New Structures in Gauge Theory and Gravity

Colour-kinematics duality provides new insights into the perturbative structure of quantum field theory. In particular, it recasts gravity as a double copy of gauge theory, an idea which has given rise to a variety of novel connections between these two seemingly disparate theories. In this thesis, we will explore a number of new examples of the double copy, which both extend the catalogue of cases in which it is known to apply and provide insights into theoretical structure of the correspondence. We will begin by investigating the role of non-local information in the double copy for classical solutions, leading to a topological condition that can be furnished with a double copy interpretation. As this condition is naturally expressed in terms of certain Wilson lines, we will go on to develop a double copy for the general form of these operators as well as the closely related geometrical concept of holonomy. We then further investigate the non- perturbative structure of the double copy by restricting to the self-dual sectors of gauge theory and gravity. Here we generalise the single copy structure of gravitational instantons, and provide new insights into the nature of the kinematic algebra underlying the double copy. Finally, we investigate the old idea that one-loop amplitudes in self-dual Yang-Mills and gravity are generated by an anomaly of the classical integrability of these theories. By writing explicit quantum-corrected actions for the self-dual theories, we will demonstrate a manifestation of this anomaly and uncover a novel double copy that holds at the level of the loop-integrated amplitudes

Constituting monetary conservatives via the 'savings habit': New Labour and the British housing market bubble

The ongoing world credit crunch might well kill off the most recent bubble dynamics in the British housing market by driving prices systematically downwards from their 2007 peak. Nonetheless, the experience of that bubble still warrants analytical attention. The Labour Government might not have been responsible for consciously creating it, but it has certainly grasped the opportunities the bubble has provided in an attempt to enforce a process of agential change at the heart of the British economy. The key issue in this respect is the way in which the Government has challenged the legitimacy of passive welfare receipts in favour of establishing a welfare system based on incorporating the individual into an active asset-holding society. The housing market has taken on new political significance as a means for individuals first to acquire assets and then to accumulate wealth on the back of asset ownership. The ensuing integration of the housing market into an increasingly reconfigured welfare system has permeated into the politics of everyday life. It has been consistent with individuals remaking their political subjectivities in line with preferences for the type of conservative monetary policies that typically keep house price bubbles inflated

The single copy of the gravitational holonomy

The double copy is a well-established relationship between gravity and gauge theories. It relates perturbative scattering amplitudes as well as classical solutions, and recently there has been mounting evidence that it also applies to non-perturbative information. In this paper, we consider the holonomy properties of manifolds in gravity and prescribe a single copy of gravitational holonomy that differs from the holonomy in gauge theory. We discuss specific cases and give examples where the single copy holonomy group is reduced. Our results may prove useful in extending the classical double copy. We also clarify previous misconceptions in the literature regarding gravitational Wilson lines and holonomy.Comment: 31 pages, 2 figure

National survey of Child Support Agency clients

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:7761.4795(no 152) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

A tale of two doctoral students: social media tools and hybridised identities

This paper explores the experiences of two doctoral students who embraced Web 2.0 tools in their digital scholarship practices. The paper gives an insider perspective of the challenges and potential of working with online tools, such as blogs, and participating in online communities, such as Twitter’s #phdchat. We explore by drawing on our personal experiences as to how this participation was affected by our hybridised identity as both members of staff at a UK university and as PhD students. We argue that social media tools provide access to a community of doctoral students and knowledgeable others that reduce isolation and provide challenge and support along the challenging journey of undertaking a doctoral study. Whilst the tools involved exposure and risk in relation to managing our hybridised identities, our experience of their use was one we would recommend to others

Blended learning as a tool for work-life oriented master courses

Masters degree programmes in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences focus strongly on students’ real life work experience and incorporate this in the approach to teaching and learning. Students on these programmes have a higher education degree and at least three years’ work experience. Typical course assignments are real development tasks for the students’ own employer and classes harness students’ diverse experience to enhance the knowledge-base of the course. These courses are proving very popular, but management in practice of such courses (particularly with increasing numbers) is proving problematic. This paper reports findings from a pilot study in which a blended learning approach was used for the delivery of such a course. In this case “blended” refers not just to the mixture of online and face-to-face learning opportunities, but to the mixing of teacher-led instruction with co-creation of knowledge by course participants. Data collected from the study indicate a high degree of satisfaction from both students and staff and point to the particular appropriateness of the technologies used for this interpretation of blended learning. Lack of technology skills is identified as a potential issue requiring further consideration

Teacher enquiry as a tool for professional development: Investigating pupils’ effective Talk While Learning

The Learning to Learn in Schools Phase 3 Evaluation was a four year project across England exploring the concept of Learning to Learn in 33 primary and secondary schools. The project was funded through the UK based Campaign for Learning. One of the key aims of the project was to ensure that the locus of control in terms of development remains with the schools, who decided on the focus of innovation relevant to them under the umbrella heading of Learning to Learn. A team from the Research Centre for Learning and Teaching at Newcastle University then supported and facilitated the teachers in the systematic evaluation of their experiences. As a result we believe that this process supported meaningful professional development about teaching and learning. This paper exemplifies this process through two professional enquiries into pupil talk in the classroom and how it supported learning. The projects were carried out by teachers in two schools, one secondary (11-18 years) and one primary (4-11 years). Both schools decided that encouraging pupil talk about learning best fit with their priorities and the project aims of exploring Learning to Learn. The paper describes the different research methods and findings of the teachers