Strong coupling physics, holography  and cosmology

RESEARCH THEME: Using the AdS/CFT correspondence to study de Sitter space and Inflation driven at strong coupling.

RESEARCH GROUP in the Laboratory : APC, Theory

SUBJECT AND NATURE OF PROPOSED WORK: The AdS/CFT correspondence gives a new perspective both on strong coupling physics in quantum field theory and on the nature of the gravitational interaction. This thesis will deal with understanding the physics of de Sitter space and its well-known problems, namely its realization, the divergences of correlation functions and the backreaction of quantum field theories. It will also study inflation as a departure from de Sitter,  its realization in strongly coupled theories and its  cosmological consequences.