Albion E Lawrence

Professor of Physics

Departments/Programs

Physics

Degrees

University of Chicago, Ph.D.
University of California, Berkeley, B.A.

Expertise

Quantum field theory, quantum gravity, statistical physics. Applications to particle physics, cosmology, and string theory. Physical Oceanography and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics.

Profile

My background is in theoretical high energy physics with a focus on string theory. In this area I work on a broad range of topics in cosmology, particle physics, and quantum gravity, and their interactions with mathematics and condensed matter physics. I am currently focused on: (a) building models of cosmic inflation consistent with our knowledge of quantum gravity and with current data, and extracting observable predictions from these models; (b) understanding the structure of quantum entanglement in quantum field theories and quantum gravity; and (c) understanding the quantum dynamics of black holes. I am also working in physical oceanography and geophysical/astrophysical fluid dynamics, with an eye to applying tools and concepts from high energy and statistical physics. Webpage

Courses Taught

PHYS	91g	Introduction to Research Practice
PHYS	111a	Physical Continuum Mechanics
PHYS	162a	Quantum Mechanics I
PHYS	162b	Quantum Mechanics II
PHYS	163a	Statistical Physics and Thermodynamics

Awards and Honors

Member, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (2018)

Member, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, UC Santa Barbara (2009)

Kavli Frontiers Fellow (National Academy of Sciences) (2006)

Member, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, UC Santa Barbara (2006)

Dept. of Energy Outstanding Junior Investigator (2004 - 2009)

Scholarship

Hampapura, Harsha, Harper, Jonathan, and Lawrence, Albion E. "Target Space Entanglement in Matrix Models.

Kaloper, Nemanja, Konig, Morgane, Lawrence, Albion E, and Scargill, James. "On hybrid monodromy inflation -- hic sunt dracones." Journal of Cosmological and Astroparticle Physics 3. (2021): 024.

Lawrence, Albion E and Callies, Joern. "Seasonality and spatial dependence of meso- and submesoscale ocean currents from along-track altimetry data (poster)." Ocean Sciences Meeting 2020. San Diego, CA. 19 Feb. 2020.

Zhang, Chenyu; Lawrence, Albion E; Marston, J. Bradford; Kushner, Paul. "Infinite U(1) Symmetry of the Quasi-Linear Approximation (poster)." 22nd Atmospheric and Oceanic Fluid Dynamics Conference (AOFD19). Portland, MA. 06/25/2019.

D'Amico, Guido; Kaloper, Nemanja; Lawrence, Albion E. "Strongly Coupled Quintessence." Physical Review D 100. (2019): 103504.

Hampapura, Harsha; Lawrence, Albion E; Stanojevic, Stefan. "On phase transitions in the Rényi entropies of 2+1-d large-N interacting vector models." Physical Review B 100. (2019): 134412.

Lawrence, Albion E and Callies, Joern. "Seasonality and Spatial Dependence of Meso- and Submesoscale Currents from Along- Track Satellite Altimetry (poster)." 22nd Atmospheric and Oceanic Fluid Dynamics (AOFD19) conference. American Meteorological Society (AMS). Portland, ME. June 27, 2019.

Lawrence, Albion E. "Inflation and Quantum Gravity (colloquium)." U. Mass. Boston Physics Colloquium. Boston, MA. 10/17/2019.

Agon, Cesar and Lawrence, Albion. "Divergences in Open Quantum Systems." Journal of High Energy Physics 1804. (2018): 008.

Agon, Cesar; Balasubramanian, Vijay; Kasko, Skyler; Lawrence, Albion E. "Coarse Grained Quantum Dynamics." Physical Review D 98. (2018): 025019.

Balasubramanian, Vijay; Lawrence, Albion; Rolph, Andrew; and Ross, Simon. "Entanglement Shadows in LLM Geometries." Journal of High Energy Physics 1711. (2018): 159.

