Final Report Summary - NEWPHYSICSHPC (Unraveling new physics on high-performance computers)
Quarks are the fundamental particles that make up most of ordinary matter. They are bound together by the strong nuclear force, mediated by the exchange of gluons as described by Quantum Chromo Dynamics (QCD). Quarks and gluons are not detected directly in experiments because of confinement; instead we see complicated bound states. By using simulations we are able to relate the bound state properties to those of the underlying quarks. The calculation is performed by constructing a discrete four dimensional space-time grid (the lattice) and then solving the lattice QCD equations of motion on high performance computers.
The combination of simulations of lattice QCD on supercomputers and the development of new theoretical methods in quantum field theory facilitated by this grant allowed a team of young researchers and graduate students making new and precise predictions for the properties of physics at sub-nuclear length-scales (hadronic vacuum polarization contribution to the muon g-2, kaon and heavy-light meson tree and rare semileptonic decay formfactors). These predictions are complementary to experimental efforts and are being compared to results coming from the large facilities at CERN (Switzerland), Fermilab (US) and KEK (Japan) in the quest of uncovering yet unknown new physics.
The grant also enabled developing an entirely new research direction (Lattice Holographic Cosmology) which combines research techniques as the ones at the core of the project (lattice quantum field theory) with expertise from string theory and holography as well as observational cosmology. The aim is to develop an understanding of the physics of the very early universe starting from quantum field theory.
The combination of simulations of lattice QCD on supercomputers and the development of new theoretical methods in quantum field theory facilitated by this grant allowed a team of young researchers and graduate students making new and precise predictions for the properties of physics at sub-nuclear length-scales (hadronic vacuum polarization contribution to the muon g-2, kaon and heavy-light meson tree and rare semileptonic decay formfactors). These predictions are complementary to experimental efforts and are being compared to results coming from the large facilities at CERN (Switzerland), Fermilab (US) and KEK (Japan) in the quest of uncovering yet unknown new physics.
The grant also enabled developing an entirely new research direction (Lattice Holographic Cosmology) which combines research techniques as the ones at the core of the project (lattice quantum field theory) with expertise from string theory and holography as well as observational cosmology. The aim is to develop an understanding of the physics of the very early universe starting from quantum field theory.