C *-algebraic quantization and the origin of topological quantum effects

Concepts from the theory of abstract operator algebras are used to solve the problem of quantizing a particle moving on an arbitrary locally compact homogeneous space. Inequivalent quantizations are identified with inequivalent irreducible representations of the corresponding C ^*-algebra. Topological terms in the action (or Hamiltonian) are found to be representation-dependent, and are automatically induced by the quantization procedure. Known charge quantization conditions turn out to be identically satisfied. Several examples are considered, among them the Dirac monopole and the Aharonov-Bohm effect.     

A new limit for the noncommutative space–time parameter

The spectrum of the hydrogen atom in the framework of noncommutative quantum mechanics is studied and the related phenomenology is presented. We find that the noncommutative effects are similar to those obtained by considering the extended charged nature of the proton in the atom. To the first order in the noncommutative parameter, it is equivalent to an electron in the fields of a Coulomb potential and an electric dipole and this allows us to get a bound for this parameter. In a second step, we compute noncommutative corrections of the energy levels and find that they are at the second order in the parameter of noncommutativity. By comparing our results to those obtained from experimental spectroscopy, we get another limit for this parameter.     

The gravitational anomalies in de Sitter space

All solutions to the consistency equations are determined which have to be satisfied by anomalies in gravitational theories with a de Sitter-invariant groundstate. They turn out to be identical with the solutions for a Poincaré-invariant groundstate.     

On the holomorphic factorization for superconformal fields

For a generic value of the central charge, we prove the holomorphic factorization of partition functions for free superconformal fields which are defined on a compact Riemann surface without boundary. The partition functions are viewed as functionals of the Beltrami coefficients and their fermionic partners, which variables parametrize superconformal classes of metrics.     

Adiabatic dynamics for a class of quantum Hamiltonians

We establish the existence of a special class of unitary transformations that act on the parameter space of a broad class of physical Hamiltonians (including externally imposed electromagnetic fields). For this class, we calculate the quantum amplitudes for adiabatically induced transitions. Processes described include transitions between bound states and transitions from a bound state to the continuum. The leading terms of the adiabatic limit are evaluated in closed form.     

Positive particle frequencies in some time-periodic universes

We consider the Klein-Gordon equation in FRW-like universes which are periodic in a suitable scale of time. In a remarkable sector of solutions, the Floquet theory of differential equations allows for generalizing the notion of particle frequency. In this sense, the sesquilinear form associated with Gordon's current is positive definite when restricted to the sub-sector of positive frequencies.     

Remarks on the thermodynamics and the vacuum energy of a quantum Maxwell gas on compact and closed manifolds

The quantum Maxwell theory at finite temperature at equilibrium is studied on compact and closed manifolds in both the functional integral and Hamiltonian formalism. The aim is to shed some light onto the interrelation between the topology of the spatial background and the thermodynamic properties of the system. The quantization is not unique and gives rise to inequivalent quantum theories which are classified by θ-vacua. Based on explicit parametrizations of the gauge orbit space in the functional integral approach and of the physical phase space in the canonical quantization scheme, the Gribov problem is resolved and the equivalence of both quantization schemes is elucidated. Using zeta-function regularization the free energy is determined and the effect of the topology of the spatial manifold on the vacuum energy and on the thermal gauge field excitations is clarified. The general results are then applied to a quantum Maxwell gas on an n-dimensional torus providing explicit formulae for the main thermodynamic functions in the low- and high-temperature regimes, respectively.     

Quantization of a Hamiltonian system with an infinite number of degrees of freedom

We propose a method of quantization of a discrete Hamiltonian system with an infinite number of degrees of freedom. Our approach is analogous to the usual finite-dimensional quantum mechanics. We construct an infinite-dimensional Schrödinger equation. We show that it is possible to pass from the finite-dimensional quantum mechanics to our construction in the limit when the number of particles tends to infinity. Rigorous mathematical methods are used.     

The indecomposable representation of SO0(2, 2) on the one-particle space of the massless field in 1 + 1 dimension

In the continuum O(3) sigma model in two spatial dimensions, there are topological solitons whose size can be stabilized by adding Skyrme and potential terms. This Letter describes a lattice version, namely a natural way of modifying the 2D Heisenberg model to achieve topological stability on the lattice.     

