RUI: Lorentz and CPT Violation in Particles and in Gravity

该奖项资助加州州立理工大学马修·梅维斯教授的研究活动。洛伦兹不变性是一个数学原理，它意味着物理定律不依赖于测试它们的实验的速度或方向。洛伦兹不变性是我们对自然的两个最基本描述的一个特征，粒子物理学的标准模型和广义相对论。标准模型在非常小的距离尺度上提供了亚原子粒子和物理学的完整特征，而广义相对论解释了引力，并且与大尺度有关。物理学家认为，这两种理论可以合并成一个包罗万象的统一理论。然而，几十年的研究未能产生一个确定的统一理论。Mewes教授的研究重点是解决这个问题的一种方法，这种方法可能会破坏洛伦兹不变性本身。这种分解可能来自统一理论，任何对洛伦兹不变性违反的检测都将提供有价值的线索，有助于揭示统一理论。本研究项目的目标是扩展现有的潜在洛伦兹不变性违反的理论描述，并确定其产生的实验特征。这项研究通过促进科学最基本的方向之一：发现和理解新的物理定律，从而提高了国家利益。此外，这项工作的部分内容将对本科生开放，并将为加州理工学院的物理专业学生提供研究机会。参与这项研究的学生将有机会接触到理论物理。从技术上讲，Mewes教授的目标是填补被称为标准模型扩展的理论框架中的几个空白。标准模型扩展提供了粒子和重力中洛伦兹不变性违反的一般描述。其中一个目标是研究重力的影响。标准模型扩展的引力部分包括许多不同类型的洛伦兹违反，其中许多尚未完全表征。这项工作将扩展现有的形式，并研究引力波和牛顿引力的影响。这项研究还将研究粒子中违反的影响，特别关注相互作用和中微子。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。

This award funds the research activities of Professor Matthew Mewes at California Polytechnic State University.Lorentz invariance is the mathematical principle which implies that the laws of physics do not depend on the speed or orientation of the experiment through which they are tested. Lorentz invariance is a feature of our two most fundamental descriptions of Nature, the Standard Model of particle physics and General Relativity. The Standard Model provides a complete characterization of subatomic particles and physics on very small distance scales, while General Relativity explains gravity and is relevant on large scales. Physicists believe that these two theories can be combined into a single all-encompassing unified theory. However, decades of research have failed to produce a definitive unified theory. The research of Professor Mewes focuses on an approach to this problem that involves a possible breakdown of Lorentz invariance itself. This breakdown might arise from a unifying theory, and any detection of Lorentz-invariance violation would provide valuable clues that could help uncover the unifying theory. The goal of this research project is to extend the existing theoretical description of potential Lorentz-invariance violations and to identify their resulting experimental signatures. This research advances the national interest by promoting science in one of its most fundamental directions: the discovery and understanding of new physical laws. Moreover, parts of this work will be accessible to undergraduates and will provide research opportunities for physics majors at Cal Poly, a primarily undergraduate institution. Students involved in this research will gain valuable exposure to theoretical physics.More technically, Professor Mewes aims to fill several gaps in the theoretical framework known as the Standard-Model-Extension. The Standard-Model Extension provides a general description of Lorentz-invariance violation in particles and in gravity. One goal is to study the effects in gravity. The gravity sector of the Standard-Model Extension includes many different types of Lorentz violations, many of which have yet to be fully characterized. This work will extend the existing formalism and examine the effects in gravitational waves and Newtonian gravity. This research will also study the effects of violations in particles, with particular focus on interactions and on neutrinos.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.