Cosmological Horizons and Reconstruction of Quantum Field Theories

As a starting point, we state some relevant geometrical properties enjoyed by the cosmological horizon of a certain class of Friedmann-Robertson-Walker backgrounds. Those properties are generalised to a larger class of expanding spacetimes M admitting a geodesically complete cosmological horizon common to all co-moving observers. This structure is later exploited in order to recast, in a cosmological background, some recent results for a linear scalar quantum field theory in spacetimes asymptotically flat at null infinity. Under suitable hypotheses on M, encompassing both the cosmological de Sitter background and a large class of other FRW spacetimes, the algebra of observables for a Klein-Gordon field is mapped into a subalgebra of the algebra of observables constructed on the cosmological horizon. There is exactly one pure quasifree state λ on which fulfills a suitable energy-positivity condition with respect to a generator related with the cosmological time displacements. Furthermore λ induces a preferred physically meaningful quantum state λ _M for the quantum theory in the bulk. If M admits a timelike Killing generator preserving , then the associated self-adjoint generator in the GNS representation of λ _M has positive spectrum (i.e., energy). Moreover λ _M turns out to be invariant under every symmetry of the bulk metric which preserves the cosmological horizon. In the case of an expanding de Sitter spacetime, λ _M coincides with the Euclidean (Bunch-Davies) vacuum state, hence being Hadamard in this case. Remarks on the validity of the Hadamard property for λ _M in more general spacetimes are presented. Dedicated to Professor Klaus Fredenhagen on the occasion of his 60th birthday.     

Uniqueness Theorem for BMS-Invariant States of Scalar QFT on the Null Boundary of Asymptotically Flat Spacetimes and Bulk-Boundary Observable Algebra Correspondence

This work concerns some features of scalar QFT defined on the causal boundary of an asymptotically flat at null infinity spacetime and based on the BMS-invariant Weyl algebra .(a) (i) It is noticed that the natural BMS invariant pure quasifree state λ on , recently introduced by Dappiaggi, Moretti and Pinamonti, enjoys positivity of the self-adjoint generator of u-translations with respect to every Bondi coordinate frame on , ( being the affine parameter of the complete null geodesics forming and complex coordinates on the transverse 2-sphere). This fact may be interpreted as a remnant of the spectral condition inherited from QFT in Minkowski spacetime (and it is the spectral condition for free fields when the bulk is the very Minkowski space). (ii) It is also proved that the cluster property under u-displacements is valid for every (not necessarily quasifree) pure state on which is invariant under u displacements. (iii) It is established that there is exactly one algebraic pure quasifree state which is invariant under u-displacements (of a fixed Bondi frame) and has positive self-adjoint generator of u-displacements. It coincides with the GNS-invariant state λ. (iv) Finally it is shown that in the folium of a pure u-displacement invariant state ω (like λ but not necessarily quasifree) on is the only state invariant under u-displacement.(b) It is proved that the theory can be formulated for spacetimes asymptotically flat at null infinity which also admit future time completion i ⁺ (and fulfill other requirements related with global hyperbolicity). In this case a -isomorphism ı exists - with a natural geometric meaning - which identifies the (Weyl) algebra of observables of a linear field propagating in the bulk spacetime with a sub algebra of . Using ı a preferred state on the field algebra in the bulk spacetime is induced by the BMS-invariant state λ on .     

Time Flow in a Noncommutative Regime

We develop an approach to dynamical and probabilistic properties of the model unifying general relativity and quantum mechanics, initiated in the paper (Heller et al. (2005) International Journal Theoretical Physics 44, 671). We construct the von Neumann algebra of random operators on a groupoid, which now is not related to a finite group G, but is the pair groupoid of the Lorentzian frame bundle E over spacetime M. We consider the time flow on depending on the state . The state defining the noncommutative dynamics is assumed to be normal and faithful. Then the pair is a noncommutative probabilistic space and can also be interpreted as an equilibrium thermal state, satisfying the Kubo-Martin-Schwinger condition. We argue that both the “time flow” and thermodynamics have their common roots in the noncommutative unification of dynamics and probability.     

Further Results on the Smoothability of Cauchy Hypersurfaces and Cauchy Time Functions

Recently, folk questions on the smoothability of Cauchy hypersurfaces and time functions of a globally hyperbolic spacetime M, have been solved. Here we give further results, applicable to several problems:

Verma Modules for Yangians

We study the Verma modules M((μu)) over the Yangian Y associated with a simple Lie algebra . We give necessary and sufficient conditions for irreducibility of M(μ(u)). Moreover, regarding the simple quotient L((μu)) of M((μu)) as an -module, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for finite-dimensionality of the weight subspaces of L((μu)).     

