XI series of Majorana Lectures - Ferruccio Feruglio - Consistent Effective Field Theories

22 Feb 2022, 10:00 → 24 Feb 2022, 13:00 Europe/Rome

Aula Caianiello

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Ferruccio Feruglio

Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia "Galileo Galilei", Università di Padova

Consistent Effective Field Theories

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Abstract

Even without reference to ultraviolet completions that include gravity (like e.g. string theory), generic effective field theories might be inconsistent and be part of a "swampland". These lectures aim at introducing the basic constraints that a consistent Effective Field Theory (EFT) should satisfy. Positivity bounds on Wilson coefficients and restrictions from gauge anomaly cancellation will be illustrated at an introductory level. Several simple examples will be worked out, both in a top-down and in a bottom up-approach.

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Tuesday, 22 February

1 Lecture 1 - part 1

An introduction to Effective Field Theories

Speaker: Ferruccio Feruglio (PD)

FF_Majorana_Part1.pdf

Video lecture 1

11:15 Coffee Break

2 Lecture 1 - part 2

An introduction to Effective Field Theories

Speaker: Ferruccio Feruglio (PD)

12:30 Discussion

Wednesday, 23 February

3 Lecture 2 - part 1

• positivity bounds in scalar EFT
• positivity bounds in the Euler-Heisenberg EFT

Speaker: Ferruccio Feruglio (PD)

FF_Majorana_Part2.pdf

Video lecture 2

11:15 Coffee Break

4 Lecture 2 - part 2

• positivity bounds in scalar EFT
• positivity bounds in the Euler-Heisenberg EFT

Speaker: Ferruccio Feruglio (PD)

12:30 Discussion

Thursday, 24 February

5 Lecture 3 - part 1

• gauge anomaly cancellation in EFT: non-anomalous field content
• gauge anomaly cancellation in EFT: anomalous field content

Speaker: Ferruccio Feruglio (PD)

FF_Majorana_Part3.pdf

Video lecture 3

11:15 Coffee Break

6 Lecture 3 - part 2

• some applications: birefringence of the vacuum in axion low-energy theories, a-theorem and irreversibility of RGE flow.

Speaker: Ferruccio Feruglio (PD)

12:30 Discussion