Elements of String Theory (1/2)

by Prof. Marco Zagermann (Leibniz University Hannover)

Friday 24 Nov 2017, 14:30 → 16:00 Europe/Berlin

Room 2, Building 2a (DESY Hamburg)

These lectures give a short introduction to some of the key aspects of string theory for non-experts. String theory is a theoretical framework for a unified description of particle physics and quantum gravity. Its main idea is to interpret the apparently point-like particle species we observe in Nature as different vibrational modes of one and the same type of tiny one-dimensional objects - the strings. The quantum theory of relativistic strings is subject to surprisingly strong mathematical constraints that seem to necessitate features such as extra dimensions or supersymmetry, possibly with interesting consequences for particle physics and cosmology well below the Planck scale.