NSF Award
2412899
This award funds the research activities of Professor Matthew B. Kleban at New York University.<br/><br/>Modern cosmology presents us with several profound mysteries. First is the nature of "dark energy,” invoked to account for the observational evidence showing that the expansion of the universe is accelerating. Second is dark matter, an equally mysterious substance or particle needed to account for the rotations rates of galaxies, along with many other lines of evidence. Last is the question of the universe’s origin and why it has so many seemingly fine-tuned features. A breakthrough in understanding any of these fundamental questions would promote the progress of science and advance the national interest by potentially revealing new laws of nature and helping answer profound questions about our universe. This award will fund Prof. Matthew Kleban’s research into theories of hypothetical particles called axions that could help us understand some of these features of the universe. Additionally, it will support his investigations of the physics of primordial black holes, tiny singularities cloaked by event horizons the size of a hydrogen atom, which could constitute dark matter. Lastly, it will enable him to continue his work on the quantum physics of accelerating universes, such as the one we appear to inhabit. His work will have a broad impact through public lectures and interviews, and in inspiring and training undergraduate and graduate physics students at NYU, as well as young post-doctoral researchers and early-career scientists.<br/><br/>More technically, Prof. Kleban will study the multi-axion landscapes predicted by compactifications of type IIB string theory and their applications to cosmology. He will investigate potential origins for primordial black holes in the early universe, building on his recent work on that topic. He will refine a technique he pioneered recently to compute non-perturbative transition rates from time-dependent initial states. Finally, he will return to the topic of quantum de Sitter spacetime, investigating the extent to which recently developed tools can be applied to uncover a holographic dual theory.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
