The joint authors are Riccardo D'Auria, and Pietro Fre. Their ambitious attempt here is to present a self-contained account of the field with sufficient explication to both introduce it and give an advanced treatment. They deal with gravity and differential geometry, the algebraic basis of supersymmetry, supergravity in the rheonomy framework, the role of the scalar fields, Kaluza-Klein supergravity and heterotic superstrings and supergravity. Carefully typed throughout--but typed, with the attendant strain on the eyes (and concentration). A very impressive piece of work (deserving of better than acidic bookpaper). Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
This book provides a self-contained presentation of supergravity theories from its fundamentals to its most recent union with string and superstring theories, which are also reviewed in a self-contained manner. The subject is presented consistently in a unified geometric formalism, relying on the calculus of exterior forms and the mathematics needed to develop the theory is explained in appropriate chapters.
Self-contained and comprehensive, this definitive new edition provides a complete overview of the intersection of gravity, supergravity, and superstrings.
Supersymmetry is at an exciting stage of development. It extends the Standard Model of particle physics into a more powerful theory that both explains more and allows more questions to be addressed. Most important, it opens a window for studying and testing fundamental theories at the Planck scale. Experimentally we are finally entering the intensity and energy regions where superpartners are likely to be detected, and then studied. There has been progress in understanding the remarkable physics implications of supersymmetry, including the derivation of the Higgs mechanism, the unification of the Standard Model forces, cosmological connections such as a candidate for the cold dark matter of the universe and the scalar fields that drive inflation and their potential, the relationship to Planck scale theories, and more.While there are a number of reviews and books where the mathematical structure and uses of supersymmetry can be learned, there are few where the particle physics is the main focus. This book fills that gap. It begins with an excellent pedagogical introduction to the physics and methods and formalism of supersymmetry, by S Martin, which is accessible to anyone with a basic knowledge of the Standard Model of particle physics. Next is an overview of open questions by K Dienes and C Kolda, followed by chapters on topics ranging from how to detect superpartners to connections with Planck scale theories, by leading experts.This invaluable book will allow any interested physicist to understand the coming experimental and theoretical progress in supersymmetry, and will also help students and workers to quickly learn new aspects of supersymmetry they want to pursue.
Designed as a sequel to the authors' Introduction to Gauge Field Theory, Supersymmetric Gauge Field Theory and String Theory introduces first-year graduate students to supersymmetric theories, including supergravity and superstring theories. Starting with the necessary background in quantum field theory, the book covers the three key topics of high-energy physics. The emphasis is on practical calculations rather than abstract generalities or phenomenological results. Where possible, the authors show how to calculate, connecting the theoretical with the phenomenological. While the field continues to advance and grow, this book addresses the basic theory at the core and will likely remain relevant even if more advanced ideas change.
A clear, plain-English guide to this complex scientific theory String theory is the hottest topic in physics right now, with books on the subject (pro and con) flying out of the stores. String Theory For Dummies offers an accessible introduction to this highly mathematical "theory of everything," which posits ten or more dimensions in an attempt to explain the basic nature of matter and energy. Written for both students and people interested in science, this guide explains concepts, discusses the string theory's hypotheses and predictions, and presents the math in an approachable manner. It features in-depth examples and an easy-to-understand style so that readers can understand this controversial, cutting-edge theory.
Supergravity, together with string theory, is one of the most significant developments in theoretical physics. Written by two of the most respected workers in the field, this is the first-ever authoritative and systematic account of supergravity. The book starts by reviewing aspects of relativistic field theory in Minkowski spacetime. After introducing the relevant ingredients of differential geometry and gravity, some basic supergravity theories (D=4 and D=11) and the main gauge theory tools are explained. In the second half of the book, complex geometry and N=1 and N=2 supergravity theories are covered. Classical solutions and a chapter on AdS/CFT complete the book. Numerous exercises and examples make it ideal for Ph.D. students, and with applications to model building, cosmology and solutions of supergravity theories, it is also invaluable to researchers. A website hosted by the authors, featuring solutions to some exercises and additional reading material, can be found at www.cambridge.org/supergravity.
A thrilling adventure story chronicling the perilous journey of the scientists who set out to prove the theory of relativity--the results of which catapulted Albert Einstein to fame and forever changed our understanding of the universe. In 1911, a relatively unknown physicist named Albert Einstein published his preliminary theory of gravity. But it hadn't been tested. To do that, he needed a photograph of starlight as it passed the sun during a total solar eclipse. So began a nearly decade-long quest by seven determined astronomers from observatories in four countries, who traveled the world during five eclipses to capture the elusive sight. Over the years, they faced thunderstorms, the ravages of a world war, lost equipment, and local superstitions. Finally, in May of 1919, British expeditions to northern Brazil and the island of Príncipe managed to photograph the stars, confirming Einstein's theory. At its heart, this is a story of frustration, faith, and ultimate victory--and of the scientists whose efforts helped build the framework for the big bang theory, catapulted Einstein to international fame, and shook the foundation of physics.
