QCD Meets Gravity in Taipei
Speaker
Date
Time
Place
Astro-Math Building
Abstract
The annual QCD Meets Gravity conference is being held the week of December 9-13, 2024 at the National Taiwan University. In this colloquium, I will explain some of the basic ideas being discussed at this conference, highlighting the theory of quantum scattering amplitudes. I will explain the application of these ideas to various topics including elementary-particle collider physics, the relation of gravity with the other forces, and basic questions on gravity and related theories. I will also explain recent developments showing that the quantum nature of gravity is a very useful as a starting point for obtaining state-of-the-art precision predictions for interacting black holes and other compact astrophysical objects.
Biography
Zvi Bern is an American theoretical particle physicist who has made groundbreaking contributions to quantum field theory. He is a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the director of the Bhaumik Institute for Theoretical Physics at UCLA. Bern is internationally renowned for his development of innovative approaches to the calculation of fundamental quantities relevant to the interpretation of scattering processes at the subnuclear level. He has also received widespread attention for advances in understanding the ultra-high energy properties of supergravity theories. His work is characterized by inspired utilization of the most advanced theoretical methods to carry out complex computations of physical importance. Recently, he has pioneered the application of amplitudes methods to gravitational wave physics. His many prizes include the Sakurai Prize and the Galileo Galilei Medal (both with Kosower and Dixon). He is a fellow of the American Physical Society and a member of the National Academy of Sciences.