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Feature Story

Kostelecky elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Alan Kostelecky, Distinguished Professor of Physics at Indiana University Bloomington, has been elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science "for seminal contributions to relativity and spacetime symmetries, and for the development of a profound and comprehensive theoretical framework for relativity violations," according to a statement from AAAS.

Relativity is Einstein's theory of space and time. It is based on the symmetry concept that all orientations in empty spacetime are the same. Since the formulation of relativity over 100 years ago, many experiments have shown that relativity holds to a high degree of precision.

Kostelecky's research on relativity and spacetime symmetries started in the 1980s when he realized that tiny violations of Einstein's relativity could be an experimental signal of the long-sought underlying theory unifying all known forces and particles.

As part of his work on relativity violations, Kostelecky formulated a theory called the "Standard-Model Extension." The SME describes all possible violations of relativity compatible with known physics.

The SME predicts that the symmetry underlying Einstein's relativity holds to a large degree but could break down at tiny distances.

"Nature's beauty is more subtle than perfect symmetry," Kostelecky said.

Detectable effects could include changes in the behavior of particles depending on their orientation, and asymmetries between properties of certain particles and antiparticles. "The predictions of the SME may be within reach of existing experiments," Kostelecky said. "That's what makes it exciting."

Kostelecky's theory has inspired many searches for relativity violations around the world, and more are being performed. The laboratory experiments involve a wide variety of equipment ranging from giant particle colliders, such as the one at Fermilab in Illinois, to "tabletop" experiments with atomic clocks, lasers or resonant cavities. Astronomical observations, such as ones studying distant galaxies or ones measuring precisely the distance to the moon, are under way. Experiments on artificial satellites such as the International Space Station are planned. "The ongoing search for relativity violations is an impressive interdisciplinary effort," Kostelecky said.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science is the world's largest general scientific society, and publisher of the journal Science (http://www.sciencemag.org). Founded in 1848, it includes some 262 affiliated societies and academies of science. Its mission is to "advance science and serve society" through initiatives in science policy, international programs, science education and more.

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