Zenith Grant Awardee
Dr. Richard Woodard
University of Florida
Co-Investigators
Professor Nikolaos C. Tsamis, <i>Department of Physics/University of Crete</i>
Project Title
Fundamental Particles as Probes of Quantum Gravity
Project Summary
The statement, "there are problems incorporating quantum mechanics into general relativity" is necessarily based upon the use of an approximation technique because exact calculations are too difficult. It could well be that the standard approximation technique is giving wildly incorrect results. In that case quantum mechanics and general relativity would be perfectly compatible but one could only see it using a better approximation technique. It is proposed to develop such a technique and to apply it to realizing the old dream of computing fundamental particle masses from the energy contained in their force fields.
Technical Abstract
A reorganization of conventional perturbation theory is proposed in which the 0-th order term incorporates the gravitational screening of self-energy divergences. This 0-th order term can be obtained by solving the problem of a quantum mechanical particle that moves in the gravitational and other force fields sourced by its own probability current. It is proposed to extend the existing, scalar-Abelian formalism to include Majorana and Dirac fermions as well as non-Abelian force fields. It is also proposed to apply the formalism to investigate fundamental particle masses. This proposal tests the idea that quantum general relativity might make sense nonperturbatively, and that it might serve as a universal regulator.
QSpace Latest
PressRelease: Precision experiment puts pressure on quantum collapse theories
Quantum mechanics, the theory governing the microscopic world, is famously counterintuitive. A particle can exist in a superposition of multiple states, such as different positions, until a measurement is performed. At that point, the wavefunction describing that particle appears to ‘collapse’ to a single outcome. This puzzle lies at the heart of the measurement problem, famously illustrated by Schrödinger’s cat, suspended between life and death until observed. The XENONnT detector, which was designed to be sensitive to rare physics events, has tightened constraints on one family of possible solutions to the measurement problem, known as ‘collapse theories.’ The work, which was partially funded by FQxI, was reported in Physical Review Letters in March 2026. Image credit: XENON Collaboration.