Nonequilibrium statistical mechanics in the general theory of relativity I. A general formalism

This is the first in a series of papers, the overall objective of which is the formulation of a new covariant approach to nonequilibrium statistical mechanics in classical general relativity. The object here is the development of a tractable theory for self-gravitating systems. It is argued that the “state” of an N-particle system may be characterized by an N-particle distribution function, defined in an 8N-dimensional phase space, which satisfies a collection of N conservation equations. by mapping the true physics onto a fictitious “background” spacetime, which may be chosen to satisfy some “average” field equations, one then obtains a useful covariant notion of “evolution” in response to a fluctuating “gravitational force.” For many cases of practical interest, one may suppose (i) that these fluctuating forces satisfy linear field equations and (ii) that they may be modeled by a direct interaction. In this case, one can use a relativistic projection operator formalism to derive exact closed equations for the evolution of such objects as an appropriately defined reduced one-particle distribution function. By capturing, in a natural way, the notion of a dilute gas, or impulse, approximation, one is then led to a comparatively simple equation for the one-particle distribution. If, furthermore, one treats the effects of the fluctuating forces as “localized” in space and time, one obtains a tractable kinetic equation which reduces, in the newtonian limit, to the standard Landau equation.     

Mass spectrum of the two dimensional λφ4−1/4φ2−μφ quantum field model

It is shown thatr-particle irreducible kernels in the two-dimensional λφ⁴?1/4φ²?μφ quantum field theory have (r+1)-particle decay for |μ|≦λ²?1. As a consequence there is an upper mass gap and, in the subspace of two-particle states, a bound state. The proof extends Spencer's expansion [20] to handle fluctuations between the two wells of the classical potential. A new method for resumming the low temperature cluster expansion is introduced.     

Dynamical violation of the superposition principle for open quantum systems

It is argued that the impossibility of observing coherent superpositions of certain macroscopically distinguishable quantum states is a combined effect of collective dissipation processes generated by an interaction of the N-particle system with external quantum fields and a “coarse-grained” character of real measurements. A simple model involving a quantum dynamical semigroup is discussed.     

Search for rotational fine structure in the nucleus 184Hg

One possible explanation for the anomalous isotope shifts of ^183,185Hg is the sudden occurrence of permanent quadrupole deformations. The α-particle decay of 25 s ¹⁸⁸Pb, however, does not show any rotational fine structure. It is interesting to consider the possibility that the nuclei ^183–185Hg have “bubble” shape.     

Threshold singularities of theS-matrix and convergence of Haag-Ruelle approximations

We establish a one-to-one correspondence between the continuity properties of theS-matrix at the 2-particle threshold and the rate of convergence of the Haag-Ruelle approximations ψ(t) for asymptotic 2-particle states ψ with smooth wavefunctions. It turns out that the norm distance ∥ψ?ψ(t)∥ approaches 0 liktt ^?5/4 if theS-matrix has the normal threshold singularities and liket ^?3/4 in the exceptional case where the threshold has “absorbed” a bound state. These connections are valid both in relativistic quantum field theory and in non-relativistic models with short range interaction.     

Thermodynamic Bethe Ansatz for N = 1 supersymmetric theories

We study a series of N = 1 supersymmetric integrable particle theories in d = 1 + 1 dimensions. These theories are represented as integrable perturbations of specific N = 1 superconformal field theories. Starting from the conjectured S-matrices for these theories, we develop the Thermodynamic Bethe Ansatz (TBA), where we use that the 2-particle S-matrices satisfy a free fermion condition. Our analysis proves a conjecture by E. Melzer, who proposed that these N = 1 supersymmetric. TBA systems are “folded” versions of N = 2 supersymmetric TBA systems that were first studied by P. Fendley and K. Intriligator.     

