Scientific Series

The graph isomorphism (GI) problem plays a central role in the theory of computational complexity and has importance in physics and chemistry as well. While no general efficient algorithm for solving GI is known, it is unlikely to be NP-complete; in this regard it is similar to the factoring problem, for which Shor has developed an efficient quantum algorithm. In this talk I will discuss our investigations of quantum particles walking on graphs and their implications for possible algorithms for GI. We find that single-particle quantum random walks fail to distinguish some nonequivalent graphs that can be distinguished by random walks with two interacting particles. The implications of these observations for classical and quantum algorithms for GI will be discussed.

It is usually assumed that dark matter direct detection is sensitive to a large fraction of the dark matter (DM) velocity distribution. I will explain an alternative form of dark matter-nucleus scattering which only probes a narrow range of DM velocities due to the existence of a resonance, a DM-nucleus bound state, in the scattering - resonant dark matter (rDM). The scattering cross section becomes highly element dependent, has increased modulation and as a result can explain the DAMA/LIBRA results whilst not being in conflict with other direct detection experiments. I will describe a simple model that realizes the dynamics of rDM, where the DM is the neutral component of a fermionic weak triplet whose charged partners differ in mass by approximately 10 MeV.

The simplest gravity duals for quantum critical theories with 'Lifshitz' scale invariance admit a marginally relevant deformation. We will explore the holographic renormalization of such theories, including this deformation. Additionally we explore how this holographic renormalization illuminates the physics of black holes in the qunatum critical regime.

Path integral formulations for gauge theories must start from the canonical formulation in order to obtain the correct measure. A possible avenue to derive it is to start from the reduced phase space formulation. We review this rather involved procedure in full generality. Moreover, we demonstrate that the reduced phase space path integral formulation formally agrees with the Dirac's operator constraint quantisation and, more specifically, with the Master constraint quantisation for first class constraints. For first class constraints with non trivial structure functions the equivalence can only be established by passing to Abelian(ised) constraints which is always possible locally in phase space. With the above general considerations, we derive concretely the path integral formulations for GR from the canonical theory. We also show that there in principle exists a spin-foam model consistent with the canonical theory of GR.

The asymptotic formula for the Ponzano-Regge model amplitude is given for non-tardis triangulations of handlebodies in the limit of large boundary spins. The formula produces a sum over all possible immersions of the boundary triangulation in three dimensional Euclidean space weighted by the cosine of the Regge action evaluated on these immersions. Furthermore the asymptotic scaling registers the existence of flexible immersions.

Scalar field models of early universe inflation are effective field theories, typically valid only up to some UV energy scale, and receive corrections through higher dimensional operators due to the UV physics. Corrections to the tree level inflationary potential by these operators can ruin an otherwise suitable model of inflation. In this talk, I will consider higher dimensional kinetic operators, and the corrections that they give to the dynamics of the inflaton field. In particular, I will show how inflationary solutions exist even when the higher dimensional operators are important and not tuned to be negligible. I will then show that these solutions, which include the usual slow roll inflationary solutions, are attractors in phase space. I will end by speculating on the role of the corrections from these higher dimensional operators in alleviating the homogeneous initial conditions problem for inflation.

When a pair of particles is produced close to threshold, they may form a bound state if the potential between them is attractive. Can we use such bound states to obtain information about new colored particles at the LHC? I will discuss the relevant issues using examples from the MSSM and other beyond the standard model scenarios.

In the context of AdS/CFT correspondence the AdS_3/CFT_2 instance of the duality stands apart from other well studied cases, like AdS_5/CFT_4 or AdS_4/CFT_3. One of the reasons is that the CFT side of this duality is not a theory of matrices but rather a two dimensional orbifold based on the group of permutations. In this talk we will discuss some aspects of this theory. In particular a diagrammatic language, akin to Feynman diagrams used for gauge theories, will be developed. Moreover, we will compute a large set of protected quantities in a certain symmetric product orbifold CFT, and show that these are elegantly given in terms of Hurwitz numbers.

In quantum field theory it is possible to create negative local energy densities. This would violate the Generalized Second Law (GSL) unless there is some sort of energy condition requiring the negative energy to be counterbalanced by positive energy. TO explore what this energy condition is, I will assume that the GSL holds in semiclassical gravity for all future causal horizons. From CPT symmetry it follows that the time-reverse of the GSL, properly understood, holds for all past causal horizons. These two conditions together then imply that the Averaged Null Energy Condition (ANEC) holds on any null line, i.e. a complete achronal lightlike null geodesic. In curved spacetimes, the ANEC can be violated on general geodesics. But even if the ANEC only holds on null lines, theorems by Sorkin, Penrose and Woolgar, and by Graham and Olum imply that semiclassical gravity should satisfy positivity of energy, topological censorship, and should not admit closed timelike curves. These results can thus be seen as consequences of the GSL. However, these theorems don't apply when gravitational fluctuations are taken into account. In that case, the GSL argument suggests a modification to the ANEC which may make these theorems applicable to perturbative quantum gravity.

The scaling analysis in the large spin limit of Feynman amplitudes for the Bosonic colored group field theory are considered in any dimension starting with dimension 4. By an explicit integration of two colors, we show that the model is positive. This formulation could be useful for the constructive analysis of this type of models.

Spin foam models aim at defining non-perturbative and background independent amplitudes for quantum gravity. In this work, I argue that the dynamics and the geometric properties of spin foam models can be nicely studied using recursion relations. In 3d gravity and in the 4d Ooguri model, the topological invariance leads to recursion relations for the amplitudes. I also derive recursions from the action of holonomy operators on spin network functionals. Their geometric content is discussed in terms of elementary moves on simplices, and is related to the classical constraints of the underlying theories. Interestingly, our recurrence relations apply to any SU(2) invariant symbol. Another method is considered for non-topological objects, and applied to the 10j-symbol which defines the Barrett-Crane spin foam model.