Nonperturbative string vacua and unified models of particle physics

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Hans-Peter Nilles
• Subject Area: Nuclear and Elementary Particle Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Relativity, Fields
• Term: from 2004 to 2007
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5430604

We would like to clarify the possible connections between four-dimensional string models and the description of particle physics and cosmological phenomena. Various string vacua will be anlyzed: gauge groups, global symmetries, particle spectra and the low energy effective action will be derived and confronted with the requirements of realsitic unified model building. Particular emphasis will be put on the possible emergence of large mass hierarchies in connection with the origin of electroweak symmetry breakdown and the question of the cosmological constant.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 1096: String Theory in the Context of Particle Physics, Quantum Field Theory, Quantum Gravity, Cosmology and Mathematics