The CPN−1 model: A strong coupling lattice approach

We develop large N character-like expansion techniques for vector and vector-like models. These are used to compute the mass gaps and beta functions in the d = 2 CP^N?1 models. Surprisingly there is an intermediate region where neither strong coupling nor perturbation theory is applicable. This “unknown” region is a consequence of the non-commutativity of strong coupling and large N, an interesting mathematical effect not found in other models and due to an interesting physical phenomenon: superconfinement.     

Wegner-type Bounds for a Multi-particle Continuous Anderson Model with an Alloy-type External Potential

We consider an N-particle quantum systems in ? ^d , with interaction and in presence of a random external alloy-type potential (a continuous N-particle Anderson model). We establish Wegner-type bounds (inequalities) for such models, giving upper bounds for the probability that random spectra of Hamiltonians in finite volumes intersect a given set.     

Cluster properties for Coulomb scattering

Space-like, time-like and momentum space cluster properties are examined for N-particle scattering via two-body Coulomb-like potentials.     

Non-equilibrium statistical mechanics in the general theory of relativity: II. Linear fields in a kinetic approximation

The first paper in this series introduced a new, manifestly covariant approach to non-equilibrium statistical mechanics in classical general relativity. The object of this second paper is to apply that formalism to the evolution of a collection of particles that interact via linear fields in a fixed curved background spacetime. Given the viewpoint adopted here, the fundamental objects of the theory are a many-particle distribution function, which lives in a many-particle phase space, and a many-particle conservation equation which this distribution satisfies. By viewing a composite N-particle system as interacting one- and (N ? 1)-particle subsystems, one can derive exact coupled equations for appropriately defined reduced one- and (N ? 1)-particle distribution functions. Alternatively, by treating all the particles on an identical footing, one can extract an exact closed equation involving only the one-particle distribution. The implementation of plausible assumptions, which constitute straightforward generalizations of standard non-relativistic “kinetic approximations”, then permits the formulation of an approximate kinetic equation for the one-particle distribution function. In the obvious non-relativistic limit, one recovers the well-known Vlasov-Landau equation. The explicit form for the relativistic expression is obtained for three concrete examples, namely, interactions via an electromagnetic field, a massive scalar field, and a symmetric second rank tensor field. For a large class of interactions, of which these three examples are representative, the kinetic equation will admit a relativistic Maxwellian distribution as an exact stationary solution; and, for these interactions, an H-theorem may be proved.     

Graviton dominance in quantum Kaluza-Klein theory

We compute, at the one-loop level, the effective potential for pure gravity in a Kaluza-Klein background geometry which is the direct product of four-dimensional Minkowski spacetime M⁴ with the N-sphere S^N, N odd. The computation is performed in the physical Lorentz-signature spacetime, avoiding the difficulties of “euclideanization”. We find that the contribution of each gravitational degree of freedom to the O(?) part of the effective potential is significantly greater than that of a scalar or spinor in the same background geometry. No stable minima of the effective potential exist for 3 ≤ N ≤ 13. Geometries which may be interpreted as “unstable solutions” are found for all N from 3 through 13. These results, obtained in Lorentz-signature spacetimes, differ from those obtained by “euclideanization”; our “euclideanized” results agree with those obtained by Chodos and Myers using a different regularization scheme.     

Classical mechanics on the GL(n, ℝ) group and Euler-Calogero-Sutherland model

Relations between free motion on the GL ⁺(n, ?) group manifold and the dynamics of an n-particle system with spin degrees of freedom on a line interacting with a pairwise 1/sinh² x “potential” (Euler-Calogero-Sutherland model) are discussed within a Hamiltonian reduction. Two kinds of reductions of the degrees of freedom are considered: that which is due to continuous invariance and that which is due to discrete symmetry. It is shown that, upon projecting onto the corresponding invariant manifolds, the resulting Hamiltonian system represents the Euler-Calogero-Sutherland model in both cases.     

