Reexamination of the power spectrum in de Sitter inflation

We find that the amplitude of quantum fluctuations of the invariant de Sitter vacuum coincides exactly with that of the vacuum of a comoving observer for a massless scalar (inflaton) field. We propose redefining the actual physical power spectrum as the difference between the amplitudes of the above vacua. An inertial particle detector continues to observe the Gibbons-Hawking temperature. However, although the resulting power spectrum is still scale-free, its amplitude can be drastically reduced since now, instead of the Hubble's scale at the inflationary period, it is determined by the square of the mass of the inflaton fluctuation field.     

Cartan invariants and event horizon detection

We show that it is possible to locate the event horizon of a black hole (in arbitrary dimensions) by the zeros of certain Cartan invariants. This approach accounts for the recent results on the detection of stationary horizons using scalar polynomial curvature invariants, and improves upon them since the proposed method is computationally less expensive. As an application, we produce Cartan invariants that locate the event horizons for various exact four-dimensional and five-dimensional stationary, asymptotically flat (or (anti) de Sitter), black hole solutions and compare the Cartan invariants with the corresponding scalar curvature invariants that detect the event horizon.     

Polynomial invariants for SU(2) monopoles

We present an explicit expression for the topological invariants associated to SU(2) monopoles in the fundamental representation on spin four-manifolds. The computation of these invariants is based on the analysis of their corresponding topological quantum field theory, and it turns out that they can be expressed in terms of Seiberg-Witten invariants. In this analysis we use recent exact results on the moduli space of vacua of the untwisted N = 1 and N = 2 supersymmetric counterparts of the topological quantum field theory under consideration, as well as on electric-magnetic duality for N = 2 supersymmetric gauge theories.     

Coexistence of different vacua in the effective quantum field theory and multiple point principle

According to the Multiple Point Principle, our Universe is on the coexistence curve of two or more phases of the quantum vacuum. The coexistence of different quantum vacua can be regulated by the exchange of the global fermionic charges between the vacua, such as baryonic, leptonic, or family charge. If the coexistence is regulated by the baryonic charge, all the coexisting vacua exhibit the baryonic asymmetry. Due to the exchange of the baryonic charge between the vacuum and matter, which occurs above the electroweak transition, the baryonic asymmetry of the vacuum induces the baryonic asymmetry of matter in our Standard Model phase of the quantum vacuum. The present baryonic asymmetry of the Universe indicates that the characteristic energy scale, which regulates the equilibrium coexistence of different phases of quantum vacua, is about 10⁶ GeV.     

Quantum vacuum cosmology

It is shown for the case of a conformally flat vacuum that the curvature of space-time may be viewed as the observable consequence of particle interactions involving a scalar field φ, rather than the independent agency of the gravitational field by itself. The quantum nature of gravity comes in as a consequence of the quantum properties of the φ-field (“vacuum fluctuation”), and a direct analogy is drawn between the renormalizations of charge and mass. Cosmological solutions are derived: These being just the conventional Friedmann solutions, or the de Sitter solution. It is pointed out that a totally empty universe must be Minkowskian.     

Effects of topology on the light front

We discuss how to construct theta vacua in the light-front field theories using the 1+1 dimensional Abelian Higgs model as an example. Unlike the non-gauged scalar field, zero modes of the Higgs field are in general dynamical as well as the gauge-field zero mode. While symmetry breaking is discussed in semi-classical treatment of the zero modes, the theta vacua are introduced in the quantum level by use of the large gauge symmetry.     

Symmetry breaking and gravitational interaction

A scalar field Lagrangian is considered in the curved space-time to which a Hamiltonian determining nonzero vacuum field value is added. The initial Lagrangian can be expressed as a sum of Lagrangians for the constant scalar field component and perturbation. The first Lagrangian can be considered as a Lagrangian for the Einstein gravitational field in vacuum. The problem of renormalization of the constant scalar field component is investigated. It is demonstrated that in the case of conformal relation of the scalar field to the space-time curvature, there exists a unique value of the scalar space curvature for which the field can be considered constant (field perturbations do not result in renormalization of the constant component). This curvature value determines the unique value of the equilibrium nuclide density. A correlation of the examined Lagrangian parameters with the integral parameters of the Solar system is discussed. __________ Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 7, pp. 18–34, July, 2006.     

