Past Events
Group Meeting: Review of Higher Spin Theories - Part 3
2019-12-09This will be the concluding part of the series of lectures on Higher Spin theories by Mirian Tsulaia.
Abstract: In today's talk we will discuss Vasiliev's formulation of Higher Spin theories, focussing in particular on the topic of free and nonlinear unfolded equations.
Theoretical Physics Seminar: Seva Nikulin
2019-12-06Theoretical Physics Seminar.
Speaker: Seva Nikulin.
Title: "De Sitter space as a space of probability distributions".
Journal club seminar: Knots, the Jones Polynomial, and Khovanov homology
2019-12-04Speaker: Andrew Lobb
Title: Knots, the Jones Polynomial, and Khovanov homology.
Abstract : I shall give constructions of the Jones polynomial and of Khovanov homology. These are both invariants of knots -- the former is a polynomial, the latter is a vector space. They are interesting for many reasons and their construction is beautiful. There are deep connections with physics on which I'm not really qualified to comment (apologies), but those able may try looking at Kauffman's book "Knots and Physics", Witten's "Quantum Field Theory and the Jones Polynomial", or Gukov-Schwarz-Vafa's "Khovanov-Rozansky homology and topological strings". No knowledge of anything is assumed, and questions are encouraged.
[Seminar] "Making string theory great again" by Prof. Eoin Ó Colgáin
2019-12-02Speaker: Prof. Eoin Ó Colgáin from APCTP
Journal club seminar: Basics of Covariant Quantization of Superstring
2019-11-27Mirian Tsulaila will tell us about "Basics of Covariant Quantization of Superstring". The useful references are ICTP Lectures on Covariant Quantization of the Superstring and Multiloop Amplitudes and Vanishing Theorems using the Pure Spinor Formalism for the Superstrin The Green-Schwarz formulation of superstring is described in the String theory book by M. Green, J. Schwarz and E. Witten (chapter 5).
Group Meeting: Review of Higher Spin Theories - Part 2
2019-11-25In this talk Mirian Tsulaia will continue with his review of Higher Spin Theories.
Abstract: This a continuation of the previous talk in this series. Today we shall discuss Vasiliev's formalism and in particular talk about free unfolded equations.
Theoretical Physics Seminar: Miquel Jorquera
2019-11-22Theoretical Physics Seminar.
Speaker: Miquel Jorquera.
Title: "What's so particular about photons?"
Journal club seminar: A potential probe of quantum gravity with large molecular wavepackets
2019-11-20Carlos Villalpando will tell us about "A potential probe of quantum gravity with large molecular wavepackets". The talk is based on two papers: Minimal length effect on the broadening of free wave packets and its physical implications and Indirect Probe of Quantum Gravity using Molecular Wave-packets.
Abstract: The biggest obstacle for a direct test of quantum gravity is its energy scale, which is well outside of the capabilites of any human-made machine; the next best possible approach then is to provide indirect tests on effective theories of quantum gravity, which can be performed in a lower energy scale. This talk will be aimed in this direction, showing a promising path to test the existence of a fundamental, minimal length scale of Nature, by measuring the dispersion of large molecular wave-packets. The existence of this minimal length would imply a modified commutation relation between position and momentum operators, and as we will see, such a modification of the commutator has a profound effect on the dispersion rate of free wave-packets, providing a path for a potential, indirect test of quantum gravity in a laboratory setting.
Group Meeting Talk: Review of Higher Spin Theories
2019-11-18In this talk Mirian Tsulaia will give us an introduction to Higher Spin Theories.
Abstract: This talk will be a short and 'slow' introduction to Higher Spin Theories. Today we will discuss aspects of metric like formulation of higher spin theories.
Journal club seminar: Lorentzian Structures on Branching Spacetimes
2019-11-13Abstract: “Branching Spacetimes” are a class of order-theoretic models that have interested philosophers and logicians for several decades. As it stands, the name is slightly misleading – the intended models of the theory do indeed branch, but they only partially represent spacetimes in the physicists’ use of the word. In this talk we will bridge this terminological gap by introducing a class of models that naturally enrich Branching “Spacetimes” with topological, differentiable and Lorentzian structures. As we will see, these models are interesting not only from a logical point of view, but also from geometric and physical perspectives as well.