String theory

String theory is a promising solution for a profound problem: How does everyday gravitation behave on the short distance scales where the phenomena of quantum physics become noticeable?

In the basic approach of string theory, the fundamental objects of physics are no longer point-like particles but rather one-dimensional objects, so-called strings.

It appears that the strings move through a ten-dimensional space-time and must be supersymmetrical there. This assumption has many consequences: for example, that besides the strings there are also higher-dimensional objects, so-called D-branes.

A central question is how our familiar four-dimensional space-time, with the physics known to us, can be derived from this higher-dimensional theory.

In this context, the string theory group at MPP deals with different compactification scenarios. In doing so, the theorists also investigate what implications these have for particle physics and cosmology. Furthermore, we study general properties of quantum gravity and string theory in the framework of the swampland program. Among other things, it deals with the question which quantum field theories allow a consistent embedding in string theory at low energies or in quantum gravity at high energies - and for which quantum field theories this is not the case. The latter then belong to the so-called swampland.

Further, they are studying the quantum properties of black holes and the structure of quantum scattering processes in quantum field theory and quantum gravitation as well as the mathematical properties of compactifications, and non-associative algebras in particular.

Further information on the String theory group

News releases

01/31/2022

Israel's Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the Max Planck Institute for Physics (MPP) will collaborate closely in the field of quantum gravity. The German Research Foundation (DFG) recently approved a three-year cooperation project that is unique in this field. The funding amounts to 1.6…

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05/10/2017

Vladislav Kupriyanov has recently joined the Max Planck Institute for Physics as a postdoctoral research fellow. The scientist dedicates himself primarily to aspects of the quantization of string theory and M-theory and will collaborate with the group headed by Dieter Lüst, Director at the Max…

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04/20/2016

Where do the most important topics and trends in theoretical physics lie? This is the question to be pursued by internationally renowned experts at the symposium “New Developments in Theoretical Particle Physics.” The event takes place from May 18 to 20, 2016, at the Max Planck Institute for…

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Group members

E-mail address: e-mail@mpp.mpg.de
Phone number: +49 89 32354-extension
name function e-mail extension office
Basile, Ivano, Dr. Postdoc ibasile 267 324
Bischof, Andreas PhD Student bischof 201 327
Blumenhagen, Ralph, PD Dr. Senior Scientist blumenha 276 310
Chuying, Wang Student chuyingw 464 248
Cribiori, Niccolò, Dr. Postdoc cribiori 206 312
De Biasio, Davide PhD Student debiasio 201 327
Eckardt, Ben Student eckardt 293 Bibliothek
Freigang, Julian PhD Student jfreig 201 327
Gligovic, Aleksandar PhD Student aglig 273 346
Grigo, Paul Student pgrigo 293 Bibliothek
Kaddachi, Seyf Student seyf 293 Bibliothek
Kneißl, Christian PhD Student ckneissl 251 337
Li, Yixuan, Dr. Postdoc yixuan 300 301
Lüst, Dieter, Prof. Dr. Director luest 282 317
Makridou, Andriana PhD Student amakrido 251 337
Masias Teves, Joaquin Aurelio Student jmasias 273 346
Mazloumi, Seyed Pouria PhD Student pmazlomi 251 337
Montella, Carmine Student montella 321 318
Muntz, Benjamin Student bmuntz 293 Bibliothek
Neudert, Matthias Student mneudert 293 Bibliothek
Novicic, Dusan PhD Student novicic LMU LMU
Paraskevopoulou, Antonia Student aparaske 293 Bibliothek
Pelkner, Maximilian Student mpelkner 293 Bibliothek
Raml, Thomas PhD Student raml 406 342
Scalisi, Marco, Dr. Postdoc mscalisi 532 319
Staudt, Georgina Student georgina 326
Stieberger, Stephan, Dr. Senior Scientist stieberg 310 323
Sturm, Annette Secretary asturm 482 307
Syvaeri, Marc PhD Student msyvaeri LMU 2180-4115 LMU A 431

Key publications

X. Bekaert, J. Erdmenger, D. Ponomarev and C. Sleight,
Quartic AdS Interactions in Higher-Spin Gravity from Conformal Field Theory
Journal of High Energy Physics 1511 (2015) 149  
arXiv:1508.0429

R. Blumenhagen, A. Font, M. Fuchs, D. Herschmann, E. Plauschinn, Y. Sekiguchi, F. Wolf
"A Flux-Scaling Scenario for High-Scale Moduli Stabilization in String
Theory", Nucl.Phys. B897 (2015) 500-554
arXiv:1503.07634

G. Dvali, C. Gomez, R. Isermann, D. Lüst, S. Stieberger
Black Hole Formation and Classicalization in ultra-Planckian 2 -> N Scattering
Nucl.Phys. 893 (2015) 187
arXiv:1409.7405

A. Font, I. Garcia Etxebarria, D. Lüst, S. Massai, C. Mayrhofer
Heterotic T-fects, 6D SCFTs and F-Theory
arXiv:1603.09361