Research Group: Centre for Research in String Theory Number of Students: 1 Length of Study in Years: 3-4 Full-time Project: yes
Exceptional field is a new construction that is a lift of eleven dimensional supergravity to a novel extended space. Currently, there has been huge progress in constructing actions and describing the local symmetries of this theory. The time is right to now use this formalism to address interesting questions that are thrown up by string and M-theory. In particular the project will look at exact solutions in the theory and their interpretation. The quantisation of the theory and how one might move beyond ordinary supergravity will also be examined.
Knowledge of string theory, quantum field theory and a high level of general relativity.
SPCS Academics: David Berman
Since the first detection of gravitational waves (GWs) by a binary black hole merger in 2015 by the LIGO and Virgo collaborations, there has been tremendous interest in the gravitational two-body problem. The aim is to make predictions for future-generation detectors, including LISA, the Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer. Considerable theoretical progress is now being made using tools developed for Quantum Field Theory, by re-interpreting black holes and neutron stars as point particles. The Worldline Quantum Field Theory (WQFT) formalism, designed specifically to produce classical physical observables, has been incredibly successful in this regard.
The aim of this PhD project is to use WQFT to calculate classical physical observables in two-body scattering events. These include the change in momentum (momentum impulse), scattering angle, and radiated energy plus angular momentum fluxes. Physical effects including spins, tides and beyond-GR theories will be considered. These observables will be used to build models of the bound gravitational bound two-body problem, and ultimately develop gravitational waveform models.
SPCS Academics: Gustav Mogull