D'Amico, Guido; Kaloper, Nemanja; and Lawrence, Albion. "Monodromy Inflation in the Strong Coupling Regime of the Effective Field Theory." Physical Review Letters 121 (2018): 091301.

Lawrence, Albion E. "Effective Field Theories of Axion Monodromy Inflation." Foundations of String Cosmology. U. Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics, Ann Arbor, MI. April 2017.

Lawrence, Albion E. "Entanglement and Coarse-Grained Quantum Dynamics." Stanford Institute for Theoretical Physics Colloquium. Stanford University

Kaloper, Nemanja and Lawrence, Albion E. "``London equation for monodromy inflation"." Physical Review D 95. (2017): 063526.

Lawrence, Albion E. "Introduction to Quantum Entanglement." Classical and Quantum Information. International Center for the Theoretical Sciences, Bangalore, India. January 2017.

Kaloper, Nemanja; Kleban, Matthew; Lawrence, Albion E; and Sloth, Martin. "Large Field Inflation and Gravitational Entropy." Physical Review D 93. 4 (2016): 043510.

Lawrence, Albion E and Soroush, Masoud. "N=(4,4) vector multiplets on curved two-manifolds." Journal of Mathematical Physics 57. 4 (2016): 042301.

Lawrence, Albion E. "Coarse Grained Quantum Dynamics and Holography." Black Holes and Emergent Spacetime. NORDITA, Stockholm, Sweden. August 2016.

Lawrence, Albion E. "The Effective Field Theory of Axion Monodromy Inflation." Field Theory Anthropics and Naturalness in Cosmology. Southern Denmark University, Odense, Denmark. October 2016.

Headrick, Matthew; Hubeny, Veronika; Lawrence, Albion E; Rangamani, Mukund. "Causality and Holographic Entanglement Entropy." Journal of High Energy Physics 1412. (2014): 162.

Kaloper, Nemanja and Lawrence, Albion E. "Natural Chaotic Inflation and Ultraviolet Sensitivity." Physical Review D 90. 2 (2014): 023506.

Lawrence, Albion E. "Coarse Grained Quantum Dynamics." New Perspectives on Thermalization. Aspen Center for Physics, Aspen, CO. March 21, 2014.

Lawrence, Albion E. "Coarse Grained Quantum Dynamics." Quantum Information in Quantum Gravity. University of British Columbia. August 18-22, 2014.

Lawrence, Albion E. "Coarse Graining and Entanglement in Quantum Dynamics." Mextrings 2014. Colima, MX. 9-10 June, 2014.

Lawrence, Albion E. "Effective Field Theory for Axion Monodromy." Status and Future of Inflationary Theory. The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. 22-24 August, 2014.

Lawrence, Albion E. "Metastability, Instability, and Ensemble Inequivalence in Finite Temperature Holographic Gauge Theories." String Geometry and Beyond. Texas A&M Soltis Center, San Isidro, Costa Rica. Nov. 26 2013.

Lawrence, Albion E. "Metastability, Instability, and Ensemble Inequivalence in Thermal Holographic Gauge Theories"." Virginia-DC-Maryland String and Particle Theory Meeting. University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA. Nov. 2, 2014.

Lawrence, Albion E. "Metastability, Instability, and Ensemble Inequivalence in." Open Questions in an Open Universe. Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey. August 16 2013.

Matthew Headrick, Albion Lawrence, and Matthew Roberts. "Bose-Fermi duality and entanglement entropies." J. Stat. Mech. 1302. (2013): P02022.

Matthew Kleban, Albion Lawrence, Matthew Roberts, and Stefano Storace. "Metastability and Instability in Holographic Gauge Theories." Journal of High Energy Physics 1406. (2013): 152.

Vijay Balasubramanian, Monica Guica, and Albion Lawrence. "Holographic Interpretations of the Renormalization Group." J. High Energy Phys. 1301. (2013): 115.

Albion Lawrence. "Theta angle monodromy in two dimensions." Physical Review D 85. (2012): 105029.

