Quantum Field Theory, Atomic Physics and General Relativity

这个项目将尝试将纳米尺度现象的相对论量子理论与广义相对论的概念结合起来，广义相对论主要是为了涵盖天体物理现象而设计的。其中一个目的是研究相对论大地测量学的后果，在相对论大地测量学中，人们使用原子跃迁中的微小频率移位作为原子钟高度的函数，以便绘制出地球表面。为了完成这一任务，现代计算机算法将与对量子场论的更好理解相协调地发展，以促进我们对原子量子力学束缚态的定量理解。只有将量子场论与弯曲时空的概念相结合，我们目前对极大的理解才能与我们目前对极小的理解相一致。这一项目将继续并扩大国际和平协会对这两个世界观的综合的探索。对研究生的指导和完成关于该主题的广泛的专著将是对研究计划的补充。该项目计划的研究将涵盖各种相关领域的理论物理研究，包括狄拉克方程到弯曲时空的扩展，狄拉克理论的伪厄米特扩展，使用高度强大的并行计算机算法来计算原子的性质。我们将从理论上分析理论与实验之间存在的差异(即所谓的介子氢/质子半径之谜以及8BE衰变过程中内对产生的增强)，并对高阶修正进行研究。狄拉克形式主义将通过双品诺与弯曲时空的耦合而得到加强，特别强调相对论大地测量学的结果。最后，对原子-表面接触相互作用和非接触摩擦效应的研究将补充研究计划。

This project will attempt to combine relativistic quantum theory of nanoscale phenomena with the concepts of general relativity, a theory primarily designed to cover astrophysical phenomena. One of the aims is to study the consequences for relativistic geodesy, where one uses tiny frequency shifts in atomic transitions, as a function of the altitude of an atomic clock, in order to map out the Earth's surface. To accomplish this task, modern computer algorithms will be developed in concert with an improved understanding of quantum field theories to advance our quantitative understanding of quantum mechanical bound states of atoms. Only by combining quantum field theory with the notion of curved spacetime can our current understanding of the very large be reconciled with our current understanding of the very small. This project will continue and extend the PI's explorations of this synthesis of two world views. The supervision of graduate students and the completion of an extensive monograph on the subject matter will complement the research program.The research planned for this project will cover theoretical physics research in various related fields, including extensions of the Dirac equation to curved space-time, pseudo-Hermitian extensions of Dirac theory, the use of highly powerful parallel computer algorithms for the calculation of atomic properties. Existing discrepancies between theory and experiment (the so-called muonic hydrogen/proton radius puzzle and the enhancement of internal pair creation in the decay of 8Be) will be analyzed theoretically, and higher-order corrections will be studied. The Dirac formalism will be augmented by a coupling of the bispinor to curved space-time, with special emphasis on consequences for relativistic geodesy. Finally, investigations on atom-surface contact interactions and non-contact friction effects will complement the research program.