PostDoctoral Position in Philosophy of Physics (Three Years, 100%)

[ISHPSS]

From: Berghofer, Philipp (Philipp.berghofer) <philipp....@UNI-GRAZ.AT>

PostDoctoral Position in Philosophy of Physics (Three Years, 100%)

Where: University of Graz, Austria
Starting Date: June 1 2023 or as soon as possible thereafter
Duration: Three years
Salary: € 4.351,90 per month (gross)
Application deadline: April 30, 2023

Project: The Ontology and Future of Gauge Theories

Principle Investigator: Philipp Berghofer

The PI of the project “The Ontology and Future of Gauge Theories” (funded by the Austrian Science Fund [FWF]) is seeking a PostDoc (100%) to reflect on the ontological status of gauge symmetries and work on gauge-invariant approaches to particle physics. We are looking for a philosopher or physicist with a strong background in (philosophical issues concerning) quantum field theory. The ideal candidate has already worked on gauge-invariant approaches.

At the University of Graz and via the collaboration partners of the project, the successful candidate will be embedded in a research community of philosophers and physicists that seek to promote conceptual clarity in (the foundations of) physics by developing and reflecting on manifestly gauge-invariant approaches to particle physics.

Requirements

Candidates should hold a PhD in philosophy or physics and have expertise in (the philosophy of) quantum field theory. The ideal candidate has experience in working on gauge-invariant approaches. The successful candidate is expected to conduct independent research on topics relevant to the project and to work in close collaboration with Philipp Berghofer and Axel Maas (one of the collaboration partners of the project at the University of Graz).

How to apply

If you are interested, please send the following documents to philipp....@uni-graz.at

1. Cover letter expressing the candidate’s interest and detailing their expertise

2. CV (at the end, the CV should include the names and email-addresses of three academic references who can be contacted if required)

3. One writing sample, preferably a published paper, paper-length research manuscript, or chapter

We welcome candidates with a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives and especially encourage members of underrepresented groups to apply.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact philipp....@uni-graz.at

Summary of the Project

There is some consensus among physicists and philosophers that gauge symmetries do not constitute symmetries of nature. They are not physically real but rather are mathematical redundancy that can be used to describe reality but does not represent structures of reality. Gauge symmetries have no direct empirical significance and physically real quantities must be gauge-invariant. However, if this is so, then we find worrisome conflicting assumptions at the very heart of modern particle physics. For instance, textbook approaches to the BEH mechanism imply that the Higgs field gives mass to particles via the spontaneous symmetry breaking of a gauge symmetry. But how could the breaking of unphysical mathematical redundancy have any physical impact on our world? Furthermore, given the fact that each and every “elementary” field in the Standard Model is actually a gauge-variant quantity, this means that the fields/particles we typically consider the building blocks of reality cannot be physically real (because they are gauge-variant). Where does this leave us? The underlying thesis of this project is that such tensions and conceptual problems can be avoided by pursuing novel gauge-invariant approaches. It is the objective of this project to clarify the philosophical foundations of these approaches and to spell out the ontological implications. Furthermore, the project is expected to contribute to the development of such gauge-invariant approaches, thereby shedding light on new physics beyond the Standard Model and supporting research in quantum gravity.

More details on the kind of gauge-invariant approaches to be developed/interpreted, the dressing field method in particular, can be found here:

https://arxiv.org/abs/2110.00616​