Shepard Quest Mk V, Base of Operations (ME/MCU)

meianmaru · Sep 4, 2014

Esbilon said:
The cure you have works best in utero, can be adapted for babies, and is useless to a grown man like Joker.

As for Joker joining, it's certainly possible, but he's likely a rather different person now than he would have been after flight school. Go ahead and write it, and if it's good, there's no reason it can't be canon

Cool! In that case, I'll start writing tomorrow at some point (need sleep now).

The title is "Conformal aspects of quantum field theory and their applications to realistic physics."
Very short version: I try to better out understanding of what goes on inside protons and neutrons.
Less wrong version: I study the framework that our best theories of nature is written in, and use those insights on the theories themselves.

In this thesis, we will present the results of our studies into the nature of four–dimensional, non-supersymmetric quantum field theory, particularly that of renormalization group flows. This is of course a vast subject and we could not hope to cover it all. We begin our presentation by discussing two rather different models that we will return to several times during the course of the thesis. The first is the standard model of particle physics, where we put a great emphasis on the Higgs field and its particle, the second is an SU(Nc) toy model which has been found to have many interesting properties.
We then proceed to introduce the concept of renormalization, and dedicate an extended section to a new method that we have developed for the calculation of (especially) beta functions. We also take time to discuss fixed points in gauge theories, and how the presence or absence of these is determined by the parameters of the theory in question.
Next, we study the conjectured a theorem, i.e., the proposal that there exists a function a of the couplings in a four-dimensional quantum field theory which is monotonic along any renormalization group flow. We test the weak form of this conjecture, which states that a is larger at UV fixed points than at IR fixed points, and find that this holds in the toy model even when none of the fixed points is Gaussian.
From our investigations into the a theorem, we discovered that to preserve the symmetries of a gauge-Yukawa theory, it is necessary to run the gauge couplings with a beta function that is calculated to one higher loop order than the Yukawa beta functions, which must in turn be computed to one higher loop order than the quartic beta functions. We use this very important result to refine computations done previously by others regarding the stability of the standard model vacuum.
Finally, we consider the renormalization group flows of a model inspired by the standard model lepton sector when the beta functions are computed to different loop orders. We use this to give quantitative statements regarding the trustworthiness of perturbation theory.

Full version.

*Blink blink* Speaking of sleep, trying to read that while bleary-eyed was not a good idea. Though I doubt I will get anything more out off it even in the morning. More interested about biotech myself, though even there not much formal education beyond the very basics.

Silversun17 · Sep 4, 2014

Esbilon said:
The title is "Conformal aspects of quantum field theory and their applications to realistic physics."
Very short version: I try to better out understanding of what goes on inside protons and neutrons.
Less wrong version: I study the framework that our best theories of nature is written in, and use those insights on the theories themselves.

In this thesis, we will present the results of our studies into the nature of four–dimensional, non-supersymmetric quantum field theory, particularly that of renormalization group flows. This is of course a vast subject and we could not hope to cover it all. We begin our presentation by discussing two rather different models that we will return to several times during the course of the thesis. The first is the standard model of particle physics, where we put a great emphasis on the Higgs field and its particle, the second is an SU(Nc) toy model which has been found to have many interesting properties.
We then proceed to introduce the concept of renormalization, and dedicate an extended section to a new method that we have developed for the calculation of (especially) beta functions. We also take time to discuss fixed points in gauge theories, and how the presence or absence of these is determined by the parameters of the theory in question.
Next, we study the conjectured a theorem, i.e., the proposal that there exists a function a of the couplings in a four-dimensional quantum field theory which is monotonic along any renormalization group flow. We test the weak form of this conjecture, which states that a is larger at UV fixed points than at IR fixed points, and find that this holds in the toy model even when none of the fixed points is Gaussian.
From our investigations into the a theorem, we discovered that to preserve the symmetries of a gauge-Yukawa theory, it is necessary to run the gauge couplings with a beta function that is calculated to one higher loop order than the Yukawa beta functions, which must in turn be computed to one higher loop order than the quartic beta functions. We use this very important result to refine computations done previously by others regarding the stability of the standard model vacuum.
Finally, we consider the renormalization group flows of a model inspired by the standard model lepton sector when the beta functions are computed to different loop orders. We use this to give quantitative statements regarding the trustworthiness of perturbation theory.