Nemanja Kaloper, Albion Lawrence, and Lorenzo Sorbo. "An ignoble approach to large field inflation." Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics 1103. (2012): 023.

Sergei Dubovsky, Albion Lawrence, and Matt Roberts. "Axion Monodromy in a model of holographic gluodynamics." Journal of High Energy Physics 1202. (2012): 053.

Allan Adams, Albion Lawrence, and Ian Swanson. "Exact Null Tachyons From RG Flows." Physical Review D 80. (2010): 106005.

Gary Horowitz, Albion Lawrence, and Eva Silverstein. "Insightful D-branes." Journal of High Energy Physics 0907. (2010): 057.

Lawrence, Albion E. "F-term SUSY breaking and moduli." Physical Review D 79. (2009): 101701.

Lawrence, Albion; Sander, Tobias; Schulz, Michael; Wecht, Brian. "Torsion and supersymmetry breaking." Journal of High Energy Physics 0807:042. (2008): 43 pages.

Freedman, Daniel Z.; Headrick, Matthew; and Lawrence, Albion. "On closed string tachyon dynamics." Physical Review D 73. (2007): 066015 (20 pages).

Gaberdiel, Matthias and Lawrence, Albion. "Bulk perturbations of N=2 branes." Journal of High Energy Physics 0705. 087 (2007): 35 pages.

Green, Daniel; Lawrence, Albion; McGreevy, John; Morrison, David R; and Silverstein, Eva. "Dimensional Duality." Physical Review D D76. 066004 (2007): 25 pages.

Lawrence, Albion and Sever, Amit. "Scattering of twist fields from D-branes and orientifolds." Journal of High Energy Physics 0709:094. (2007): 35 pages.

Kruczenski, Martin and Lawrence, Albion. "Random Walks and the Hagedorn Transition." Journal of High Energy Physics 2006. 0607 (2006): 031 (34 pages).

Lawrence, Albion; Schulz, Michael; and Wecht, Brian. "D-branes in nongeometric backgrounds." Journal of High Energy Physics 2006. 0607 (2006): 038 (27 pages).

Lawrence, Albion; and Sever, Amit. "Holography and renormalization in Lorentzian signature." Journal of High Energy Physics 2006. 0610 (2006): 013 (46 pages).

Lawrence,Albion E., John McGreevy. Remarks on Branes, Fluxes, and Soft SUSY Breaking. Proc. of Proceedinngs for QTS3. Cincinnati, Ohio: World Scientific, 2005.

Lawrence,Albion E and John McGreevy. "D-terms and D-strings in Open String Models." Journal of High Energy Physics 0410 (2004): 056 (29 pages).

Lawrence,Albion E and John McGreevy. "Local String Models of Soft Supersymmetry Breaking." Journal of High Energy Physics 2004. 0406 (2004): 007 (36 pages).

Lawrence,Albion E and John McGreevy. Remarks on Branes, Fluxes and Soft Supersymmetry Breaking. Proc. of Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium on Quantum Theory and Symmetries. 2004.

Lawrence,Albion E., John McGreevy. "D-terms and D-strings in open string models." Journal of High Energy Physics (2004): 56.

Lawrence,Albion E., John McGreevy. "Local String Models of Soft SUSY Breaking." Journal of High Energy Physics (2004): 007.

Lawrence,Albion E, Nemanja Kaloper, Matthew Kleban, Stephen Shenker, and Leonard Susskind. "Initial Conditions for Inflation." Journal of High Energy Physics (2002): 037.

Lawrence,Albion E, Nemanja Kaloper, Matthew Kleban, and Stephen Shenker. "Signatures of Short Distance Physics in the Cosmic Microwave Background." Physical Review D (2002): 123510.

Lawrence,Albion E. "On the Instability of 3D Null Singularities." Journal of High Energy Physics (2002): 019.

Lawrence,Albion E, Paul Aspinwall. "Derived Categories and Zero-Brane Stability." Journal of High Energy Physics (2001): 004.