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Quantum Theory and The Universe Microworld ⇔ Macroworld Monday, May 19, 14
Quantum Theory and The Universe
Microworld ⇔ Macroworld
Monday, May 19, 14
This talk will revolve around one big idea:
The structure of the Universe, on large scales, arises from quantum fluctuations.
Monday, May 19, 14
To do justice to that idea, I will
explain what quantum fluctuations are
explain how structure in the universe arises from “cosmic seeds”
explain how inflation turns quantum fluctuations into cosmic seeds
discuss the evidence
discuss what it all means
Monday, May 19, 14
Quantum Fluctuations
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What our senses perceive as empty space is, within our best equations, revealed to be full of spontaneous activity.
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Fluctuating fields as virtual particles
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The original Feynman diagram
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Genesis 1: Structure from Seeds
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Development of gravitational instability
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Genesis 2: Seeds from Quantum Fluctuations
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Putting It All Together
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Evidence
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Evidence for quantum fluctuations:
Casimir effect
Basically everything in high energy physics, including, for example, Higgs particle production!
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decay
production
tt + ?X?
tt + W+W- + ?Y?
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Evidence for growth of seeds:
We see the seeds, directly, imprinted in the cosmic microwave background
We can calculate the resulting distribution of matter, and compare to observations.
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Evidence for inflation:
The seeds, in detail, look like blown-up quantum fluctuations
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Evidence for inflation:
Recently, “B modes” - special patterns of polarization in the cosmic microwave background - have been observed.
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A candidate explanation is that these B-mode patterns were imprinted by fluctuations in the geometry of space and time itself:
Waves of (quantum) gravity
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(no Earth required!)
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This exciting, amazing possibility can and will be tested decisively, in coming months, through further observations.
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Implications
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The most profound implications:
The universe is governed by mathematical laws, that humans can find and understand.
The laws operate in the same way for all times, and at all places.
Straightforward extrapolation of the laws, as discovered in lab experiments, to much more extreme conditions seems to work well.
Monday, May 19, 14
More detailed implications of B modes:
gravity waves exist
gravity must be quantized
(??) possibly coming soon:
a grand synthesis of the separate forces
the why of inflation
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↑inverse coupling
strength
electric
weak
strong
large energy, short distance→
Why I ♥ SUSY
Gravity fits too!(roughly)
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Susy?♪♪Forces Unify ♪♪
♪♪MH ≈125 GeV♪♪
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EUnification
⇡ 2⇥ 1016 GeV
EInflation
?⇡ 2⇥ 1016 GeV
Coincidence? - Maybe not!
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And finally, two metaphorical “implications”:
Microcosm and macrocosm are one.
The Universe observes itself.
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three fundamental “forces”
six fundamental “materials”
(plus gravity)
(plus 2 repeats) (plus Higgs particle)
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03/01/2003 Frank Wilczek, MIT
SO(10)One “force”One “material”
Monday, May 19, 14