A Negative Mass Theorem for the 2-Torus

Let M be a closed surface. For a metric g on M, denote the area element by dA and the Laplace-Beltrami operator by Δ = Δ _g . We define the Robin mass m(p) at the point to be the value of the Green function G(p, q) at q = p after the logarithmic singularity has been subtracted off, and we define trace . This regularized trace can also be obtained by regularization of the spectral zeta function and is hence a spectral invariant which heuristically measures the total wavelength of the surface.We define the Δ-mass of (M, g) to equal , where is the Laplacian on the round sphere of area A. This scale invariant quantity is a non-trivial analog for closed surfaces of the ADM mass for higher dimensional asymptotically flat manifolds.In this paper we show that in each conformal class for the 2-torus, there exists a metric with negative Δ-mass. From this it follows that the minimum of the Δ-mass on is negative and attained by some metric . For this minimizing metric g, one gets a sharp logarithmic Hardy-Littlewood-Sobolev inequality and an Onofri-type inequality.We remark that if the flat metric in is sufficiently long and thin then the minimizing metric g is non-flat. The proof of our result depends on analyzing the ordinary differential equation which is equivalent to h′′ = 1 − 1/h. The solutions are periodic and we need to establish quite delicate, asymptotically sharp inequalities relating the period to the maximum value. The author was supported by the National Science Foundation #DMS-0302647.     

Maximum Solutions of Normalized Ricci Flow on 4-Manifolds

We consider the maximum solution g(t), t ∈ [0,  + ∞), to the normalized Ricci flow. Among other things, we prove that, if (M, ω) is a smooth compact symplectic 4-manifold such that and let g(t), t ∈ [0, ∞), be a solution to (1.3) on M whose Ricci curvature satisfies that |Ric(g(t))| ≤ 3 and additionally χ(M) = 3τ (M) > 0, then there exists an , and a sequence of points {x _j,k ∈ M}, j = 1, . . . , m, satisfying that, by passing to a subsequence,

A Negative Mass Theorem for Surfaces of Positive Genus

Let M be a closed surface. For a metric g on M, denote the Laplace-Beltrami operator by Δ = Δ _g . We define trace , where dA is the area element for g and m(p) is the Robin constant at the point , that is the value of the Green function G(p, q) at q = p after the logarithmic singularity has been subtracted off. Since trace Δ⁻¹ can also be obtained by regularization of the spectral zeta function, it is a spectral invariant. Heuristically it represents the sum of squares of the wavelengths of the surface. We define the Δ-mass of (M, g) to equal , where is the Laplacian on the round sphere of area A. This is an analog for closed surfaces of the ADM mass from general relativity. We show that if M has positive genus, the minimum of the Δ-mass on each conformal class is negative and attained by a smooth metric. For this minimizing metric, there is a sharp logarithmic Hardy-Littlewood-Sobolev inequality and a Moser-Trudinger-Onofri type inequality. The author would like to acknowledge the support of the Institute for Advanced Study.     

The Spectrum of Heavy Tailed Random Matrices

Let X _N be an N → N random symmetric matrix with independent equidistributed entries. If the law P of the entries has a finite second moment, it was shown by Wigner [14] that the empirical distribution of the eigenvalues of X _N , once renormalized by , converges almost surely and in expectation to the so-called semicircular distribution as N goes to infinity. In this paper we study the same question when P is in the domain of attraction of an α-stable law. We prove that if we renormalize the eigenvalues by a constant a _N of order , the corresponding spectral distribution converges in expectation towards a law which only depends on α. We characterize and study some of its properties; it is a heavy-tailed probability measure which is absolutely continuous with respect to Lebesgue measure except possibly on a compact set of capacity zero. This work was partially supported by Miller institute for Basic Research in Science, University of California Berkeley.     

A Uniform Quantum Version of the Cherry Theorem

Consider in the operator family . P ₀ is the quantum harmonic oscillator with diophantine frequency vector ω, F ₀ a bounded pseudodifferential operator with symbol decreasing to zero at infinity in phase space, and . Then there exist independent of and an open set such that if and , the quantum normal form near P ₀ converges uniformly with respect to . This yields an exact quantization formula for the eigenvalues, and for the classical Cherry theorem on convergence of Birkhoff’s normal form for complex frequencies is recovered. Partially supported by PAPIIT-UNAM IN106106-2.     

