David Kaplan: "Hidden Phenomena in Gauge Theories: A Hamiltonian Perpective”

by Dr David Kaplan (Johns Hopkins University, USA)

Thursday 25 Sept 2025, 15:00 → 16:00 Europe/Rome

This talk explores gauge theories through the Hamiltonian formalism, revealing insights not readily apparent in the standard path integral approach. I will first examine the strong CP problem in QCD and theta vacua, comparing axion solutions with spontaneous CP symmetry breaking. Next, I will demonstrate that certain gauge choices in quantum electrodynamics naturally permit Gauss' Law violations, and extend this analysis to Yang-Mills theories and gravity to uncover additional phenomena, including exotic forms of dark matter. Finally, I will address the fundamental tension between Hamiltonian formalism and Lorentz invariance, discussing its broader implications for our understanding of gauge theories.