Talks

In two spatial dimensions, it is well known that particle-like excitations can come with fractional statistics, beyond the usual dichotomy of Bose versus Fermi statistics. In this talk, I move one dimension higher to three spatial dimensions, and study loop-like objects instead of point-like particles. Just like particles in 2D, loops can exhibit interesting fractional braiding statistics in 3D. I will talk about loop braiding statistics in the context of symmetry protected topological phases, which is a generalization of topological insulators.

I will talk about 4d N=2 gauge theories with a co-dimension-two full surface operator, which exhibit a fascinating interplay of supersymmetric gauge theories, equivariant Gromov-Witten theory and geometric representation theory. For pure Yang-Mills and N=2* theory, a full surface operator can be described as the 4d gauge theory coupled to a 2d N=(2,2) gauge theory. By supersymmetric localizations, we present the exact partition functions of both 4d and 2d theories which satisfy integrable equations. In addition, I will show the validity of the orbifold method in one-loop computations when a full surface operator is inserted, and the form of the structure constants with a semi-degenerate field in SL(N,R) WZNW model is predicted from one-loop determinants.

Recent comparison between observation and expectation could point to problems with the standard cold, non-interacting dark matter picture, one of which being how small the smallest gravitationally bound dark matter halos are. I will review the cold dark matter picture and the experimental tests. One solution to the problems comes from coupling the dark matter to neutrinos. I will describe the model building requirements of such a coupling and determine how to test this scenario.

Forthcoming 21cm intensity mapping surveys on the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will be capable of probing unprecedentedly large volumes of the Universe. This will make it possible to detect effects beyond the matter-radiation equality peak in the power spectrum, including primordial non-Gaussianity, GR corrections, and possible signatures of modified gravity. I give an overview of the proposed SKA intensity mapping surveys, the science that they will be able to do, and some of the challenges that they face.

The study of ground spaces of local Hamiltonians is a fundamental task in condensed matter physics. In terms of computational complexity theory, a common focus in this area has been to estimate a given Hamiltonian’s ground state energy. However, from a physics perspective, it is sometimes more relevant to understand the structure of the ground space itself. In this talk, we pursue the latter direction by introducing the notion of “ground state connectivity” of local Hamiltonians. In particular, we show that determining how “connected” the ground space of a local Hamiltonian is can range from QCMA-complete to NEXP-complete. (Here, QCMA is the same as QMA, but with a classical witness.) As a result, we obtain a natural QCMA-complete problem, a task which has generally proven difficult since the conception of QCMA over a decade ago. 

Moduli fields with Planck suppressed couplings to light species are ubiquitous in string theory and supersymmetry. These scalar fields are expected to dominate the energy budget in the early universe. Their out-of-equilibrium decays can produce dark matter and baryons. Dark matter generated in this non-thermal manner typically has large annihilation rates that are strongly constrained by indirect detection. The resulting bounds on superpartner masses offer dim prospects for collider discovery of supersymmetry. We will discuss extensions of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) that allow low scale supersymmetry accessible by direct searches, while being consistent with astrophysical and cosmological probes. The tension with indirect searches is most easily relieved by allowing the lightest MSSM superpartner to decay into new stable states that play the role of dark matter. We examine the viability of this scenario in models with light Abelian and non-Abelian hidden sectors, and asymmetric dark matter. This latter possibility has a natural connection to theories of baryogenesis.

A quantum isolated horizon can be modeled by an SU(2) Chern-Simons theory on a punctured 2-sphere. We show how a local 2-dimensional conformal symmetry arises at each puncture inducing an infinite set of new observables localized at the horizon which satisfy a Kac-Moody algebra. By means of the isolated horizon boundary conditions, we represent the gravitational fluxes degrees of freedom in terms of the zero modes of the Kac-Moody algebra defined on the boundary of a punctured disk. In this way, our construction encodes a precise notion of CFT/gravity correspondence. The higher modes in the algebra represent new non-geometric charges which can be represented in terms of free matter field degrees of freedom. When computing the CFT partition function of the system, these new states induce an extra degeneracy factor, representing the density of horizon states at a given energy level, which reproduces the Bekenstein's holographic bound for an imaginary Barbero-Immirzi parameter.

A prime challenge to our understanding of galaxy formation concerns the scarcity of dwarf galaxies compared with the numerous low-mass halos expected in the current ΛCDM paradigm. This is usually accounted for by assuming that energetic feedback from evolving stars confines dwarf galaxy formation to relatively massive halos spanning a narrow mass range. I will highlight a number of observations that may be used to test this assumption and discuss the puzzles and challenges that arise from this analysis. I will also discuss a number of challenges that ΛCDM faces on the scale of dwarf galaxies and their possible resolutions.