Prof. Barton Zwiebach

Professor Zwiebach©ˆs specialties are String Theory and Theoretical Particle Physics. His central contributions have been in the area of String Field Theory, where he did the early work on the construction of open string field theory and then developed the field theory of closed strings. Zwiebach has also made important contributions to the subject of D-branes with exceptional symmetry and to the subject of tachyon condensation.

In 1999, Ashoke Sen and Zwiebach showed that open string field theory can be used to calculate the tachyon potential and to confirm the existence of a critical point at the expected depth. The developments that followed led to vacuum string field theory, a new version of open string field theory based on the vacuum of the tachyon. Zwiebach is currently working on the instabilities of twisted closed string tachyons that appear on closed string orbifolds.


Teaching Interests: Professor Zwiebach designed and taught a new course in the MIT undergraduate curriculum: "String Theory for Undergraduates" [8.251], first offered in the 2002 Spring term. This course gives a serious introduction to string theory, geared at the level of juniors and seniors. Based on the lectures from this course, Zwiebach wrote an undergraduate textbook, A First Course in String Theory, published by Cambridge University Press [available in June 2004].

Professor Zwiebach was awarded the MIT School of Science 2003 Teaching Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Education. His citation read: "[for] making a topic as complex as string theory accessible to undergraduates; for his uncompromising commitment to clarity and organization in his classroom; and for his ability to provide a truly transforming experience to his students."