On the gravitational field of a massless particle

The gravitational field of a massless point particle is first calculated using the linearized field equations. The result is identical with the exact solution, obtained from the Schwarzschild metric by means of a singular Lorentz transformation. The gravitational field of the particle is nonvanishing only on a plane containing the particle and orthogonal to the direction of motion. On this plane the Riemann tensor has a -like singularity and is exactly of Petrov typeN.This work was supported in part by Fonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung.     

Particles,twistors and the division algebras

We study twistorial mechanics of particles and super-particles in six dimensions. To this end we formulate (in a general division algebra framework) a twistor theory in D = 6 based on quaternionic numbers, and prove the equivalence between this version of particle dynamics and the ordinary one. The super-twistors define a covariant and gauge invariant concept of a super world-line and allow us to write an action for the supersymmetric particle that is not plagued by the content of second class constraints that prevents a covariant quantization in the space-time picture. The notion and geometry of projectile twistor space, and its connection to Minkowski space, are examined and shown to directly generalize the results in D = 3, 4. Quantization is performed and analytic quaternionic eigenfunctions and integrations are discussed. We also draw some conclusions on the possible generalization to ten dimensions.     

Quantum theory of a massless spinning particle

The classical and quantum mechanics of a free massless point-like fermion is presented. The action is invariant under local 1-dimensional reparametrizations and supersymmetry, as well as a large set of rigid symmetries, including conformal and chiral symmetries. An infinite set of rigid symmetries is derived starting from the chiral invariance, but only a finite subset does not vanish on shell. The BRST-transformations corresponding to thed=1 local symmetries are constructed and the quantization is performed. Finally, the BRST-cohomology is investigated and the conditions producing the physical states are derived.     

Supersymmetry and the division algebras

We show how spinors in space-times of dimension D = t + s, where t is the time dimension, are associated for s - t = 1, 2, 4, 8 (and if t = 0, 1, 2) with the number systems (division algebras), $\text{|R, C, H, O}$. For t = 1 and s - t = 1, 2, 4 this association is “realized” by the sequence of Lorentz groups S1(2,$\text{|R}$), S1(2;$\text{|C}$), S1(2;$\text{|H}$) for D = 3, 4, 6 respectively. We discuss how octonions may be related to D = 10. For D = 6 we give details of S1(2; $\text{|H}$) spinors and construct supersymmetric models with them. These results explain various “empirical” observations in the literature relating quaternions and supersymmetry.     

On the possibility of massless particle instability

It is shown that phase restrictions along with the application of known conservation laws allow only massless particle decay involving two photons and a graviton. These results are re-examined from an alternative viewpoint emphasizing virtual processes.     

Conformal anomalies and massless particle generation in a Fridman universe

The general structure of conformai anomalies of the energy-momentum tensor is established. The energy density of massless particles generated during the cosmological expansion is calculated in the lowest-order perturbation theory. Estimates are made that indicate that the energy density of generated massless particles in the early universe can significantly exceed the energy density of the generated massive particles.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 8, pp. 54–58, August, 1984.We are grateful to E. S. Fradkin, V. P. Frolov, I. V. Tyutin, and B. L. Voronov for useful discussions.     

Path-integral formulation of two-dimensional gauge theories with massless fermions

We study (1 + 1) dimensional gauge theories [with SU(N) and diagonal SU(N) color symmetry] using the functional integral method. We construct an effective lagrangian by performing a change in the fermionic variables, and then investigate relevant phenomena such as the intrinsic Higgs mechanism and color screening.     

A markovian approach to massless particle decay and recombination

Massless particle decay and recombination is treated from the viewpoint of pure probability theory, using as a guide the empirical success of the exponential decay law for massive systems. The result is a linked set of linear integro-differential equations. Lorentz invariance is shown to be easily accomodated. As derived, the equations contain two arbitrary functions, one governing decays and the other recombinations. These equations are analyzed in certain special cases. Forms for the decay and recombination functions are proposed on the basis of Lorentz invariance and simplicity. Using phase space considerations, an argument is given that verifies these forms of the decay and recombination functions, and in addition specifies their relative strengths. When this input is applied to photon instability it is found that, first, there is no infrared divergence and secondly a photon emitted at time t=0 will have a probability of $\text{24}\text{25}$ to be observed in its original state as t→∞.     

Kac-Moody current algebras of D = 2 massless gauge theories,their representations and applications

We give a classification of the Kac-Moody current algebras of all the possible massless fermion-gauge theories in two dimensions. It is shown that only Kac-Moody algebras based on A_N, B_N, C_N, and D_N in the Cartan classification with all possible central charge occur. The representation of local fermion fields and simply laced Kac-Moody algebras with minimal central charge in terms of free boson fields on a compactified space is discussed in detail, where stress is laid on the role played by the boundary conditions on the various collective modes. Fractional solitons and the possible soliton representation of certain nonsimply laced algebras is also analysed. We briefly discuss the relationship between the massless bound state sector of these two-dimensioned gauge theories and the critically coupled two-dimensional nonlinear sigma model, which share the same current algebra. Finally we briefly discuss the relevance of Sp(n) Kac-Moody algebras to the physics of monopole-fermion systems.     

