For Students
string theory
physics
Also known as: superstring theory, superunification theory
- Key People:
- David Gross
- Yoichiro Nambu
- Brian Greene
- Edward Witten
- Related Topics:
- brane
- supersymmetry
- photino
- selectron
- gluino
string theory, in particle physics, a theory that attempts to merge quantum mechanics with Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity. The name string theory comes from the modeling of subatomic particles as tiny one-dimensional “stringlike” entities rather than the more conventional approach in which they are modeled as zero-dimensional point particles. The theory envisions that a string undergoing a particular mode of vibration corresponds to a particle with definite properties such as mass and charge. In the 1980s, physicists realized that string theory had the potential to incorporate all four of nature’s forces—gravity, electromagnetism, strong force, and weak force—and all ...(100 of 1981 words)