A new approach to spontaneously broken conformal symmetry

In this paper we present a new method for constructing theories of gravitation which exhibit spontaneously broken conformal symmetry. It does not require introducing nongeometric terms (i.e., auxiliary gauge fields or potential terms for the conformal field) into the Lagrangian. It is based on a theory which initially is locally both Lorentz invariant and Weyl gauge invariant inD dimensions. It is shown that, if the field Lagrangian contains terms quadratic in curvature in addition to the Ricci scalar, then the field equations allow both the dilation field and some connection components to have nonvanishing vacuum values. Both Lorentz and Weyl symmetries are thereby broken simultaneously.     

Gauge fixing problem in the conformal QED

The gauge fixing problem in the conformal (spinor and scalar) QED is examined. For the analysis, we generalize Dirac's manifestly conformal-covariant formalism. It is shown that the (vector and matter) fields must obey a certain mixed (conformal and gauge) type of transformation law in order to fix the local gauge symmetry preserving the conformal invariance in the Lagrangian.     

The general relativity with conformal units

General Relativity rewritten in conformal units identifies conformal intervals with the real observational distances. This identification gives a base to explain all epochs of the Universe evolution including Ia supernova luminosity long distance-redshift relation by the dominance of the Casimir vacuum energy of all physical fields. A set of arguments is discussed in favor that SNe Ia data in the conformal units can be an evidence of the conformal twistor structure of the space-time as a nonlinear realization of the affine group, like the nonlinear realization of chiral symmetry and phenomenological Lagrangian is evidence of the quark structure of hadrons.     

General coordinate invariance and conformal invariance in nonrelativistic physics: Unitary Fermi gas

We show that the Lagrangian for interacting nonrelativistic particles can be coupled to an external gauge field and metric tensor in a way that exhibits a nonrelativistic version of general coordinate invariance. We explore the consequences of this invariance on the example of the degenerate Fermi gas at infinite scattering length, where conformal invariance also plays an important role. We find the most general effective Lagrangian consistent with both general coordinate and conformal invariance to leading and next-to-leading orders in the momentum expansion. At the leading order the Lagrangian contains one phenomenological constant and reproduces the results of the Thomas-Fermi theory and superfluid hydrodynamics. At the next-to-leading order there are two additional constants. We express various physical quantities through these constants.     

A note on Noether symmetries and conformal Killing vectors

A conjecture was stated in Hussain et al. (Gen Relativ Grav 41:2399, 2009), that the conformal Killing vectors form a subalgebra of the symmetries of the Lagrangian that minimizes arc length, for any spacetime. Here, a counter example is constructed to demonstrate that the above statement is not true in general for spacetimes of non-zero curvature.     

Geometry of the isotropic oscillator driven by the conformal mode

Geometrization of a Lagrangian conservative system typically amounts to reformulating its equations of motion as the geodesic equations in a properly chosen curved spacetime. The conventional methods include the Jacobi metric and the Eisenhart lift. In this work, a modification of the Eisenhart lift is proposed which describes the isotropic oscillator in arbitrary dimension driven by the one-dimensional conformal mode.     

Systematic approach to conformal systems with extended Virasoro symmetries

The Toda field theories, which exist for every simple Lie group, are shown to give realizations of extended Virasoro algebras that involve generators of spins higher than or equal to two. They are uniquely determined from the canonical lagrangian formalism. The quantization of the Toda field theories gives a systematic treatment of generalized conformal bosonic models. The well-known pattern of conformal field theories with non-extended Virasoro algebra, appears to be repeated for any simple group, leading to a “periodic table”, parallel to the mathematical classification of simple Lie groups.     

Toward classification of conformal theories

By studying the representations of the mapping class groups which arise in 2D conformal theories we derive some restrictions on the value of the conformal dimension h_i of operators and the central charge c of the Virasoro algebra. As a simple application we show that when there are a finite number of operators in the conformal algebra, the h_i and c are all rational.     

Coupling solutions of BGG-equations in conformal spin geometry

BGG-equations are geometric overdetermined systems of partial differential equations (PDEs) on parabolic geometries. Normal solutions of BGG-equations are particularly interesting, and we give a simple formula for the necessary and sufficient additional integrability conditions on a solution. We then discuss a procedure for coupling known solutions of BGG-equations to produce new ones. Employing a suitable calculus for conformal spin structures, this yields explicit coupling formulas and conditions between almost Einstein scales, conformal Killing forms, and twistor spinors. Finally, we discuss a class of generic twistor spinors that provides an invariant decomposition of conformal Killing fields.     