Operadic formulation of topological vertex algebras and Gerstenhaber or Batalin-Vilkovisky algebras

We give the operadic formulation of (weak, strong) topological vertex algebras, which are variants of topological vertex operator algebras studied recently by Lian and Zuckerman. As an application, we obtain a conceptual and geometric construction of the Batalin-Vilkovisky algebraic structure (or the Gerstenhaber algebra structure) on the cohomology of a topological vertex algebra (or of a weak topological vertex algebra) by combining this operadic formulation with a theorem of Getzler (or of Cohen) which formulates Batalin-Vilkovisky algebras (or Gerstenhaber algebras) in terms of the homology of the framed little disk operad (or of the little disk operad).The author is supported in part by NSF grant DMS-9104519     

Remark on the integrability of some representations of the semisimple Lie algebras

It is discussed how boundedness of the quadratic Casimir operator in skew-symmetric representation τ of semisimple Lie algebra can simplify the proof of integrability of τ.     

Modular structure of the local algebras associated with the free massless scalar field theory

The modular structure of the von Neumann algebra of local observables associated with a double cone in the vacuum representation of the free massless scalar field theory of any number of dimensions is described. The modular automorphism group is induced by the unitary implementation of a family of generalized fractional linear transformations on Minkowski space and is a subgroup of the conformal group. The modular conjugation operator is the anti-unitary implementation of a product of time reversal and relativistic ray inversion. The group generated by the modular conjugation operators for the local algebras associated with the family of double cone regions is the group of proper conformal transformations. A theorem is presented asserting the unitary equivalence of local algebras associated with lightcones, double cones, and wedge regions. For the double cone algebras, this provides an explicit realization of spacelike duality and establishes the known typeIII ₁ factor property. It is shown that the timelike duality property of the lightcone algebras does not hold for the double cone algebras. A different definition of the von Neumann algebras associated with a region is introduced which agrees with the standard one for a lightcone or a double cone region but which allows the timelike duality property for the double cone algebras. In the case of one spatial dimension, the standard local algebras associated with the double cone regions satisfy both spacelike and timelike duality.Supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. PHY-79-23251Supported in part by C. N. R.     

Projective geometry,Lagrangian subspaces,and twistor theory

The use of projective geometry for the characterization of Lagrangian subspaces and maps among them is of particular interest for the symplectic manifold that is twistor space. We raise some conjectures on how these should be interpreted on the space-time manifold by making use of the structure of projective twistor space.     

Remark concerning spherically symmetric nonstatic solutions to the Einstein equations in the comoving frame

All nonstatic spherically symmetric fluid solutions to the Einstein equations in the comoving frame $$ds^2 = e^{\lambda (r,t)} dr^2 + e^{\mu (r,t)} d\Omega ^2 - e^{v(r,t)} dt^2$$ are found subject to the conditions: (i) \(\dot \lambda = {\rm A}\dot \mu\) ,A = const, (ii) λ,μ, andν are separable functions ofr andt, (iii) the heat flux vanishes, and (iv) the coefficient of shear viscosity vanishes. There are but two classes of solutions: (i)A= 1, in which case the metric reduces to the Robertson-Walker form, and (ii)A=0, in which case there are four solutions, all with nonvanishing acceleration, expansion, and shear. WithA=0, the solutions are either singular at the origin or degenerate into spaces of constant curvature.     

On the twistor space of a quaternionic contact manifold

In this note, we prove that the CR manifold induced from the canonical parabolic geometry of a quaternionic contact (qc) manifold via a Fefferman-type construction is equivalent to the CR twistor space of the qc manifold defined by O. Biquard.     

Dielectric formulation of test particle energy loss in a plasma

Using a perturbation-theoretic method which starts from a microscopic Newtonian equation of motion for the trajectory of a test particle moving in a magnetic field-free plasma, the polarization and statistical contributions to the test charge energy loss are formulated entirely in terms of linear and quadratic dielectric functions.     

Dispersionless hierarchies, Hamilton-Jacobi theory and twistor correspondences

The dispersionless KP and Toda hierarchies possess an underlying twistorial structure. A twistorial approach is partly implemented by the method of Riemann-Hilbert problem. This is however still short of clarifying geometric ingredients of twistor theory such as twistor lines and twistor surfaces. A more geometric approach can be developed in a Hamilton-Jacobi formalism of Gibbons and Kodama.