A dark matter portal into string theory

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。分歧的问题通过缺乏量子引力理论和需要紫外线调节器来最简洁地表达出来。然而，紫外线调节器也应该解释量子场理论中的大抵消。我们可以从规范理论中重整化程序的成功中推断出这一点。通过质量和电荷重整化来实现高阶项的正则化，需要从“裸参数”中无限减去紫外发散度。然而，有限重整化不应导致过大的参数移位。因此，调节器还应暗示环路幅度的抵消机制，以解释在存在大调节器规模的情况下不存在过大的重整化效应。我们有一个紫外线调节器的候选理论，它暗示了一种用于大型取消的优雅机制，即。超弦理论，在这个理论中，取消可以由超级伙伴来实现。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很有前途的框架。另一方面，我们最近指出，弦理论的反对称张量场提供了一种诱导弱电偶极子暗物质耦合的方法。这为弦理论和暗物质之间提供了一种独特的联系，并为弦理论打开了除了超对称WIMP和模数之外的另一个潜在的暗物质窗口。因此，拟议的研究项目将通过进一步探索与一名博士生的联系，促进我们对暗物质和弦理论的理解。在现象学方面，学生将推广我们之前关于电子反冲信号的工作，从电弱偶极暗物质到暗多重态，并更新直接搜索约束。在基础理论方面，学生还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中反对称张量场与弱偶极矩之间的耦合现象。因此，与该项目相关的费用几乎全部来自博士生的津贴。然而，为更多的学生提供受益于这一独特培训计划的机会，同时学习弦理论和暗物质研究技术，也是有益的。因此，该项目还为本科生提供了培训机会。

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.