促进国家利益：发现和理解新的物理定律。在他的研究中，Csaki教授将开发和仔细研究模型，这些模型可以解释基本粒子质量的来源，以及我们宇宙观测到的加速度的来源-这些模型可能会在大型强子对撞机(LHC)或计划中的未来加速器上进行测试。格罗斯曼教授的研究将集中在与无法解释的事实相关的问题上，即世界只由普通物质粒子组成，而反物质极其罕见。哈特曼教授将探索黑洞的量子力学方面。利佩奇教授将使用大规模计算机模拟对强相互作用粒子进行高精度研究-寻求探测和量化新物理的高精度实验所需的计算。麦卡利斯特教授将研究量子力学在宇宙学中的作用。最后，佩雷尔斯坦教授将提出和研究暗物质的新理论。暗物质是一种神秘的物质形式，由宇宙中的大部分物质组成，但不包括任何已知的基本粒子。他还将研究机器学习在粒子物理中的应用。该项目还将产生重大的更广泛的影响。康奈尔粒子理论小组将培训研究生并让博士后参与他们的研究，从而为开始这一领域研究的初级物理学家提供关键培训。他们还将就他们的研究成果进行公开演讲，并定期向当地高中生授课。从技术上讲，Csaki教授将继续探索几个方向，包括宇宙常量问题的新方法和真空能量的测试；复合希格斯、暗物质和扭曲的额外维度模型的新方面；通过散射振幅或ADS/CFT通信澄清反常现象；以及磁单极物理。格罗斯曼教授将探索风味物理学，包括最近发现的魅力中CP破坏的含义，以及B衰变和稀有Kaon衰变的反常迹象。哈特曼教授将研究纠缠和浮现几何之间的联系，并研究更高的拓扑在黑洞信息中的作用。利佩奇教授将继续他与HPQCD晶格合作的工作，从非微扰QCD模拟中提取重要的物理，特别强调重夸克系统和其他高精度测量。麦卡利斯特教授将研究弦理论对Calabi-Yau三重系的紧凑化中的通量真空，包括德西特宇宙论和膨胀宇宙论。最后，佩雷尔斯坦教授将研究暗物质和具有非标准宇宙学历史的暗扇区的新颖理论，包括它们的现象学后果，并进一步探索机器学习在对撞机物理中的应用。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This proposal funds the research activities of Professors Csaba Csaki, Yuval Grossman, Thomas Hartman, Peter Lepage, Liam McAllister, and Maxim Perelstein at Cornell University.High-energy physics is the study of the fundamental building blocks of matter and their interactions. There are several different approaches to answer the biggest puzzles facing this field. Extremely precise measurements --- of particle collisions at high energies, of the cosmic afterglow of the Big Bang (the so-called "cosmic microwave background radiation"), and of other signals ---yield new clues as to the interactions of elementary particles and the evolution of the Universe. Powerful computer simulations can also be used to study the properties of the strong nuclear interactions. Finally, theoretical studies of gravitational and quantum phenomena in extreme settings, such as near black holes or in the earliest moments of the Universe, can lend insight into theories that join gravity with quantum mechanics. Pursuing all of these directions, the Cornell Particle Theory group will advance the national interest by promoting the advancement of science in one of its most fundamental directions: the discovery and understanding of new physical law. In his research, Professor Csaki will develop and scrutinize models that could provide an explanation of the origin of the masses of fundamental particles, as well as the origin of the observed acceleration of our Universe --- models which can potentially be tested either at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) or at a planned future accelerator. The research of Professor Grossman will focus on questions related to the unexplained fact that the world is made of only ordinary matter particles, while antimatter is exceedingly rare. Professor Hartman will explore quantum-mechanical aspects of black holes. Professor Lepage will use large-scale computer simulations for high-precision studies of strongly-interacting particles --- calculations that are needed for high-precision experiments seeking to detect and quantify new physics. Professor McAllister will study the effects of quantum mechanics in cosmology. Finally, Professor Perelstein will propose and study novel theories of dark matter, a mysterious form of matter which comprises most of the matter in the universe but does not consist of any of the known elementary particles. He will also investigate applications of machine learning to particle physics. This project will also have significant broader impacts. The Cornell Particle Theory group will train graduate students and involve postdocs in their research, and thereby provide critical training for junior physicists beginning research in this field. They will also give public lectures on their research results, as well as regular lectures to local high-school students.More technically, Professor Csaki will pursue several directions, including new approaches to the cosmological-constant problem and tests of vacuum energy; novel aspects of composite-Higgs, dark-matter, and warped extra-dimensional models; clarification of anomalies via scattering amplitudes or the AdS/CFT correspondence; and the physics of magnetic monopoles. Professor Grossman will explore flavor physics, including the implications of the recent discovery of CP violation in charm, as well as the indications of anomalies in B decays and rare kaon decays. Professor Hartman will study the connection between entanglement and emergent geometry, and investigate the role of higher topologies in black-hole information. Professor Lepage will continue his work with the HPQCD lattice collaboration to extract important physics from nonperturbative QCD simulations, with a particular emphasis on heavy-quark systems and other high-precision measurements. Professor McAllister will study flux vacua in compactifications of string theory on Calabi-Yau threefolds, including de Sitter and inflationary cosmologies. Finally, Professor Perelstein will investigate novel theories of dark matter and dark sectors with non-standard cosmological histories, including their phenomenological consequences, as well as further explore applications of machine learning to collider physics.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.