Archive of IAS Monday High Energy Theory Seminars

Dec
02
2013

High Energy Theory Seminar

Higher Symmetry, Topological Quantum Field Theory, and Gapped Phases of Matter
2:30pm|Bloomberg Lecture Hall

I define and study TQFTs which generalize the Dijkgraaf-Witten TQFT and can be described on a lattice using discrete 1-form and 2-form gauge fields. The gauge group is replaced by a gauge 2-group. It is proposed that 2-group TQFTs classify gapped...

Nov
11
2013

High Energy Theory Seminar

(0,2) Trialities
2:30pm|Bloomberg Lecture Hall

Motivated by the connection between 4-manifolds and 2d N=(0,2) theories, we study the dynamics of a fairly large class of 2d N=(0,2) gauge theories. We see that physics of such theories is very rich, much as the physics of 4d N=1 theories. We...

Oct
28
2013

High Energy Theory Seminar

The Geometry of the Quantum Hall Effect
2:30pm|Bloomberg Lecture Hall

We show how a diffeomorphism invariance of the quantum Hall systems, together with topological consideration, put strong constraints on the physics that goes beyond the Chern-Simons action. We show how the Hall conductivity at finite wavenumbers is...

Oct
21
2013

High Energy Theory Seminar

Axion Detection with NMR
2:30pm|Bloomberg Lecture Hall

The axion is a well-motivated dark matter candidate, but is challenging to search for. We propose a new way to search for QCD axion and axion-like-particle (ALP) dark matter. Nuclei that are interacting with the background axion dark matter acquire...

Oct
07
2013

High Energy Theory Seminar

Space-Time S-matrix and Flux-Tube S-matrix
Pedro Vieira
2:30pm|Bloomberg Lecture Hall

In planar N=4 Super-Yang-Mills theory there is a map between gluons scattering amplitudes and null polygonal Wilson loops. This remarkable duality allows one to make an important step forward by Operator-Product-Expanding the scattering amplitudes...

Sep
23
2013

High Energy Theory Seminar

Topological Order and Long-range Entanglement -- Can Elementary Particles Emerge from Qubits?
2:30pm|Bloomberg Lecture Hall
Long-range entangled qubits (or quantum spins) from new states of matter whose low energy effective theory realize topological quantum field theories. Those topologically ordered states of purely bosonic qubits can produce emergent gauge theory and...
May
13
2013

High Energy Theory Seminar

Classical Conformal Block and Painleve VI
Alexander B. Zamolodchikov
2:30pm|Bloomberg Lecture Hall
Classical conformal blocks appear in the limit c->infinity of the Virasoro conformal blocks. Classical conformal blocks have close relationship to monodromy of the second order differential equations with regular singularities. I will discuss...
Apr
22
2013

High Energy Theory Seminar

ACME: Obtaining an Electron Electric Dipole Moment from ThO
Gerald Gabrielse
2:30pm|Bloomberg Lecture Hall
The electron edm is an important constraint on extensions to the Standard Model such as supersymmetric models. ACME is closing in on a more sensitive measurement of this moment, profiting from the huge electric field within the ThO molecule.
Apr
08
2013

High Energy Theory Seminar

(Why) Is Helicity Lorentz-Invariant?
2:30pm|Bloomberg Lecture Hall
Massless particle states carry integer or half-integer spin about themomentum axis, or "helicity". Lorentz symmetry allows for helicity states to mix under boosts (like massive particle polarizations); such mixing is not understood theoretically and...