Quantum Field Theory Out-of-Equilibrium: Thermalization and Chaos

该奖项资助了肯塔基州大学的Anatoly Dymarsky教授的研究活动。量子场论是描述自然世界基本构件之间的基本力和相互作用的理论框架。 然而，这一领域研究的一个广泛目标是开发新的理论方法来描述极端状态下的基本粒子，即大量粒子同时相互作用。 这一领域的研究被称为量子场论的非平衡态，与量子场论描述小群体中单个粒子相互作用的情况相反。 不平衡的过程-即，那些涉及大量粒子的问题-是科学探索前沿众多现象的核心。 这包括粒子加速器中重离子的碰撞，有关恒星和黑洞的天体物理过程，冷原子的实验设置，以及许多其他。 因此，该项目通过扩展我们在量子场论领域的基础科学知识来服务于国家利益，量子场论在这些不同的科学学科中都有应用。 预计该项目还将产生更广泛的重大影响。 其中一个目标是促进本科生的参与-特别是来自代表性不足的群体-在STEM研究中。 二是提高物理学研究生教育质量。 教授Dymarsky将共同组织的会议本科妇女在物理学（CUWiP），这将在肯塔基州的大学举行。 他还通过外展活动、社交媒体和在线教育视频积极推广理论物理。这个研究项目的具体目标分为几大类。 第一个目标是推进我们目前的二维共形场论（CFTs）的可积KdV结构的理解。 这包括对CFT广义配分函数及其性质的研究。 第二个目标是开发新的定量方法来表征量子系统的混沌行为。 第三个目标是在各种场论模型中研究热化动力学。 作为这项工作的一部分，Dymarsky教授还将研究二维CFTs中的本征态热化以及它如何受到可积性的影响。该项目将使用这些结果来阐明AdS空间中的量子引力。这些目标将通过全息对应、可积性和数值模拟等技术的组合来实现。该奖项反映了NSF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 Anatoly Dymarsky at the University of Kentucky.Quantum field theory is the theoretical framework for describing the fundamental forces and interactions between the elementary building blocks of the natural world. However, a broad goal of studies in this area is to develop new theoretical methods to describe elementary particles in extreme regimes, when large numbers of particles simultaneously interact with each other. This area of research is called quantum field theory out-of-equilibrium, in contrast with the situation when quantum field theory describes individual particles interacting in small groups. The out-of-equilibrium processes --- i.e., those involving large numbers of particles --- are at the heart of numerous phenomena at the frontier of scientific exploration. This includes collisions of heavy ions in particle accelerators, astrophysical processes concerning stars and black holes, experimental settings with cold atoms, and many others. As such, this project serves the national interest by extending our knowledge of fundamental science in the area of quantum field theory, which has applications across these different scientific disciplines. This project is also envisioned to have significant broader impacts. One of the goals is to facilitate the participation of undergraduate students --- specially from underrepresented groups --- in STEM research. Another is to enhance the quality of graduate and post-graduate physics education. Professor Dymarsky will be co-organizing the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP), which will be held at the University of Kentucky. He is also actively promoting theoretical physics through outreach activities, social media, and online educational videos. The specific goals of this research project fall into several broad categories. The first goal is to advance our current understanding of the integrable KdV structure of two-dimensional conformal field theories (CFTs). This includes studies of the CFT generalized partition function and its properties. A second goal is to develop new quantitative methods to characterize the chaotic behavior of quantum systems. A third goal is to study thermalization dynamics in various field-theoretic models. As a part of this effort, Professor Dymarsky will also study eigenstate thermalization in two-dimensional CFTs and how it is affected by integrability. This project will then use these results to elucidate quantum gravity in AdS space. These objectives will be achieved through a combination of techniques including holographic correspondence, integrability, and numerical simulations.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.