Marking Half a Century: Center for Theoretical Physics Commemorates Milestone
The Center for Theoretical Physics (CTP) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) marked its 50th anniversary with a symposium on March 24, 2023. The event, titled "CTP50: The Center for Theoretical Physics: The First Fifty Years", brought together present and former members of the CTP, friends, supporters, and others interested in theoretical physics.
The day-long symposium was filled with insightful discussions and presentations, covering a wide range of topics. Former CTP postdoc, Sanjay Reddy, shared exciting findings from the combined gravitational and electromagnetic signals observed from a neutron star merger late last year. This observation has provided crucial new information about nuclear matter at high densities and the production of heavy elements like gold and platinum in the universe.
The symposium also delved into the mystery of dark matter, which constitutes about 80% of the mass density of the universe. Frank Wilczek, an MIT/CTP Nobel laureate, discussed the "axion" particle, a likely dark matter candidate. Lisa Randall, a former CTP faculty member, spoke about new ideas about dark matter, particularly dark matter particles that may interact with one another.
Other topics explored included gravitational waves, black holes, neutron stars, nuclear physics, dualities and symmetries in string theory, condensed matter physics, quantum field theory, quantum information and computing, and the foundations of quantum physics.
The unified research and teaching environment in the CTP was showcased in a video by Lillie Paquette, made possible with the 2008 renovation of the Elings Center for Theoretical Physics.
Prominent speakers at the symposium included former students, postdocs, and faculty, as well as current CTP faculty members. Alan Guth spoke on the Cosmic Bell Experiment, a test of quantum entanglement, and Einstein's "spooky action at a distance." Andrew Childs Phd '04, now a professor of computer science at the University of Maryland, described efficient methods for simulating quantum physics on quantum computers.
David Tong, a professor of theoretical physics at Cambridge University, showed how dualities in quantum field theory permit descriptions of condensed matter systems in terms of very different kinds of field theories. Dam Son, a University Professor at the University of Chicago, presented a new theoretical description of a fractional quantum Hall fluid in terms of composite fermions with dual descriptions.
Harvard Professor Cumrun Vafa '81 shared stories of the generous and open environment among the math and physics faculty during his formative time at MIT. Harry Bechkes premiered a video showing the novel ways CTP faculty members Iain Stewart and Barton Zwiebach are using new technologies to enhance the teaching of MIT students and learners around the globe.
Bolek Wyslouch, Laboratory from Nuclear Science (LNS) Director, commented on the increased level of collaboration between young faculty in nuclear and particle physics, in both theoretical and experimental work. The recent observation of gravitational waves from mergers of black holes and neutron stars by the LIGO experiment was discussed, as well as new progress in identifying supermassive black holes at the centers of distant galaxies and the prospects for detecting gravitational wave signals from mergers of these objects.
The symposium concluded with a panel on the future of theoretical physics, featuring William Detmold, Aram Harrow, Daniel Harlow, Tracy Slatyer, and Jesse Thaler. They discussed the convergence of once disparate disciplines in new ways and the increasing role of large-scale computing. Bill Lattanzi premiered a video featuring CTP faculty members Daniel Harlow and Aram Harrow and their work on quantum error correction and black hole physics.
As the CTP looks forward to its next 50 years, it continues to be a hub of groundbreaking research and innovation in theoretical physics.
