STRING

THEORY
 What is String Theory?
• The basic idea of string theory is surprisingly very simple it says that every
thing in the universe from tiny particles to distant stars are made of one
kind of ingredient unimaginably small vibrating strands of energy called
strings .The tiny strings of string theory vibrate in more than different
ways to produce all the constituents of the universe.

• String theory is the answer to the quest of unification of all phenomenon

by physicists as it unifies the four basic forces of nature and is also the
missing link between the two set of laws that govern the whole universe
that are the Quantum Mechanics and The General Theory of Relativity

• That is why The string theory is known as ‘The Theory of Everything’.

 5
Need
of
String
Theory!
Need
of
String
Theory!
 Newton’s law Gravity
• Newton gave universal law of gravity in 1665.
according to which every particle in this
universe attracts the other one with a force
that is given by
F=Gm1*m2/r*r
According to Newton the effect of gravity is
instantaneous.
 General Theory of Relativity
• Einstein proposed in his Special Theory
Relativity in 1905 that speed of light in
vacuum is some kind of a speed limit for every
thing in this universe it is a speed barrier that
nothing in this universe can cross.

• This contradicts the Newton picture of gravity

 Example of a Cosmic Catastrophe
• Consider a cosmic catastrophe in which our
sun vaporizes completely and from our solar
system. What happens then?
• According to Newton picture of gravity the
planets will immediately feel the
disappearance of sun and will move out of
their orbits, but does it really happens? the
answer is no.
Our Solar System Sun Disappears

Planets move out of their orbits immediately

 Einstein’s Explanation of the
catastrophe
• According to Einstein’s General relativity the 3
dimensions of space and one of time bound together
to form a space-time fabric
• This space time fabric can be curved and stretched by
heavier objects like planets or sun and due to this
curving of space-time fabric the heavier bodies attract
others towards them.
• Now if sun disappears instantly then it will create
ripples in the space-time fabric and as this ripples
reaches the planets the planets will move out of their
orbits and not instantly as explain by Newton
Space-time fabric Sun disappears

Ripples are created After the ripples reaches the planet

the planet move out of their orbit.
 Einstein’s Dream!!
• Einstein after successfully explaining
how gravity works in his
general relativity was now looking
for unified theory he wanted to
unify the gravitational and
electromagnetic force together in
a single theory
 The New Picture of Universe-The
Quantum Mechanics
• In 1920s Neil Bhor along with a group of modern physicists come to the
stage.Their picture of universe was so weird that turns the Einstein’s
quest of unification to head.
• It was found that Newton theory of Gravitation and Maxwell’s
electromagnetic theories are useless to explain how particles behave at
subatomic(quantum) levels.
• Quantum Physics was developed and it was able to describe the
microscopic world with great success but it shattered the all previous
ways of looking at
 Nuclear Forces
• Quantum mechanics introduces two new forces
that works at quantum level these forces are
known as Nuclear forces.
• The first one is the ‘Strong force’ that is
responsible for binding the neutrons and protons
in the nucleus.
• The second one is the ‘Weak force’ that is
responsible for neutron to turn into a proton and
electron giving of radiations in radioactive
matters
 Quantum mechanics & General
relativity can’t go together
• Quantum mechanics successfully explains how
universe works at an extremely small scale.
• While general relativity can explain how gravity works
at a scale of stars planets.
• But gravity is irrelevant at quantum level no one knows
how gravity works at this level.
• Einstein’s theory demands that the universe is orderly
and predictable but quantum mechanics disagrees it
proclaims that at the level of atoms uncertainty rules.
• If quantum mechanics is applied to the larger scale of
planets and stars it represents totally unstable and
chaotic picture of the universe.
 Black holes and Big bang
• There are two basic most important physical
phenomenon which require the unification of both
Quantum mechanics and General relativity are ‘Black
holes’ and Big Bang.
• Black Holes-: A black hole is created when a massive
star shrinks under its own gravity into a point particle
the gravitational pull of a black hole is so large that
even light can’t escape from its surface.
• Big Bang: The start of the universe is considered to be
from the explosion of a super dense tiny lump of
matter this event is known as big bang.
 String Theory comes to rescue!!
• String theory was discovered accidently by an
Italian physicist when he was searching an
equation to explain strong force
• Later it was discovered that the equation is
describing some kind of a particle having string
like internal structure which can stretch as well
as vibrate.
• String theory can mathematically explain all the
four basic forces of nature and can also explain
the working of universe at subatomic level to a
large scale
 Surprises from String Theory!!
• First of all, among the particles arising as vibrations of the string, we find
some which are very similar to electrons, muons, neutrinos and quarks --
the known matter particles. There are others similar to photons, W and Z
bosons and gluons -- the known force carriers. And there is one particle
similar to the graviton, the elusive fourth force carrier.
• The famous mathematical inconsistency -- which for decades made it
impossible to incorporate quantum gravity in a theory along with the
other interactions -- is conspicuous by its absence in string theory. It is
almost as if gravity needs strings in order to exist
• The dimension of ``space-time'' is variable in string theory, in the sense
that we have to understand and solve string equations to determine it.
This has not been done yet, because of the great complexity of the
theory. If the answer comes out to be four (three space and one time)
then we would have ``explained'' one of the most deep and abiding
mysteries since the dawn of civilization: why does our world have the
dimensionality that it has?
 Hidden Dimensions and Parallel
Universes
• String theory predicts that we live in a
universe of not 4 dimensions but of 11
dimensions the other 7 dimensions are hidden
at the string level.
• According to string theory there are parallel
universes right next to ours.
Queries