Particle Theory, Gravity and Cosmology

该奖项资助马萨诸塞大学阿默斯特分校的约翰·多诺霍教授和洛伦佐·索尔博教授的研究活动。理论物理学中最活跃的领域之一涉及广义相对论与粒子物理和宇宙学研究之间的接口。广义相对论是我们的引力相互作用理论。引力和量子力学的结合有一些基本问题需要解决，而基础物理学和宇宙学的联系将允许对我们目前的想法进行关键测试。多诺霍教授和索尔博教授有一个针对这些新领域的研究项目。因此，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--来促进国家利益。多诺霍教授将使用所谓的“有效场论”的技术来研究在低能量下可靠计算的量子引力效应。索尔博教授的主要研究涉及宇宙研究中的新效应，包括可能的新方法来测试提出的新理论。多诺霍教授和索尔博教授还将让本科生和研究生参与他们的研究，从而为开始这一领域研究的初级物理学家提供培训。他们还将向中学生提供外联服务，并开发一本新书，促进对量子场论的理解。在技术上，多诺霍教授将使用有效场论在有效场论有效的区域内处理广义相对论中的量子问题。他还将学习更完整的引力理论，以及解决标准模型自然度问题的替代方法。索尔博教授将探索原始膨胀的各种现象学方面，特别强调在膨胀过程中粒子产生的影响如何在未来的观察中显示出来。他还将研究与在强外部电场中产生粒子有关的更多理论方面。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 award funds the research activities of Professors John Donoghue and Lorenzo Sorbo at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. One of the most active areas in theoretical physics involves the interface between general relativity, which is our theory of the gravitational interactions, and the study of particle physics and cosmology. The union of gravity and quantum mechanics has fundamental problems to be addressed, and the connection of fundamental physics with cosmology will allow crucial tests of our present ideas. Professors Donoghue and Sorbo have a research program which addresses these new frontiers. As such, this research advances the national interest by promoting the progress of science in one of its most fundamental directions: the discovery and understanding of new physical laws. Professor Donoghue will use the techniques of what is called "effective field theory" to study quantum-gravity effects that are reliably calculated at low energy. Professor Sorbo's primary research involves novel effects in the study of the universe, including possible new ways of testing proposed new theories. Professors Donoghue and Sorbo will also involve undergraduate and graduate students in their research, and thereby provide training for junior physicists beginning research in this field. They will also provide outreach to middle-school students and develop a new book promoting the understanding of quantum field theory. More technically, Professor Donoghue will use effective field theory to treat quantum problems in general relativity in the region where the effective field theory is valid. He will also study more complete theories of gravity as well as alternative ways to tackle the issue of naturalness of the Standard Model. Professor Sorbo will explore various phenomenological aspects of primordial inflation, with a special emphasis on how the effects of particle creation during inflation could show up in future observations. He will also investigate more theoretical aspects related to the creation of particles in strong external electric fields.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.