High Energy Theory
The research effort of the high energy theory group covers a wide range of fields, including quantum field theory, string theory, quantum gravity models in various dimensions, the theory of turbulence, particle cosmology, phenomenology of the Standard Model and beyond, and also computer simulations of problems that arise in these areas.
The activity in string theory and quantum gravity is aimed at developing a quantum theory that incorporates the physics of gravity and is valid down to the smallest length scales, where conventional quantum field theory can no longer be applied. There has been rapid progress in this area in recent years, in part due to work of Princeton faculty and students, and it continues to be a fertile source of research problems.
Black hole theory provides an important testing ground for the quantum theory of gravity and in recent work significant progress has been achieved in explaining black hole entropy and Hawking radiation from a more fundamental point of view. Work on quantum black holes has led to new relations between strings and non-Abelian gauge theory. This application of string theory has already provided new insights into strongly coupled gauge theories, and it continues to be an exciting area.
Members of the high energy theory group are also involved in cross-disciplinary research, applying field theoretic techniques to a variety of problems, including turbulent flow, dissipative quantum systems, the quantum Hall effect, and heavy-ion collisions, to name a few.
The effort in phenomenology at Princeton encompasses model-building topics such as the mediation of supersymmetry breaking as well as more experimentally oriented projects, like spin determination of heavy resonances. There is also exploration of the interface of accelerator phenomenology with particle cosmology, including novel theories of dark matter.
Faculty
- Curtis G. Callan: Particle physics, string theory and conformal field theory, quantum theory of black holes, condensed matter applications of field theory techniques.
- Simone Giombi: String theory, quantum field theory, gauge/gravity dualities.
- Steven S. Gubser: String theory, black holes, gauge theories, black hole phase transitions, applications of string theory to heavy-ion collisions, and aspects of theoretical cosmology.
- Igor Klebanov: String theory, black holes, gauge theories.
- Chiara R. Nappi: Particle physics and string theory.
- Alexander Polyakov: String theory, field theory, quark confinement, turbulence, cosmology.
- Paul J. Steinhardt: Inflationary cosmology; dark matter and dark energy; string cosmology; quasicrystals.
- Herman Verlinde: String theory, black holes, quantum field theory.
Associated Faculty
Researchers
- Daniel Harlow (PCTS)
- Samuel Lee (PCTS)
- Mariangela Lisanti (PCTS)
- Tatsuma Nishioka
- Enrico Pajer
- Itamar Yaakov
- Masahito Yamazaki (PCTS)