Scalar field quantization in stationary,non-static spacetimes

A quantization procedure is given for the scalar field on stationary, axisymmetric background spacetimes with orthogonal 2-surfaces. The procedure is based on observers orthogonal to surfaces of constant Killing time, and thus agrees with the usual procedure for static spacetimes. For stationary but nonstatic spacetimes the procedure differs from the usual one but nonetheless leads to a natural quantization scheme. Applying the procedure to flat space in rotating coordinates gives the standard, inertial Minkowski vacuum. For the Kerr spacetime, the procedure yields a particle definition which is well-defined everywhere outside the horizon. The above observers are just nonrotating ZAMO's, and the vacuum state smoothly interpolates between the “in” and “out” Boulware vacua.     

Nonminimal particle-like solutions in cubic scalar field theory

The cubic scalar field theory admits the bell-shaped solitary wave solutions which can be interpreted as a massive Bose particles. We rule out the nonminimal p-brane action for such a solution as the point particle with curvature. When quantizing it as the theory with higher derivatives, it is shown that the corresponding quantum equation has SU(2) dynamical symmetry group realizing the exact spin-coordinate correspondence. Finally, we calculate the quantum corrections to the mass of the bell boson which can not be obtained by means of the perturbation theory starting from the vacuum sector.     

Radiative Energy Shifts of an Accelerated Multilevel Atom Coupled to the Derivative of a Scalar Field

We study the energy level shifts of an accelerated multilevel atom in dipole coupling to the derivative of a quantum massless scalar field and separately calculate the contributions of vacuum fluctuations and radiation reaction to the shifts. It is found that, in contrast to the case of a monopole-like interaction, both the vacuum fluctuations and radiation reaction contributions are changed by acceleration, and they all contain non-thermal correction terms. Our results suggest that the effect of acceleration on the energy shifts is dependent on the type of the interaction between the atom and the quantum field.     

General second-order scalar-tensor theory and self-tuning

Starting from the most general scalar-tensor theory with second-order field equations in four dimensions, we establish the unique action that will allow for the existence of a consistent self-tuning mechanism on Friedmann-Lema?tre-Robertson-Walker backgrounds, and show how it can be understood as a combination of just four base Lagrangians with an intriguing geometric structure dependent on the Ricci scalar, the Einstein tensor, the double dual of the Riemann tensor, and the Gauss-Bonnet combination. Spacetime curvature can be screened from the net cosmological constant at any given moment because we allow the scalar field to break Poincaré invariance on the self-tuning vacua, thereby evading the Weinberg no-go theorem. We show how the four arbitrary functions of the scalar field combine in an elegant way opening up the possibility of obtaining nontrivial cosmological solutions.     

An approach to dark energy problem through linear invariants

The time evolution of vacuum energy density is investigated in the coherent states of inflationary universe using a linear invariant approach. The linear invariants we derived are represented in terms of annihilation operators. On account of the fact that the coherent state is an eigenstate of an annihilation operator, the wave function.in the coherent state is easily evaluated by solving the eigenvalue equation of the linear invariants. The expectation value of the vacuum energy density is derived using this wave function.Fluctuations of the scalar field and its conjugate momentum are also investigated. Our theory based on the linear invariant shows that the vacuum energy density of the universe in a coherent state is decreased continuously with time due to nonconservative force acting on the coherent oscillations of the scalar field,which is provided by the expansion of the universe. In effect, our analysis reveals that the vacuum energy density decreases in proportion to t-β where β is 3/2 for radiation-dominated era and 2 for matter-dominated era. In the case where the duration term of radiation-dominated era is short enough to be negligible, the estimation of the relic vacuum energy density agrees well with the current observational data.     

Will Small Particles Exhibit Brownian Motion in the Quantum Vacuum?

The Brownian motion of small particles interacting with a field at a finite temperature is a well-known and well-understood phenomenon. At zero temperature, even though the thermal fluctuations are absent, quantum fields still possess vacuum fluctuations. It is then interesting to ask whether a small particle that is interacting with a quantum field will exhibit Brownian motion when the quantum field is assumed to be in the vacuum state. In this paper, we study the cases of a small charge and an imperfect mirror interacting with a quantum scalar field in (1 + 1) dimensions. Treating the quantum field as a classical stochastic variable, we write down a Langevin equation for the particles. We show that the results we obtain from such an approach agree with the results obtained from the fluctuation-dissipation theorem. Unlike the finite temperature case, there exists no special frame of reference at zero temperature and hence it is essential that the particles do not break Lorentz invariance. We find that that the scalar charge breaks Lorentz invariance, whereas the imperfect mirror does not. We conclude that small particles such as the imperfect mirror will exhibit Brownian motion even in the quantum vacuum, but this effect can be so small that it may prove to be difficult to observe it experimentally.     

