Candidates for basic building block...

[rrw4rusty]

Hi,

 

Is it considered a possibility (by ANY current theory) that the basic building blocks of all matter (all sub-atomic particles) is the super string?

 

Also is the definition of a super string (by ANY current theory) include a space/time wrinkle vibrating into the 10 dimensions of existence (or what part of this definition is not correct)?

 

Thanks,

Ron

 

Science Fiction Writer

Amateur science buff

(all but especially physics, cosmology, quantum mechanics, astronomy)

[insane_alien]

well, its considered a possibility by superstring theory.

 

whether this is true or not remains to be seen. the LHC may be able to answer this once we finally get the damn thing working.

[ajb]

String theory is considered as a good candidate for a unified description of fundamental particles and gravity. However, the difficulty with the string landscape and the anthropic principle mean that string theories make few specific predictions. This and other issues mean that the "string dream" has yet to be realised and doubt has been cast on the possibility of string theory as a unification scheme.

 

That said, string theory has taught us a lot about non-trivial generalisations of point-particle theories, quantum gravity and mathematical symmetries (such as T and S, the AdS-CFT correspondence and mirror symmetry). Even if string theory turns out not to be the correct way to unification the lessons learned are invaluable.

 

As you may know string theory has its conception in the theory of hadrons. This was quickly proceeded by a point-particle theory called QCD. Now there seems to be a return to this origin in the form of gravity-gauge duality.

 

It is known that roughly (gauge theory)[math]\times [/math](gauge theory) = (gravity theory). This was first realised via "stringy arguments" (this was first done to tree level by Kawai, Lewellen and Tye , but has seen been generalised to higher loops and shown to be true in field theory.)

 

Related to this is the work of Witten (and now many others) on MHV amplitues and twistor string theory.

 

In essence, people are doing calculations in gravity to get results in gauge theories. So far, this is inherently supersymmetric but people are working on more realistic models.

 

Sting theory is by no means dead.

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whether this is true or not remains to be seen. the LHC may be able to answer this once we finally get the damn thing working.

 

I don't think this is quite right.

 

The LHC will not probe the string scale.

 

However, it is possible that supersymmetry and extra dimensions will be discovered. Both are consistent with string theory and I would take them to be "circumstantial evidence" and a "good sign" we are on the right lines, but not concrete evidence.

 

As John Ellis once told me

 

"String theory needs supersymmetry more than supersymmetry need string theory".

Edited August 7, 2009 by ajb
Consecutive posts merged.

[rrw4rusty]

Thanks for replies!!! I think my query is answered!

 

Ron