The construction of the eigenstates for nonlinear Schrödinger model with supermatrices and attractive coupling

A quantum nonlinear Schrödinger model with supermatrices and attractive coupling is studied by using the quantum inverse scattering method. The eigenstates of the Hamiltonian and the infinite number of the conserved quantities of the system are constructed. In particular, theN-particle bound states with the mixture of bosons and fermions are found. The energy of theN-particle eigenstate are Σ _i=1 ^N andNp ² ?N(N ²?1)c ²/12 for the scattering state and the bound state respectively.     

Dynamics of an N-vortex state at small distances

We investigate the dynamics of a state of N vortices, placed at the initial instant at small distances from some point, close to the “weight center” of vortices. The general solution of the time-dependent Ginsburg-Landau equation for N vortices in a large time interval is found. For N = 2, the position of the “weight center” of two vortices is time independent. For N ≥ 3, the position of the “weight center” weakly depends on time and is located in the range of the order of a ³, where a is a characteristic distance of a single vortex from the “weight center.” For N = 3, the time evolution of the N-vortex state is fixed by the position of vortices at any time instant and by the values of two small parameters. For N ≥ 4, a new parameter arises in the problem, connected with relative increases in the number of decay modes.     

The exact solution of an elimination problem in kinetic theory: I. The one-dimensional hard sphere gas

A class of initial value problems for a one-dimensional hard sphere gas is considered where a specified particle has a given distribution f⁽¹⁾(z₁; 0) and the rest are in equilibrium at t=0. An exact expansion is obtained for a certain n-particle reduced distribution function f⁽ⁿ⁾(z₁;…;z_n; t) in terms of the 1-particle reduced distribution function f⁽¹⁾(z₁; t) for the specified particle by starting with separate expressions for these functions in terms of f⁽¹⁾(z₁; 0). Expansions for the corresponding cluster functions are first obtained and then graph theoretic methods applied to obtain a solution.     

Entropy of irreversible cooling and the “discrimination” of model stochastic processes

Entropy changes are calculated for the irreversible cooling of a homogeneousN-particle system. The execution of an appropriate model stochastic process enables one to calculate the “discrimination”D (from the transition probabilities of the actual steps) and < ? D> is shown to be equal to the external entropy change ΔS _ext. This is trivially true for the “Metropolislike” processes, where the individual particles maintain a direct heat exchange with a reservoir. “Cooperative” processes, which attribute the heat exchange to the mass ofN particlesin toto, are also considered; for these ΔS _ext is still equal to < ? D>. Hence, knowing and the entropy of the initial and final states of the system, one can calculate the net entropy production and study its minimization. Alternatively, a consistently probabilistic approach (independent of thermodynamic equivalents) postulates that statistical mechanical processes proceed with the least discrimination, Min, for given conditions. The postulate is supported by its conformance with the second law of thermodynamics. Min reduces to the Jaynes principle both at equilibrium and for isolated systems. Computer experiments illustrating the calculation ofD are presented. These describe the cooling of a square Ising lattice, with the help of the Metropolis and of the cooperative model processes; the latter, optimized for least entropy production, rapidly converge toward equilibrium.     

The quantum theory of nucleon correlation in finite nuclei. II. Higher order correlation effects and additive pair approximation

In the first part of this article it was shown that the variational solution of the Schroedinger equation of a finite Fermion system can be written as a finite sum of A terms (for A particles) the first of which is the Hartree-Fock energy, while the rest represent the correlation effects. In the first part explicit formulas for the 2-particle correlation energy were given. In this paper explicit formulas are given for the higher order correlation energies. It is shown that two different models can be developed depending on the orthogonality condition used. Beginning with the 4th order effects the “linked” and “unlinked” correlation terms are separated. An exact formula is given for the case in which only the 2-particle effects, linked and unlinked are taken into account. The “additive pair approximation” in which the correlation energy is given as the sum of 2-particle energies is investigated and it is shown to be related to the exact formula by a clearly defined set of approximations. Various possible applications of the model are discussed.