Gravitational Shielding Effect in Gauge Theory of Gravity

In 1992, E.E. Podkletnov and R. Nieminen found that under certain conditions, ceramic superconductor with composite structure reveals weak shielding properties against gravitational force. In classical Newton's theory of gravity and even in Einstein's general theory of gravity, there are no grounds of gravitational shielding effects. But in quantum gauge theory of gravity, the gravitational shielding effects can be explained in a simple and natural way. In quantum gauge theory of gravity, gravitational gauge interactions of complex scalar field can be formulated based on gauge principle. After spontaneous symmetry breaking, if the vacuum of the complex scalar field is not stable and uniform, there will be a mass term of gravitational gauge field. When gravitational gauge field propagates in this unstable vacuum of the complex scalar field, it will decays exponentially, which is the nature of gravitational shielding effects. The mechanism of gravitational shielding effects is studied in this paper, and some main properties of gravitational shielding effects are discussed.     

Second quantized scalar QED in homogeneous time-dependent electromagnetic fields

We formulate the second quantization of a charged scalar field in homogeneous, time-dependent electromagnetic fields, in which the Hamiltonian is an infinite system of decoupled, time-dependent oscillators for electric fields, but it is another infinite system of coupled, time-dependent oscillators for magnetic fields. We then employ the quantum invariant method to find various quantum states for the charged field. For time-dependent electric fields, a pair of quantum invariant operators for each oscillator with the given momentum plays the role of the time-dependent annihilation and the creation operators, constructs the exact quantum states, and gives the vacuum persistence amplitude as well as the pair-production rate. We also find the quantum invariants for the coupled oscillators for the charged field in time-dependent magnetic fields and advance a perturbation method when the magnetic fields change adiabatically. Finally, the quantum state and the pair production are discussed when a time-dependent electric field is present in parallel to the magnetic field.     

Gravitational Gauge Interactions of Scalar Field

Quantum gauge theory of gravity is formulated based on gauge principle. Because the Lagrangian has strict local gravitational gauge symmetry, gravitational gauge theory is a perturbatively renormalizable quantum theory. Gravitational gauge interactions of scalar field are studied in this paper. In quantum gauge theory of gravity, scalar field minimal couples to gravitational field through gravitational gauge covariant derivative. Comparing the Lagrangian for scalar field in quantum gauge theory of gravity with the corresponding Lagrangian in quantum fields in curved space-time, the definition for metric in curved space-time in geometry picture of gravity can be obtained, which is expressed by gravitational gauge field. In classical level, the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian approaches are also discussed.     

Ground state structure in supersymmetric quantum mechanics

We present a rigorous analysis of the vacuum structure of two models of supersymmetric quantum mechanics. They are the quantum mechanics versions of the two-dimensional N = 1 and N = 2 Wess-Zumino quantum field models. We find that the N = 2 quantum mechanics has degenerate vacua. The space of vacuum states is bosonic, and its dimension is determined by the topological properties of the superpotential.     

Perturbative modes and black hole entropy in f(Ricci) gravity

f(Ricci) gravity is a special kind of higher curvature gravity whose bulk Lagrangian density is the trace of a matrix-valued function of the Ricci tensor. It is shown that under some mild constraints, f(Ricci) gravity admits Einstein manifolds as exact vacuum solutions, and can be ghost-free and tachyon-free around maximally symmetric Einstein vacua. It is also shown that the entropy for spherically symmetric black holes in f(Ricci) gravity calculated via the Wald method and the boundary Noether charge approach are in good agreement.     

Cosmic Evolution of Scalar Fields with Multiple Vacua: Generalized DBI and Quintessence

We find a method to rewrite the equations of motion of scalar fields, generalized DBI field and quintessence, in the autonomous form for arbitrary scalar potentials. With the aid of this method, we explore the cosmic evolution of generalized DBI field and quintessence with the potential of multiple vacua. Then we find that the scalars are always frozen in the false or true vacuum in the end. Compared to the evolution of quintessence, the generalized DBI field has more times of oscillations around the vacuum of the potential. The reason for this point is that, with the increasing of speed \(\dot {\phi }\), the friction term of generalized DBI field is greatly decreased. Thus the generalized DBI field acquires more times of oscillations.     

压缩算符在自由标量场理论中的推广

引入了一种在量子场论中构造压缩算符的办法:考虑两个具有不同质量的同一标量场的自由哈密顿量,通过博戈留波夫变换,导出广义压缩算符,该算符把一个基态映射到另一个。该算符作用的有效性分别在量子场论的狄拉克表象和薛定谔泛函表象中得到了验证。我们相信,在任意实标量场理论中,只要存在两组以线性变换联系起来的生成湮灭算符,压缩算符就被类似的方法找到。