Grant: Subatomic Physics Envelope - Individual

String theory is a proposed solution to the many conceptual conflicts existing currently between different branches of theoretical physics. The theory attempts to describe all natural phenomena around us in one unified framework. This framework should then describe the physics of elementary particles(currently described very successfully by the standard model of particle physics), as well as gravitational physics (described by Einstein theory of general relativity), in a manner consistent with the basic postulates of quantum mechanics. The last few years have seen a rapid development in our understanding of the logical structure of the theory. The research proposed is aimed at extending this knowledge and applying it to the study of a vast array of physical questions. Many such questions have plagued previous attempts to quantize gravity and to unify it with the rest of fundamental physics. As such, these questions should serve as as yardstick for the success of string theory in its ambitious goals. Understanding the puzzles related to quantum gravity should be used to get a better grasp of the behavior of gravity in unusual circumstances. One such arena is that of early universe cosmology, where applying string theory will hopefully result in a qualitatively new picture of the physics. This is also the context most hopeful for a true test of the theory, namely an experimental one. Cosmology has become a very precise experimental science, and imprints of string theory may be all around us, waiting for us to become smart enough to decipher them!