This award funds the research activities of Professors Steven Weinberg, Willy Fischler, and Jacques Distler at the University of Texas at Austin.
The work done by this group of professors ranges from physics at the most fundamental level to computations relevant to current observations in particle physics and cosmology. As part of this research project, these professors intend to pursue their quest for a deeper understanding of the various challenges confronting theoretical physics, ranging from attaining a fundamental understanding of its intricacies when combining quantum mechanics and gravity including cosmology to the phenomenology of particle physics. Making progress in these areas will require a many-pronged approach, using insight gained from existing concepts like holography to developing a deeper mathematical understanding including new tools in field theory and string theory. Professor Weinberg will pursue new approaches to quantum measurement theory and investigate alternative regularization schemes for cosmological perturbation theory. Professor Fischler will continue his work on Holographic Space Time, AdS/CFT and exploring alternative theories of dark matter. Finally, Professor Distler will continue his work on Gaiotto Duality and on the theory of orientifolds, while pursuing new ideas on heterotic string compactification.
These three faculty members also have a strong track record of making physics accessible to a wider audience through popular lectures and through various other media including Press, Radio, TV and the Internet. These activities are envisioned to continue in conjunction with the current research project. These activities also include the development of Web technologies and the authoring of graduate textbooks in physics.