On the Instability Intervals of the Mathieu–Hill Operator

Consider the Mathieu–Hill operator

One-and-a-Half Quantum de Finetti Theorems

When n − k systems of an n-partite permutation-invariant state are traced out, the resulting state can be approximated by a convex combination of tensor product states. This is the quantum de Finetti theorem. In this paper, we show that an upper bound on the trace distance of this approximation is given by , where d is the dimension of the individual system, thereby improving previously known bounds. Our result follows from a more general approximation theorem for representations of the unitary group. Consider a pure state that lies in the irreducible representation of the unitary group U(d), for highest weights μ, ν and μ + ν. Let ξ_μ be the state obtained by tracing out U _ν. Then ξ_μ is close to a convex combination of the coherent states , where and is the highest weight vector in U _μ. For the class of symmetric Werner states, which are invariant under both the permutation and unitary groups, we give a second de Finetti-style theorem (our “half” theorem). It arises from a combinatorial formula for the distance of certain special symmetric Werner states to states of fixed spectrum, making a connection to the recently defined shifted Schur functions [1]. This formula also provides us with useful examples that allow us to conclude that finite quantum de Finetti theorems (unlike their classical counterparts) must depend on the dimension d. The last part of this paper analyses the structure of the set of symmetric Werner states and shows that the product states in this set do not form a polytope in general.     

Distribution of Particles Which Produces a “Smart” Material

If A _q(β, α, k) is the scattering amplitude, corresponding to a potential , where D⊂ℝ³ is a bounded domain, and is the incident plane wave, then we call the radiation pattern the function , where the unit vector α, the incident direction, is fixed, β is the unit vector in the direction of the scattered wave, and k>0, the wavenumber, is fixed. It is shown that any function , where S ² is the unit sphere in ℝ³, can be approximated with any desired accuracy by a radiation pattern: , where ∊ >0 is an arbitrary small fixed number. The potential q, corresponding to A(β), depends on f and ∊, and can be calculated analytically. There is a one-to-one correspondence between the above potential and the density of the number of small acoustically soft particles D _m⊂ D, 1≤ m≤ M, distributed in an a priori given bounded domain D⊂ℝ³. The geometrical shape of a small particle D _m is arbitrary, the boundary S _m of D _m is Lipschitz uniformly with respect to m. The wave number k and the direction α of the incident upon D plane wave are fixed. It is shown that a suitable distribution of the above particles in D can produce the scattering amplitude , at a fixed k>0, arbitrarily close in the norm of L ²(S ²× S ²) to an arbitrary given scattering amplitude f(α ', α), corresponding to a real-valued potential q∊ L ²(D), i.e., corresponding to an arbitrary refraction coefficient in D. MSC: 35J05, 35J10, 70F10, 74J25, 81U40, 81V05, 35R30. PACS: 03.04.Kf.     

The <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis> = 1 Triplet Vertex Operator Superalgebras

We introduce a newfamily of C ₂-cofinite N = 1 vertex operator superalgebras , m ≥ 1, which are natural super analogs of the triplet vertex algebra family , p ≥ 2, important in logarithmic conformal field theory. We classify irreducible -modules and discuss logarithmic modules. We also compute bosonic and fermionic formulas of irreducible characters. Finally, we contemplate possible connections between the category of -modules and the category of modules for the quantum group , , by focusing primarily on properties of characters and the Zhu’s algebra . This paper is a continuation of our paper Adv. Math. 217, no.6, 2664–2699 (2008). The second author was partially supported by NSF grant DMS-0802962.     

The Green-Kubo Formula for the Spin-Fermion System

The spin-fermion model describes a two level quantum system (spin 1/2) coupled to finitely many free Fermi gas reservoirs which are in thermal equilibrium at inverse temperatures β _j . We consider non-equilibrium initial conditions where not all β _j are the same. It is known that, at small coupling, the combined system has a unique non-equilibrium steady state (NESS) characterized by strictly sitive entropy production. In this paper we study linear response in this NESS and prove the Green-Kubo formula and the Onsager reciprocity relations for heat fluxes generated by temperature differentials. Dedicated to Jean Michel Combes on the occasion of his sixtyfifth birthday     

Wave Decay on Convex Co-Compact Hyperbolic Manifolds

For convex co-compact hyperbolic quotients , we analyze the long-time asymptotic of the solution of the wave equation u(t) with smooth compactly supported initial data f = (f ₀, f ₁). We show that, if the Hausdorff dimension δ of the limit set is less than n/2, then where and . We explain, in terms of conformal theory of the conformal infinity of X, the special cases , where the leading asymptotic term vanishes. In a second part, we show for all the existence of an infinite number of resonances (and thus zeros of Selberg zeta function) in the strip . As a byproduct we obtain a lower bound on the remainder R(t) for generic initial data f.