Orateur
Description
Constraints on infrared (IR) physics arising from ultraviolet (UV) consistency have provided deep insights into the structure of relativistic quantum field theories and their IR phases. I am interested in how analogous constraints can be formulated for systems with spontaneously or explicitly broken Lorentz symmetry. One such system of interest is relativistic Fermi liquid which describes a wide range of systems at finite density such as neutron stars. Can symmetry and causality constrain their Wilson coefficients- the Landau parameters? The scope of such questions often goes beyond relativistic systems relevant for high energy physics. It is well known that hydrodynamics or non-fermi liquids can emerge as IR phases of lattice systems. Can such constraints be formulated for such IR phases possessing well-defined lattice UV completions—namely, those described by bounded and local Hamiltonians? In this program I hope to identify paradigms where such bootstrap methods can be implemented to give universal bounds that might be relevant for condensed matter physics.
Expertise and topic of research How does nature modify gravity at very small (e.g., atomic) distances? This fundamental question must be answered to understand the nature of black holes in the universe. While it is possible to formulate detailed deductive theoretical models, I adopt an inductive approach where I focus on the observable and measurable macroscopic effects rather than trying to detail every microscopic element. The missing microscopic details can be addressed as unknown parameters, such as deviations from Einstein's theory of gravity. Are these unknown parameters constrained by some fundamental principles? I want to vary these parameters within a permissible range so that the changes to gravity still follow basic principles of the universe that we observe, like causality- the idea that causes should come before effects. The range of allowed parameters obtained in this first principle approach, could lead to important and noticeable effects, such as predicting the discovery of new particles in nature. More ambitiously, does this lead to an unique theory of quantum gravity, like string theory? In summary, I am primarily interested in how such abstract general constraints can lead to observable consequences via such ``effective" approach. In the long term, I aim to explore how other different fundamental principles of nature constrain similar effective descriptions and affect our understanding of various phenomena. For e.g., can studying boiling water provide insights into neutron stars? Why does nuclear matter at very low densities behave like cold atoms? My project aims to answer these interesting questions using these fundamental techniques.