Full version.

i understood some of that. though there's a lot of field specific terms I'm unfamiliar with.

Hoyr · Sep 4, 2014

Esbilon said:
The title is "Conformal aspects of quantum field theory and their applications to realistic physics."
Very short version: I try to better out understanding of what goes on inside protons and neutrons.
Less wrong version: I study the framework that our best theories of nature is written in, and use those insights on the theories themselves.

In this thesis, we will present the results of our studies into the nature of four–dimensional, non-supersymmetric quantum field theory, particularly that of renormalization group flows. This is of course a vast subject and we could not hope to cover it all. We begin our presentation by discussing two rather different models that we will return to several times during the course of the thesis. The first is the standard model of particle physics, where we put a great emphasis on the Higgs field and its particle, the second is an SU(Nc) toy model which has been found to have many interesting properties.
We then proceed to introduce the concept of renormalization, and dedicate an extended section to a new method that we have developed for the calculation of (especially) beta functions. We also take time to discuss fixed points in gauge theories, and how the presence or absence of these is determined by the parameters of the theory in question.
Next, we study the conjectured a theorem, i.e., the proposal that there exists a function a of the couplings in a four-dimensional quantum field theory which is monotonic along any renormalization group flow. We test the weak form of this conjecture, which states that a is larger at UV fixed points than at IR fixed points, and find that this holds in the toy model even when none of the fixed points is Gaussian.
From our investigations into the a theorem, we discovered that to preserve the symmetries of a gauge-Yukawa theory, it is necessary to run the gauge couplings with a beta function that is calculated to one higher loop order than the Yukawa beta functions, which must in turn be computed to one higher loop order than the quartic beta functions. We use this very important result to refine computations done previously by others regarding the stability of the standard model vacuum.
Finally, we consider the renormalization group flows of a model inspired by the standard model lepton sector when the beta functions are computed to different loop orders. We use this to give quantitative statements regarding the trustworthiness of perturbation theory.

Full version.

Well I got the basics of what you did so yay? Look interesting and like an actual advancement of the study of physics so that's cool, I've sadly read more then a few papers that are junk/not really meaningful, but I assume the PhD standards are higher. Well neat.

Anyway back to the quest.

UberJJK · Sep 4, 2014

Esbilon said:
The cure you have works best in utero, can be adapted for babies, and is useless to a grown man like Joker.

Wouldn't Peak Human, which admittedly we won't have to distribute until next quarter, fix Joker's issue? I mean it can upgrade a short scrawny guy into Captain America! It should be able to fix Joker's bones.

Van Ropen · Sep 4, 2014

Pretty sure it was explicitly mentioned that it would allow healing, yeah.

Chargone · Sep 4, 2014

[] Sight-see Moscow with Brian. The city is over a thousand years old and has housed both the one of richest empires, one of the vilest murderers in the history of the world. There's gotta be a lot of interesting stuff.
[X] Meet new people. Last time you met Conrad and the other Berkeley students, who knows what this competition will bring. Maybe someone as smart, but less annoying.

I want them both!
But the second is probably more important.
(Though if more than one is allowed, I'll add an X to the first one too.)

DamionKenley · Sep 4, 2014

Who's to say we can't meet new people in Russia? (Vanko? Anyone?)

Van Ropen · Sep 4, 2014

DamionKenley said:
Who's to say we can't meet new people in Russia? (Vanko? Anyone?)

We can. But I don't see why we can't explore Russia after the competition, it will still be here (...well, hopefully) and we can afford the vacation. The people (science or military) won't be.

Carrnage · Sep 4, 2014

[X] It's who you know. There will be politicians and business men at the competition, and making friends and connections will be useful in the long term.

Alanek · Sep 4, 2014

Honestly, I want to get back to our research after this, rather than going exploring. We're likely to have another few updates for this competition anyways, and I have an urge for SCIENCE!

Datakim · Sep 5, 2014