M-Theory, Cosmology and Quantum Field Theory

我们的STFC研究计划专注于相互关联的M理论、量子场论和宇宙学的基本问题。M理论包含弦理论和超重力理论，是我们统一爱因斯坦广义相对论和粒子物理标准模型的中心方法。M理论最有趣的特征之一是，它结合了非微扰杨-米尔斯理论在弦和膜方面的双重描述，导致了黑洞和量子场论之间的深刻联系，并对夸克禁闭等强耦合现象有了新的见解。这些联系将继续以许多不同的方式进行探索，包括使用新的几何技术、精确可积的量子场理论模型和无质量高自旋激发的理论。最终目标是确定M理论的基本自由度，这将对粒子物理现象学产生深远的影响。利用解析和数值方法，我们还将构造和研究具有新性质的黑洞解，这些解对夸克胶子等离子体和一些鲜为人知的凝聚态系统，如高温超导体、奇异金属和绝缘体都有重要的潜在应用。在大量新数据的推动下，宇宙学仍然是一个充满活力的研究领域。宇宙结构和起源的关键线索将在宇宙微波背景的细节中找到。这将通过分析数据以及研究最近发现的希格斯场的宇宙学含义以及粒子物理标准模型在膨胀情况下的扩展，为我们的活动提供一个重点。理解暗能量为宇宙学提供了一个重要的挑战，我们将积极探索质量引力发挥重要作用的可能性。在另一个方向，我们将致力于从宇宙学数据中提取量子引力的印记，例如时空的基本离散性。暗物质是另一个突出的挑战，它取决于宇宙学和粒子物理学研究的交汇点，我们将继续开发新颖的全球统计工具，利用许多不同的实验，以便提取尽可能强烈的限制和见解。

Our STFC research programme is focused on the interrelated fundamental problems of M-theory, quantum field theory and cosmology. M-theory, which subsumes string theory and supergravity theory, is our central approach to unifying Einstein's theory of General Relativity with the Standard Model of particle physics. One of the most interesting features of M-theory is that it incorporates dual descriptions of non-perturbative Yang-Mills theories in terms of strings and branes, leading to profound connections between black holes and quantum field theory and also to new insights into strong coupling phenomena such as quark confinement. These connections will continue to be explored in a number of different ways, including using novel geometric techniques, exactly integrable quantum field theory models and theories with massless higher-spin excitations. The ultimate goal is to determine the fundamental degrees of freedom of M-theory which would have profound implications for particle physics phenomenology. Using both analytical and numerical techniques we will also construct and study black-hole solutions with novel properties that have important potential applications to both the quark gluon plasma and poorly understood systems in condensed matter such as high-temperature superconductors, exotic metals and insulators. Cosmology continues to be a highly vibrant area of study driven by a wealth of new data. Key clues to the structure and the origin of the universe are to be found in the details of the cosmic microwave background. This will provide one focus of our activities both by analysing data as well as by studying the cosmological implications of the recently discovered Higgs field and extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics in inflationary scenarios. Understanding dark energy provides an important challenge for cosmology and we will actively pursue the possibility that massive gravity plays an important role. In another direction we will aim to extract imprints of quantum gravity, such as fundamental discreteness of spacetime, on cosmological data. Dark matter is another outstanding challenge that lies that the interface of research in both cosmology and particle physics and we will continue to develop novel and global statistical tools that draw on many different experiments in order to extract the strongest possible constraints and insights.