[Seminar] What is Lattice QCD?

Andreas Kronfeld, Fermilab

Title: What is Lattice QCD?

Abstract: Within the Standard Model of particle physics, quantum chromodynamics (QCD, the theory of the strong force) is unique in several ways.  It is a beautiful quantum field theory, consistent at all energies, all temperatures, and all densities.  It is rich in emergent phenomena, which is a more challenging kind of beauty when quantitative understanding is needed.  By now, however, several “incalculable” QCD properties have been calculated with sub-percent precision, thanks to numerical lattice gauge theory.  In this colloquium, I trace this subject’s journey from a promising technique to a precise and predictive tool, relied on to interpret experiments in particle physics, nuclear physics, and even astrophysics.  (In connection with the KITP program "What is Particle Theory?”)