Intersections of String Theory and QFT IV

Friday 8th Septembr 2023, University of Birmingham

This one day event intends to bring together experts working at the intersection of String Theory and Quantum Field Theory. Four speakers will give 90 minute blackboard talks. This is the fourth installment in a series of meetings, with the last three held at King's, Cambridge and Imperial.

Please register below. Note, this event will be held in-person only.

The day will end with an informal dinner; indicate on the registration form if you'd like to join. If you would like to come to the dinner, it would be appreciated if you could register sooner rather than later.

We may be able to provide some financial support towards travel and accomodation costs, with priority given to junior researchers. Please indicate on the form if your attendance depends on receiving such support.

Speakers

Boris Pioline

LPTHE

Marieke van Beest

Simons Center for Geometry and Physics

Mathew Bullimore

Durham University

Mark Mezei

University of Oxford

Schedule

9:00 – 10:00

Registration and Breakfast

10:00 – 11:30

Boris Pioline - BPS Dendroscopy on Local Projective Plane

Abstract: I shall describe the BPS spectrum of type IIA strings reduced on $K_{P^2}$ (the total space of the canonical bundle over complex projective plane), in terms of attractor flow trees, or in mathematical terms, scattering diagrams. This provides an algorithmic way of computing the Donaldson-Thomas index counting BPS states at any point in the space of Bridgeland stability conditions, and allows to prove the Split Attractor Flow Tree formula in this simple example. Based on [arXiv:2210.10712] in collaboration with Pierrick Bousseau, Pierre Descombes and Bruno Le Floch.

11:30 – 12:00

Morning Coffee/ Tea

in Math Learning Center (MLC), first floor - follow the signs

12:00 – 13:30

Marieke van Beest - Monopoles, Scattering and Generalized Symmetries

Abstract: I will discuss the problem of electrically charged, massless fermions scattering off magnetic monopoles. The interpretation of the outgoing states has long been a puzzle, as they can carry fractional quantum numbers. We argue that such outgoing particles live in the twisted sector of a topological co-dimension 1 surface, which ends on the monopole. This surface is in general noninvertible, and as such the outgoing radiation not only carries unconventional flavor quantum numbers, but is trailed by a topological field theory, which is a new prediction.

13:30 – 14:30

Lunch

in Math Learning Center (MLC), first floor - follow the signs

14:30 – 16:00

Mathew Bullimore - Higher representations in physics

Abstract: I will explain how higher representations appear naturally in physics when considering how extended operators transform under symmetries. Beginning with the well-known statement that local operators transform in representations of a global symmetry, I will explain how line defects transform in 2-representations, surface defects in 3-representations and so on, illustrating the idea with simple examples. Time-permitting, I will sketch how these ideas can be extended to non-invertible symmetries. Based primarily on https://arxiv.org/abs/2304.03789.

16:00 – 16:30

Afternoon Tea

in Math Learning Center (MLC), first floor - follow the signs

16:30 – 18:00

Mark Mezei - Wilson loops: the old, the new and the unstable

Abstract: We study the low-energy limit of Wilson lines in conformal gauge theories in four and three dimensions. As a function of the representation of the Wilson line, certain defect operators can become marginal, leading to interesting renormalization group flows and for sufficiently large representations to screening by charged fields. We study this phenomenon in a variety of applications.

18:00 onwards

Dinner / Pub

Organisers

Cyril Closset (Birmingham)

Julius Grimminger (Imperial)

Mario Martone (KCL)

Rishi Mouland (Cambridge)

Jake Stedman (KCL)

Supported by:

Please register via the form linked below

UoB SCHOOL OF MATHEMATICS:

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