String Theory, now almost 30 years of age, was partly forgotten but came back to the forefront of theoretical particle physics in 1984. In this book, based on lectures by the author at the K.U.Leuven and at the University of Padova, Elias Kiritsis takes the reader through the developments of the last 15 years: conformal field theory, the various superstrings and their spectra, compactifications, and the effective description of low energy degrees of freedom. It ends by showing a glimpse of the most recent developments, dualities of strings and higher dimensional objects, that influence both traditional field theory and present day mathematics. Readership: Theoretical physicists, and mathematicians with an interest in modern string theory. 1. Introduction 2. Historical perspective 3. Classical string theory 3.1. The point particle 3.2. Relativistic strings 3.3. Oscillator expansions 4. Quantization of the bosonic string 4.1. Covariant canonical quantization 4.2. Light-cone quantization 4.3. Spectrum of the bosonic string 4.4. Path integral quantization 4.5. Topologically non-trivial world-sheets 4.6. BRST primer 4.7. BRST in string theory and the physical spectrum 4.8. Interactions and loop amplitudes 5. Conformal field theory 5.1. Conformal transformations 5.2. Conformally invariant field theory 5.3. Radial quantization 5.4. Example: the free boson 5.5. The central charge 5.6. The free fermion 5.7. Mode expansions 5.8. The Hilbert space 5.9. Representations of the conformal algebra 5.10. Affine algebras 5.11. Free fermions and O(N) affine symmetry 5.12. N=1 superconformal symmetry 5.13. N=2 superconformal symmetry 5.14. N=4 superconformal symmetry 5.15. The CFT of ghosts 6. CFT on the torus 6.1. Compact scalars 6.2. Enhanced symmetry and the string Higgs effect 6.3. T-duality 6.4. Free fermions on the torus 6.5. Bosonization 6.6. Orbifolds 6.7. CFT on higher-genus Riemann surfaces 7. Scattering amplitudes and vertex operators of bosonic strings 8. Strings in background fields and low-energy effective actions 9. Superstrings and supersymmetry 9.1. Closed (type-II) superstrings 9.2. Massless R-R states 9.3. Type-I superstrings 9.4. Heterotic superstrings 9.5. Superstring vertex operators 9.6. Supersymmetric effective actions 10. Anomalies 11. Compactification and supersymmetry breaking 11.1. Toroidal compactifications 11.2. Compactification on non-trivial manifolds 11.3. World-sheet versus spacetime supersymmetry 11.4. Heterotic orbifold compactifications with N=2 supersymmetry 11.5. Spontaneous supersymmetry breaking 11.6. Heterotic N=1 theories and chirality in four dimensions 11.7. Orbifold compactifications of the type-II string 12. Loop corrections to effective couplings in string theory 12.1. Calculation of gauge thresholds 12.2. On-shell infrared regularization 12.3. Gravitational thresholds 12.4. Anomalous U(1)?s 12.5. N=1,2 examples of thresholds corrections 12.6. N=2 universality of thresholds 12.7. Unification 13. Non-perturbative string dualities: a foreword 13.1. Antisymmetric tensors and p-branes 13.2. BPS states and bounds 13.3. Heterotic/type-I duality in ten dimensions 13.4. Type-IIA versus M-theory 13.5. M-theory and the E8xE8 heterotic string 13.6. Self-duality of the type-IIB string 13.7. D-branes are the type-II R-R charged states 13.8. D-brane actions 13.9. Heterotic/type-II duality in six and four dimensions 14. Outlook Appendices A. Theta functions B. Toroidal lattice sums C. Toroidal Kaluza-Klein reduction D. N=1,2,4, D=4 supergravity coupled to matter E. BPS Multiplets and helicity supertrace formulae F. Modular forms G. Helicity string partition functions H. Electric-Magnetic duality in D=4 References ISBN10:9061868947 Imprint:Leuven University Press Language: English NUR * 925 Theoretische natuurkunde * Number of pages: v-316 * Width: 16 cm * Height: 24 cm * Elias Kiritsis, Author (all publications from this author/editor with Leuven University Press)
We are all agreed that your theory is crazy. The question which divides us is whether it is crazy enough. Niels Bohr Superstring theory has emerged as the most promising candidate for a quan tum theory of all known interactions. Superstrings apparently solve a problem that has defied solution for the past 50 years, namely the unification of the two great fundamental physical theories of the century, quantum field theory and general relativity. Superstring theory introduces an entirely new physical picture into theoretical physics and a new mathematics that has startled even the mathematicians. Ironically, although superstring theory is supposed to provide a unified field theory of the universe, the theory itself often seems like a confused jumble offolklore, random rules of thumb, and intuition. This is because the develop ment of superstring theory has been unlike that of any other theory, such as general relativity, which began with a geometry and an action and later evolved into a quantum theory. Superstring theory, by contrast, has been evolving backward for the past 20 years. It has a bizarre history, beginning with the purely accidental discovery of the quantum theory in 1968 by G. Veneziano and M. Suzuki. Thumbing through old math books, they stumbled by chance on the Beta function, written down in the last century by mathematician Leonhard Euler.
