Dr Ricardo Monteiro Project Abstracts

Dr Ricardo Monteiro Project Abstracts

BSc Independent Project / MSci Review Project

Gravity as a double copy of gauge theory

The description of gravity as a double copy of gauge theory has become an important tool to study perturbative gravity. The goal of this project is to review the different instances of this double copy, starting with linearised plane waves and their polarisations, and moving on to scattering amplitudes in these theories, as well as to non-linear solutions to the equations of motion.

Pre-requisites: Mathematical Techniques 3, Physical Dynamics, Quantum Mechanics B, Quantum Mechanics and Symmetry. Co-requisite: Spacetime and gravity.
 

MSci Research/Investigative Project

Scattering amplitudes from the scattering equations

The goal is to study the description of scattering amplitudes in a variety of theories (but mostly in gauge theory and gravity) via the new formalism of the scattering equations. The scattering equations provide a map between the kinematics of a scattering event and the locations of points on an auxiliary sphere. Based on this map, which is reminiscent of string theory, remarkable new formulas for scattering amplitudes have been proposed both at tree level and at loop level. The aim of this project is to study the applicability of these techniques not only to scattering amplitudes, but to other quantities in quantum field theory.

Pre-requisites: Mathematical Techniques 3, Physical Dynamics, Quantum Mechanics B, Quantum Mechanics and Symmetry.

Co-requisites: Relativistic Waves and Quantum Fields, Advanced Quantum Field Theory.

Juno Champion

The school holds Juno Champion status, the highest award of this IoP scheme to recognise and reward departments that can demonstrate they have taken action to address the under-representation of women in university physics and to encourage better practice for both women and men.