Quantum Fields – from Fundamental Concepts to Phenomenological Questions

Session

Highlight Lecture

26 Sept 2018, 13:30

02.430 (Mainz Institute for Theoretical Physics, Johannes Gutenberg University)

40. Dimension and Dimensional Reduction in Quantum Gravity

Prof. Steven Carlip (University of California at Davis)

26/09/2018, 13:30

If gravity is asymptotically safe, we expect operators to exhibit anomalous scaling at the UV fixed point in a way that makes the theory effectively two-dimensional. A number of independent lines of evidence, based on different approaches to quantization, indicate a similar short distance dimensional reduction. I will review the evidence for this behavior — emphasizing the physical question of...

27. Quantum Gravity in the sky?

Prof. Abhay Ashtekar (Penn State)

27/09/2018, 13:30

Thanks to the spectacular observational advances since the 1990s, a `standard model' of the early universe has now emerged. However, since it is based on quantum field theory in curved space-times, it is not applicable in the Planck regime. Using techniques from loop quantum gravity, the theory can be extended over the 12 orders of magnitude in density and curvature from the onset of inflation...

30. Resurgence and Non-perturbative Physics

Prof. Gerald Dunne (University of Connecticut)

28/09/2018, 13:30

Resurgence is a new approach to quantum field theory that combines perturbative and non-perturbative effects in a unified framework. The primary motivation is to uncover new computationally practical methods for path integrals in strongly interacting finite density and non-equilibrium systems. I'll give an overview of the key ideas and discuss applications to quantum field theory, matrix...