Thermodynamics of relativistic quantum fields confined in cavities

We investigate the quantum thermodynamical properties of localised relativistic quantum fields, and how they can be used as quantum thermal machines. We study the efficiency and power of energy transfer between the classical gravitational degrees of freedom, such as the energy input due to the motion of boundaries or an impinging gravitational wave, and the excitations of a confined quantum field. We find that the efficiency of energy transfer depends dramatically on the input initial state of the system. Furthermore, we investigate the ability of the system to extract energy from a gravitational wave and store it in a battery. This process is inefficient in optical cavities but is significantly enhanced when employing trapped Bose Einstein condensates. We also employ standard fluctuation results to obtain the work probability distribution, which allows us to understand how the efficiency is related to the dissipation of work. Finally, we apply our techniques to a setup where an impinging gravitational wave excites the phononic modes of a Bose Einstein condensate. We find that, in this case, the percentage of energy transferred to the phonons approaches unity after a suitable amount of time. These results give a quantitative insight into the thermodynamic behaviour of relativistic quantum fields confined in cavities.     

A relativistic quantum field theory for rotating nuclear matter

The relativistic quantum field theory of Walecka is extended to rotating nuclear systems using a mean-field Thomas-Fermi approximation. Self-bound systems exhibit centrifugal stretching and a maximum angular frequency. Systems constrained to a cylindrical box develop central holes for large angular frequencies.     

Quasiparticle excitations in relativistic quantum field theory

We analyze the particle-like excitations arising in relativistic field theories in states different than the vacuum. The basic properties characterizing the quasiparticle propagation are studied using two different complementary methods. First we introduce a frequency-based approach, wherein the quasiparticle properties are deduced from the spectral analysis of the two-point propagators. Second, we put forward a real-time approach, wherein the quantum state corresponding to the quasiparticle excitation is explicitly constructed, and the time-evolution is followed. Both methods lead to the same result: the energy and decay rate of the quasiparticles are determined by the real and imaginary parts of the retarded self-energy, respectively. Both approaches are compared, on the one hand, with the standard field-theoretic analysis of particles in the vacuum and, on the other hand, with the mean-field-based techniques in general backgrounds.     

Mass splitting in relativistic quantum field theory

Null plane integrals of certain classes of tensor densities, conserved or non-conserved, may define symmetric operators on dense subspaces of the in and out states. These operators annihilate the vacuum and may satisfy a Lie algebra. In particular, the possibility that a finite number of null plane charges, which includes the Poincaré generators, close on an algebra whose irreducible representations contain particles with different masses is considered. The situation in which the Lie algebra is defined on a dense domain which is not from the in and out states is discussed. Some algebraic hypotheses other than that of a Lie algebra in the usual sense are briefly considered; in these cases there can be no mass splitting.Supported in part by the U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation (B.S.F.), Jerusalem, Israel.     

Random phase approximation and extensions applied to a bosonic field theory

An application of a self-consistent version of RPA to quantum field theory with broken symmetry is presented. Although our approach can be applied to any bosonic field theory, we specifically study the ϕ⁴ theory in 1 + 1 dimensions. We show that the standard RPA approach leads to an instability which can be removed when going to a superior version, i.e. the renormalized RPA. We present a method based on the so-called charging formula of the many-electron problem to calculate the correlation energy and the RPA effective potential. Received: 18 February 2002 / Accepted: 8 May 2002     

Nonrelativistic fermions in magnetic fields: a quantum field theory approach

The statistical mechanics of nonrelativistic fermions in a constant magnetic field is considered from the quantum field theory point of view. The fermionic determinant is computed using a general procedure that is compatible with the all reasonable regularization procedures. The nonrelativistic grand-potential can be expressed in terms polylogarithm functions, whereas the partition function in 2+1 dimensions and vanishing chemical potential can be compactly written in terms of the Dedekind eta function. The strong and weak magnetic fields limits are easily studied in the latter case by using the duality properties of the Dedekind function.     

Quasiprimary fields: An approach to positivity of 2D conformal quantum field theory

Among the “secondary fields” of Belavin, Polyakov, and Zamolodchikov, the quasiprimary fields are distinguished by their covariant behaviour under infinitesimal Möbius transformations. Local n-point functions can be described in terms of the numerical amplitudes of 3-point functions of quasiprimary fields. The positivity of the full field theory is guaranteed if certain nonlinear consistency conditions among these constants can be satisfied by real numbers. Constraints arising from these conditions are discussed.     

