A dark matter portal into string theory

弦理论的暗物质门户

• 批准号: SAPIN-2021-00036
• 负责人: Dick, Rainer
• 金额: $ 1.6万
• 依托单位: University of Saskatchewan
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Subatomic Physics Envelope - Individual
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=743110
• 关键词: dark; matter; portal; into; string

Two major puzzles of modern physics concern the nature of dark matter and the problem of divergent calculations in quantum field theory. The problem of divergences is most succinctly expressed through the lack of a theory of quantum gravity and calls for an ultraviolet regulator. However, an ultraviolet regulator should also explain large cancellations in quantum field theory. We can infer this from the success of the renormalization program in gauge theories. Regularization of higher -order terms through mass and charge renormalization involves removal of ultraviolet divergences through infinite subtractions from "bare parameters". However, finite renormalization should not lead to excessively large parameter shifts. A regulator should therefore also imply a mechanism for cancellations in loop amplitudes to explain absence of excessively large renormalization effects in the presence of a large regulator scale. We have a candidate theory for an ultraviolet regulator that implies an elegant mechanism for large cancellations, viz. superstring theory, where cancellations can be effected by superpartners. String theory therefore still provides a promising framework for physics beyond the Standard Model and for quantum gravity. On the other hand, we have recently pointed out that the antisymmetric tensor fields of string theory provide a way to induce electroweak dipole dark matter couplings. This provides for a unique connection between string theory and dark matter and opens up the possibility of another potential dark matter window into string theory besides supersymmetric WIMPs and moduli. The proposed research project will therefore advance our understanding of both dark matter and string theory through further exploration of this connection with a PhD student. On the phenomenological side, the student will generalize our previous work on electron recoil signals from electroweak dipole dark matter to dark multiplets and update the direct search constraints. On the fundamental theory side, the student will also study the supersymmetric formulation of the electroweak dipole dark matter models. This will help to improve our understanding of the emergence of couplings between the antisymmetric tensor fields of string theory and electroweak dipole moments. The cost associated with the project is therefore almost completely incurred from the expenses for the PhD student's stipend. However, it is also beneficial to provide more students with the opportunity of benefitting from this unique training program to learn both string theory and dark matter research techniques. Therefore the project also provides training opportunities for undergraduate research students.

现代物理学的两个主要难题涉及暗物质的性质和量子场论中的发散计算问题。发散的问题最简洁的表达是缺乏量子引力理论，需要紫外线调节器。然而，紫外线调节器也应该解释量子场论中的大抵消。我们可以从规范理论中重正化程序的成功中推断出这一点。通过质量和电荷重整化的高阶项的正则化涉及通过从“裸参数”中进行无限次减法来消除紫外发散。然而，有限重整化不应该导致过大的参数移动。因此，一个调节器也应该意味着一种机制，在回路振幅的取消，以解释在一个大的调节器规模存在的情况下，没有过大的重整化效应。我们有一个紫外线调节器的候选理论，它暗示了一个优雅的大抵消机制，即超弦理论，在那里，抵消可以受到超伴子的影响。因此，弦理论仍然为超越标准模型的物理学和量子引力提供了一个有希望的框架。另一方面，我们最近指出，弦论的反对称张量场提供了一种诱导电弱偶极暗物质耦合的方法。这为弦理论和暗物质之间提供了一种独特的联系，并为弦理论开辟了另一个潜在的暗物质窗口，除了超对称的WIMP和模量。因此，拟议的研究项目将通过与博士生进一步探索这种联系来推进我们对暗物质和弦理论的理解。在唯象方面，学生将归纳我们以前的工作，从电弱偶极暗物质的电子反冲信号的暗多重态和更新的直接搜索约束。在基础理论方面，学生也将学习电弱偶极暗物质模型的超对称公式。这将有助于我们更好地理解弦理论反对称张量场与电弱偶极矩之间的耦合。因此，与该项目有关的费用几乎完全来自博士生的津贴。然而，为更多的学生提供从这个独特的培训计划中受益的机会，学习弦理论和暗物质研究技术也是有益的。因此，该项目还为本科研究生提供培训机会。