String Theory And Particle Physics

A systematic introduction to string phenomenology, outlining how string theory is connected to the real world of particle physics.

Physics World's 'Book of the Year' for 2016 An Entertaining and Enlightening Guide to the Who, What, and Why of String Theory, now also available in an updated reflowable electronic format compatible with mobile devices and e-readers. During the last 50 years, numerous physicists have tried to unravel the secrets of string theory. Yet why do these scientists work on a theory lacking experimental confirmation? Why String Theory? provides the answer, offering a highly readable and accessible panorama of the who, what, and why of this large aspect of modern theoretical physics. The author, a theoretical physics professor at the University of Oxford and a leading string theorist, explains what string theory is and where it originated. He describes how string theory fits into physics and why so many physicists and mathematicians find it appealing when working on topics from M-theory to monsters and from cosmology to superconductors.

During its forty year lifespan, string theory has always had the power to divide, being called both a 'theory of everything' and a 'theory of nothing'. Critics have even questioned whether it qualifies as a scientific theory at all. This book adopts an objective stance, standing back from the question of the truth or falsity of string theory and instead focusing on how it came to be and how it came to occupy its present position in physics. An unexpectedly rich history is revealed, with deep connections to our most well-established physical theories. Fully self-contained and written in a lively fashion, the book will appeal to a wide variety of readers from novice to specialist.

The essential beginner's guide to string theory The Little Book of String Theory offers a short, accessible, and entertaining introduction to one of the most talked-about areas of physics today. String theory has been called the "theory of everything." It seeks to describe all the fundamental forces of nature. It encompasses gravity and quantum mechanics in one unifying theory. But it is unproven and fraught with controversy. After reading this book, you'll be able to draw your own conclusions about string theory. Steve Gubser begins by explaining Einstein's famous equation E = mc2, quantum mechanics, and black holes. He then gives readers a crash course in string theory and the core ideas behind it. In plain English and with a minimum of mathematics, Gubser covers strings, branes, string dualities, extra dimensions, curved spacetime, quantum fluctuations, symmetry, and supersymmetry. He describes efforts to link string theory to experimental physics and uses analogies that nonscientists can understand. How does Chopin's Fantasie-Impromptu relate to quantum mechanics? What would it be like to fall into a black hole? Why is dancing a waltz similar to contemplating a string duality? Find out in the pages of this book. The Little Book of String Theory is the essential, most up-to-date beginner's guide to this elegant, multidimensional field of physics.

"String theory is one of the most active branches of theoretical physics and has the potential to provide a unified description of all known particles and interactions. This book is a systematic introduction to the subject, focused on the detailed description of how string theory is connected to the real world of particle physics. Aimed at graduate students and researchers working in high energy physics, it provides explicit models of physics beyond the Standard Model. No prior knowledge of string theory is required as all necessary material is provided in the introductory chapters. The book provides particle phenomenologists with the information needed to understand string theory model building and describes in detail several alternative approaches to model building, such as heterotic string compactifications, intersecting D-brane models, D-branes at singularities and F-theory"--

The book is based on lectures given at the TASI summer school of 2010. It aims to provide advanced graduate students, postdoctorates and senior researchers with a survey of important topics in particle physics and string theory, with special emphasis on applications of methods from string theory and quantum gravity in condensed matter physics and QCD (especially heavy ion physics). Contents: Overview:Introduction to Gauge/Gravity Duality (J Polchinski)TASI Lectures on Holographic Space-Time, SUSY, and Gravitational Effective Field Theory (T Banks)LHC Physics:Fundamentals of LHC Experiments (J Nielsen)Theoretical Particle Physics at Hadron Colliders: An Introduction (M J Strassler)String Model Building, Landscape and Phenomenology:TASI Lectures: Particle Physics from Perturbative and Non-perturbative Effects in D-Braneworlds (M Cvetic and J Halverson)Supergravity and String Vacua in Various Dimensions (W Taylor)TASI Lectures on Complex Structures (F Denef)Supersymmetry from the Top Down (M Dine)AdS/CFT Applications:The Landscape of the Hubbard Model (S Sachdev)Holography for Strongly Coupled Media (D T Son)Collisions in Anti-de Sitter Space, Conformal Symmetry, and Holographic Superconductors (S S Gubser)Emergence of Supersymmetry, Gauge Theory and String Theory in Condensed Matter Systems (S-S Lee)Lectures on Holographic Non-Fermi Liquids and Quantum Phase Transitions (N Iqbal, H Liu and M Mezei)The Fluid/Gravity Correspondence (S Minwalla, V E Hubeny and M Rangamani) Readership: Graduate students, beginning post-docs and advanced researchers. Keywords:String Theory;condensed Matter Physics;Heavy Ion Physics;AdS-CFT Correspondence

A clear, plain-English guide to this complex scientific theory String theory is the hottest topic in physics right now, with books on the subject (pro and con) flying out of the stores. String Theory For Dummies offers an accessible introduction to this highly mathematical "theory of everything," which posits ten or more dimensions in an attempt to explain the basic nature of matter and energy. Written for both students and people interested in science, this guide explains concepts, discusses the string theory's hypotheses and predictions, and presents the math in an approachable manner. It features in-depth examples and an easy-to-understand style so that readers can understand this controversial, cutting-edge theory.

This text is an introduction to the fields of experimental and theoretical particle physics and cosmology. The book focuses on three principal areas: supersymmetry, string theory, and astrophysics and cosmology. The chapters on supersymmetry introduce the basics of supersymmetry and its phenomenology, and cover dynamics, dynamical supersymmetry breaking, and electric-magnetic duality. The book then introduces general relativity and the big bang theory, and the basic issues in inflationary cosmologies. The section on string theory discusses the spectra of known string theories, and the features of their interactions. Material added in the second edition includes the pivotal Higgs discovery and the results of the WMAP and Planck experiments. This book will be of great interest to graduates and researchers in the fields of particle theory, string theory, astrophysics, and cosmology. It has been reissued as an Open Access publication on Cambridge Core.