Mathematical theory of nonrelativistic matter and radiation

We consider a system of finitely many nonrelativistic electrons bound in an atom or molecule which are coupled to the electromagnetic field via minimal coupling or the dipole approximation. Among a variety or results, we give sufficient conditions for the existence of a ground state (an eigenvalue at the bottom of the spectrum) and resonances (eigenvalues of a complex dilated Hamiltonian) of such a system. We give a brief outline of the proofs of these statements which will appear at full length in a later work.Dedicated to the memory of J. Schwinger, whose understanding of Quantum Electrodynamics was profound     

Dispersive Calculation of the Massless Multi-loop Sunrise Diagram

The massless sunrise diagram with an arbitrary number of loops is calculated in a simple but formal manner. The result is then verified by rigorous mathematical treatment. Pitfalls in the calculation with distributions are highlighted and explained. The result displays the high energy behaviour of the massive sunrise diagrams, whose calculation is involved already for the two-loop case.     

Splitting of Landau levels in the presence of external potentials

We study the quantum mechanical problem of a charged particle moving in a constant magnetic field and an azimuthally symmetric external potential. We show that the lowest Landau level splits in a definite way if the external potential is a monotone function of the radial distance in the plane orthogonal to the magnetic field. For two-dimensional systems, we give sufficient conditions such that all Landau levels are completely ordered. For the lowest Landau level, this result holds for nonhomogeneous magnetic fields as long as they are cylindrically symmetric.Supported by the Federal Ministry of Science and Research, Austria. Part of Project P8916-PHY of the Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftliche Forschung in Österreich.     

Quantum coherent operators: A generalization of coherent states

We introduce a technique to compare different, but related, quantum systems, thereby generalizing the way that coherent states are used to compare quantum systems to classical systems in semiclassical analysis. We then use this technique to estimate the dependence of the free energy of the quantum Heisenberg model on the spin value, and to estimate the relation between the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic free energies.Work supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation grant PHY-9019433.Work supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation grant DMS-9002416.     

Analytic vectors,anomalies and star representations

It is hinted that anomalies are not really anomalous since (at least in characteristic examples) they can be related to a lack of common analytic vectors for the Hamiltonian and the observables. We reanalyze the notions of analytic vectors and of local representations of Lie algebras in this light, and show how the notion of preferred observables introduced in the deformation (star product) approach to quantization may help give an anomaly-free formulation to physical problems. Finally, some remarks are made concerning the applicability of these considerations to field theory, especially in two dimensions.     

Limits on stability of positive molecular ions

It is shown that a positive diatomic molecule consisting of N electrons and two nuclei with charges Z ₁ and Z ₂ is unstable with respect to breakup into two atomic subsystems if the nuclear charges are sufficiently large. Bounds on the critical charge are obtained in the limit as N .Research supported in part by NSF grants DMS-8709805 and DMS-8808112.     

Modular inclusion,the Hawking temperature,and quantum field theory in curved spacetime

A recent result by Borchers connecting geometric modular action, modular inclusion and spectrum condition, is applied in quantum field theory on spacetimes with a bifurcate Killing horizon (these are generalizations of black-hole spacetimes, comprising the familiar black-hole spacetime models). Within this framework, we give sufficient, model-independent conditions ensuring that the temperature of thermal equilibrium quantum states is the Hawking temperature.     

Generalized nuclearity conditions and the split property in quantum field theory

Generalized nuclearity conditions that are applicable in arbitrary superselection sectors of a quantum field theory and to theories with a maximal temperature are discussed. They are shown to imply the (distal) split property and to impose specific restrictions on the spectral properties of modular operators associated with local algebras and vectors of compact energy support.     

Sp(2) renormalization

The renormalization of general gauge theories on flat and curved space–time backgrounds is considered within the Sp(2)-covariant quantization method. We assume the existence of a gauge-invariant and diffeomorphism invariant regularization. Using the Sp(2)-covariant formalism one can show that the theory possesses gauge-invariant and diffeomorphism invariant renormalizability to all orders in the loop expansion and the extended BRST-symmetry after renormalization is preserved. The advantage of the Sp(2) method compared to the standard Batalin–Vilkovisky approach is that, in reducible theories, the structure of ghosts and ghosts for ghosts and auxiliary fields is described in terms of irreducible representations of the Sp(2) group. This makes the presentation of solutions to the master equations in more simple and systematic way because they are Sp(2)-scalars.     

Fock spaces with generalized statistics

Fock representations for quantum fields which obey generalized statistics are explicitly constructed. The main features of these representations are investigated.