Universe Guest Lecture: The quantum field theory of fluids (Part 2)

by Ben Gripaios (U Cambridge)

Wednesday 14 Sept 2016, 11:00 → 12:00 Europe/Berlin

room 3343 (TUM Physics Dep., James-Franck-Str. 1, 85748 Garching)

Dr. Ben Gripaios is a Lecturer in Theoretical Physics in the Cavendish High Energy Theory Group at the University of Cambridge. He received his D. Phil. from Oxford University in 2004 and previously held post-doctoral positions at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPF Lausanne), and Oxford University. He is also a Fellow of King's College, Cambridge. Ben is a Cluster guest (host: Prof. Dr. Martin Beneke, TUM Physics Dep.) and will present the lectures in three parts on 13th, 14th and 15th September, 11am. Abstract: Ben will discuss the quantization of a perfect fluid. This differs from textbook quantum field theory, because of the presence of vortex modes, which correspond to an infinite collection of quantum mechanical free particles rather than harmonic oscillators. As a result, the theory is plagued by infra-red divergences. He will show that there exists, nevertheless, a consistent effective field theory description, valid at large distances and times.