Gauge Theories as Gravity Theories
| Thesis title in Czech: | |
|---|---|
| Thesis title in English: | Gauge Theories as Gravity Theories |
| Academic year of topic announcement: | 2009/2010 |
| Thesis type: | diploma thesis |
| Thesis language: | angličtina |
| Department: | Institute of Particle and Nuclear Physics (32-UCJF) |
| Supervisor: | prof. Alfredo Iorio, Ph.D. |
| Author: |
| Guidelines |
| It has been shown by Edward Witten in [1] that General Relativity in three dimensions, two space- one time, is a mathematically sound gauge theory of the Lie group ISO(2,1). This is an illuminating example of how a field theory based on spacetime symmetries (local Lorentz and diffeomorphisms) can be properly formulated in terms of a field theory based on inner symmetry. The formulation of gravity theories in terms of gauge theories is not only interesting on its own right as it is part of the understanding of the differences and similarities between spatiotemporal and inner symmetries, see, e.g., [2], but it has vast applications ranging from condensed matter to particle physics and beyond.
The opposite road to that opened in [1], i.e. to explore when and under which conditions it is possible to interpret a gauge theory as a gravity theory deserves a serious study. The candidate will undertake such research direction paying due attention to the mathematical setting as well as to possible physical applications. |
| References |
| [1] E.Witten, 2+1 Dimensional Gravity as an Exact Soluble System, Nucl. Phys. B 311 (1988/89) 46.
[2] A.Iorio, Advanced Concepts of Symmetry, Lecture Notes of the Course LS NJSF129 (Summer Term 2009), in preparation. [3] G.Guralnik, A.Iorio, R.Jackiw, S.-Y.Pi, Dimensionally Reduced Gravitational Chern-Simons Term and its Kink, Ann. Phys. 308 (2003) 222. |