Semiclassical field theory approach to quantum chaos

We construct a field theory to describe energy averaged quantum statistical properties of systems which are chaotic in their classical limit. An expression for the generating function of general statistical correlators is presented in the form of a functional supermatrix non-linear σ-model where the effective action involves the evolution operator of the classical dynamics. Low-lying degrees of freedom of the field theory are shown to reflect the irreversible classical dynamics describing relaxation of phase space distributions. The validity of this approach is investigated over a wide range of energy scales. As well as recovering the universal long-time behavior characteristic of random matrix ensembles, this approach accounts correctly for the short-time limit yielding results which agree with the diagonal approximation of periodic orbit theory.     

A variational approach to bound states in quantum field theory

We consider here in a toy model an approach to bound state problem in a nonperturbative manner using equal time algebra for the interacting field operators. The potential is replaced by offshell bosonic quanta inside the bound state of nonrelativistic particles. The bosonic dressing is determined through energy minimisation, and mass renormalisation is carried out in a nonperturbative manner. Since the interaction is through a scalar field, it does not include spin effects. The model however nicely incorporates an intuitive picture of hadronic bound states in which the gluon fields dress the quarks providing the binding between them and also simulate the gluonic content of hadrons in deep inelastic collisions.     

A self-consistent approach to quantum field theory for extended particles

A notion of quantum space-time is introduced, physically defined as the totality of all flows of quantum test particles in free fall. In quantum space-time the classical notion of deterministic inertial frames is replaced by that of stochastic frames marked by extended particles. The same particles are used both as markers of quantum space-time points as well as natural clocks, each species of quantum test particle thus providing a standard for space-time measurements. In the considered flat-space case, the fluctuations in coordinate values with respect to stochastic frames are described by coordinate probability amplitudes related to irreducible stochastic phase space representations of the Poincaré group. Lagrangian field theory on quantum space-time is formulated. The ensuing equations of motion for interacting fields contain no singularities in their nonlinear terms, and therefore can be handled by methods borrowed from classical nonlinear analysis.Supported in part by an NSERC grant.     

Functional approach to scattering in quantum field theory

A functional approach to scattering theory in quantum field theory is developed by deriving an explicit functional expression fortransition amplitudes. In applications, the formalism avoids dealing with noncommutativity problems of field operators, avoids solving the field equations, avoids dealing with the often quite complicated continual (path) integrals, and avoids combinatoric problems associated with Feynman rules and the old-fashioned Wick's theorem. Finally, it avoids explicitly taking mass shell limits as in the LSZ formalism. The basic idea of the formalism is to use the quantum action principle followed by a systematic analysis of the concept of stimulated emissions as applied to particles of any spin, and is a generalization of an earlier method applied by the author to the much simpler situation of quantum mechanics.     

Additive conservation laws in local relativistic quantum field theory

We consider generatorsQ of symmetry transformations acting additively on asymptotic particle states according to (1.1). [This equation can be derived forQ defined as integral over a conserved local current!]. For simplicity, we consider only the case that all asymptotic fields are scalar. Assuming that elastic scattering occurs at least in an open subset of the scattering manifold we show thatQ is at most alinear combination of generators of the Poincaré group and internal symmetries.     

Properties of finite nuclei in a relativistic quantum field theory

A renormalizable relativistic quantum field theory is used to study finite nuclei in the mean-field Thomas-Fermi approximation. Mass formula parameters are calculated and proton densities illustrated for ⁴⁰Ca and ²⁰⁸Pb. The Dirac equation is solved to determine single-particle spectra.     

Star-product approach to quantum field theory: The free scalar field

The star-quantization of the free scalar field is developed by introducing an integral representation of the normal star-product. A formal connection between the Feynman path integral in the holomorphic representation and the star-exponential is established for the interacting scalar fields.     

On stochastic Einstein locality in algebraic relativistic quantum field theory

This paper assesses Miklós Rédei's [1991] proof of the proposition that algebraic relativistic quantum field theory is stochastic Einstein local. The conclusion is that either Rédei's proof is spurious, in that it does not really prove what it intends to establish, or that the proof is fallacious. The paper is self-contained in the sense that the few ingredients of algebraic quantum theory that go into Rédei's proof are first summed up. Then Hellman's definition of stochastic Einstein locality is discussed, a detailed exposition is offered of Rédei's proof, and finally the author's refutation is explicated.     

Renormalized Hartree-Fock equations in a nuclear relativistic quantum field theory

Renormalized Hartree-Fock equations are derived for an infinite system of mesons and baryons in the framework of a relativistic quantum field theory. Direct and exchange diagrams in the baryon propagator are summed self-consistently to all orders, and the effects of occupied negative-energy states in the Dirac sea are included. The required counterterm subtractions are defined by conventional renormalization conditions, but they need not be evaluated explicitly. The result is a set of finite nonlinear integral equations for the baryon self-energy that includes vacuum fluctuation effects from virtual N$\text{N}$ pairs in the many-body wavefunction at finite density.