theoretical-physics

superalgebra and (synthetic ) supergeometry supergravity in dimension 6 Background on spin representations and supersymmetry: 221 2 (1983) 331-348 [doi:10.1016/0550-3213(83)90582-5] Formulation of supergravity on superspace: Moustafa A. Awada, Paul Townsend, Germán Sierra: Six-dimensional simple and extended chiral supergravity in superspace, Class. Quantum Grav. 2 (1985) L85 [doi:10.1088/0264-93…

On generalized Spin(7)-manifolds and M-theory on G₂-manifolds: On G-structures in M-theory: On D=6 supergravity: and in relation to contact geometry: Discussion of Killing spinors on globally hyperbolic Lorentzian manifolds: On duality-symmetric abelian Yang-Mills theory (“premetric electromagnetism”) in the generality allowing “U-duality-twists” among several abelian gauge fields, motivated by a…

_SSRN_. forthcomingThis work develops a unified variational formulation of Complete Detectable Spacetime Geometry (CDSG), extending prior results on admissible physical structure to a quantitative reconstruction of the Standard Model and its gravitational and cosmological extensions. The framework is based on the requirement that physically realizable processes correspond to closure-complete space…

This work proposes a conceptual framework for re-examining foundational notions in physics—namely space, time, matter, and interaction—by returning to a more primitive level: that of the minimal act. Rather than presupposing entities, fields, or spacetime as primary givens, the analysis begins from the conditions that make the occurrence of act possible. At this level, structure, act, and energy …

$1.5 Million gift is part of a campaign to establish early career chairs at Perimeter Institute

Rodolfo Russo is reader in theoretical physics at Queen Mary College, London. On the BMN limit of the AdS-CFT correspondence: On AdS-CFT dual type II supergravity-solutions corresponding to D1-D5-P bound states (“superstrata”): and on the non-supersymmetric generalization via AdS3-CFT2 duality (“microstrata”): Bogdan Ganchev, Stefano Giusto, Anthony Houppe, Rodolfo Russo, holography for non-BPS g…

Live Science spoke with Nobel prize-winning physicist David Gross, who recently received the $3 million Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, about the quest to unite all the forces and why humanity might not live to see a unified theory.

Introduction Sitting outside a Catholic church on the French Riviera, Carlo Rovelli jutted his head forward and backward, imitating a pigeon trotting by. Pigeons bob their heads, he told me, not only to stabilize their vision but also to gauge distances to objects — compensating for their limited binocular vision. “It’s all perspectival,” he said. A theoretical physicist affiliated with Aix-Marse…

The idea that the constants of nature are not actually constant has been around since at least the 1930s. Physicists across the decades have put forth that speed of light, the strength of the electromagnetic force, and the strength of gravity all change over time. Now, a physicist claims that changing constants explain dark energy and dark matter, both of which are just an “illusion”. Well, wow.

A visit to Prof. Dr. Kai Phillip Schmidt, Chair of Theoretical Physics Each semester, FAU President Prof. Dr. Joachim Hornegger visits professors in their institutes. He visits them there to talk about their research, to discover what is close to their heart and to get to know them better. Our series introduces you to the […]

"...More than a scientific pursuit, Mallett’s story testifies to human resilience, intellectual courage, and hope’s enduring power. Whether his theoretical time machine ever materializes, his legacy is immeasurable—inspiring countless individuals to challenge conventional limits and perceive time not as an unyielding barrier, but as a boundless frontier awaiting exploration."

Physicists are still searching for a “theory of everything” which will cleanly explain every phenomenon in existence, in principle. According to a new paper, though, they search in vain: an all-encompassing theory of everything is mathematically impossible. Let’s take a look.

Gift from the Leinweber Foundation, in addition to a $5 million commitment from the School of Science, will drive discovery, collaboration, and the next generation of physics leaders. A $20 million gift from the Leinweber Foundation, in addition to a $5 million commitment from the MIT School of Science, will support theoretical physics research and […] The post $20 million gift supports theoretic…

Awarded to one scientist included in the Science News SN 10, a list spotlighting 10 early- and mid-career scientists on their way to widespread acclaim. WASHINGTON, D.C. – Society for Science today announced that Tracy Slatyer, Ph.D., a theoretical physics professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has won the $1,000 Jon C. Graff, Ph.D. […] The post MIT Professor Tracy Slatyer to R…

I met boatloads of physicists as a master’s student at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Canada. Researchers pass through Perimeter like diplomats through my current neighborhood—the Washington, DC area—except that Perimeter’s visitors speak math instead of legalese … Continue reading →

Join ‪@bleachers‬ frontman and 11-time Grammy Winning super-producer Jack Antonoff for a discussion about his track “The Waiter” on which he muses about the notion that time could stop hinting at the subjectivity of time perception. On hand to talk about the implications of time from a theoretical physicist’s perspective is MIT professor Dr. David […] The post Jack Antonoff and David Kaiser discu…

This morning I had a really fantastic meeting with some filmmakers about scientific aspects of the visuals (and other content) for a film to appear on your screens one day, and also discussed finding time to chat with one of the leads in order to help them get familiar with aspects of the world (and perhaps mindset) of a theoretical physicist. (It was part of a long series of very productive me…

This is the maybe most surprising development in theoretical physics I’ve seen for a decade or so. A well-renown physicist is saying that there’s a mistake in a proof that dates back half a century, and black holes might not actually contain singularities.

About two years ago I wrote a post entitled “A Return”, upon moving to Princeton for a year (I was a Presidential Visiting Scholar at the Physics department). I reflected upon the fact that it was a return to a significant place from my past, where I’d been transformed in so many ways. Princeton was the first place I visited (not counting airports) in the USA, the location of my first postdoctora…

Over more than 50 years at MIT, he made fundamental contributions to quantum field theory and discovered topological and geometric phenomena. Eminent theoretical physicist and Dirac Medalist Roman Jackiw, MIT professor emeritus and holder of the Department of Physics’ Jerrold Zacharias chair, died June 14 at age 83. He was a member of the MIT […] The post Professor Emeritus Roman Jackiw, “giant o…