A new type of conformal dynamics

We consider the Lagrangian particle model introduced in [Ann. Phys. 260 (1997) 224] for zero mass but nonvanishing second central charge of the planar Galilei group. Extended by a magnetic vortex or a Coulomb potential the model exhibits conformal symmetry. In the former case we observe an additional SO(2,1) hidden symmetry. By either a canonical transformation with constraints or by freezing scale and special conformal transformations at t=0 we reduce the six-dimensional phase-space to the physically required four dimensions. Then we discuss bound states (bounded solutions) in quantum dynamics (classical mechanics). We show that the Schrödinger equation for the pure vortex case may be transformed into the Morse potential problem thus providing us with an explanation of the hidden SO(2,1) symmetry.     

Conformal transformations and conformal invariance in gravitation

Conformal transformations are frequently used tools in order to study relations between various theories of gravity and Einstein's general relativity theory. In this paper we discuss the rules of these transformations for geometric quantities as well as for the matter energy‐momentum tensor. We show the subtlety of the matter energy‐momentum conservation law which refers to the fact that the conformal transformation “creates” an extra matter term composed of the conformal factor which enters the conservation law. In an extreme case of the flat original spacetime the matter is “created” due to work done by the conformal transformation to bend the spacetime which was originally flat. We discuss how to construct the conformally invariant gravity theories and also find the conformal transformation rules for the curvature invariants R², R_abR^ab, R_abcdR^abcd and the Gauss‐Bonnet invariant in a spacetime of an arbitrary dimension. Finally, we present the conformal transformation rules in the fashion of the duality transformations of the superstring theory. In such a case the transitions between conformal frames reduce to a simple change of the sign of a redefined conformal factor.     

Dimensional regularisation and broken conformal Ward identities

Dimensional regularization is used to give a simple treatment of broken conformal Ward identities. The method reproduces the known answers for standard theories. In addition it permits a derivation of the relevant identities for non-Abelian gauge theories which have not been obtained by other means. For the latter class of theories asymptotic scale invariance is found not to imply asymptotic conformal invariance for gauge variant Green functions. This is due to two gauge dependent insertions occurring in the identities. One can be predicted classically, whereas the other contains a new term dependent on Faddeev-Popov ghosts.     

Equivalence of the Hawking temperature in conformal frames

The conformal invariance of the Hawking temperature, conjectured for the asymptotically flat and stationary black holes by Jacobson and Kang, is semiclassically evaluated for a simple particular case of symmetrical spherically and non-asymptotically flat black hole. By using the Bogoliubov coefficients, the metric euclideanization, the reflection coefficient and the gravitational anomaly, as methods of calculating the Hawking temperature, we find that it is invariant under a specific conformal transformation of the metric. We briefly discuss the results for each method.     

Metric-torsional conformal gravity

When in general geometric backgrounds the metric is accompanied by torsion, the metric conformal properties should correspondingly be followed by analogous torsional conformal properties; however a combined metric torsional conformal structure has never been found which provides a curvature that is both containing metric-torsional degree of freedom and conformally invariant: in this Letter we construct such a metric-torsional conformal curvature. We proceed by building the most general action, then deriving the most general system of field equations; we check their consistency by showing that both conservation laws and trace condition are verified. Final considerations and comments are outlined.     

A unified conformal model for fundamental interactions without dynamical Higgs field

A Higgsless model for strong, electroweak and gravitational interactions is proposed. This model is based on the local symmetry group SU(3)×SU(2)_L×U(1)×C,where C is the local conformal symmetry group. The natural minimal conformally invariant form of total Lagrangian is postulated. It contains all standard model fields and gravitational interaction. Using the unitary gauge and the conformal scale fixing conditions, we can eliminate all four real components of the Higgs doublet in this model. However, the masses of vector mesons, leptons, and quarks are automatically generated and are given by the same formulas as in the conventional standard model. In this manner one gets the mass generation without the mechanism of spontaneous symmetry breaking and without the remaining real dynamical Higgs field. The gravitational sector is analyzed, and it is shown that the model admits in the classical limit the Einsteinian form of gravitational interactions.     

Broadband illusion optical devices based on conformal mappings

In this paper, we propose a simple method of illusion optics based on conformal mappings. By carefully developing designs with specific conformal mappings, one can make an object look like another with a significantly different shape. In addition, the illusion optical devices can work in a broadband of frequencies.     

Vacuum effects in quantum field theory

We discuss some consequences of applying a procedure developed in a previous paper, to implement the conformal and general invariance of the functional integral. It is shown that spontaneous breaking of those symmetries is unavoidable; we consider in particular the linear σ-model, in the conformal limit, and the Einstein gravitation and derive some simple relations among the vacuum expectation value, a phenomenological cut-off and the Lagrangian constants.     

Maxwell equations in conformal invariant electrodynamics

We consider a conformal invariant formulation of quantum electrodynamics. Conformal invariance is achieved with a specific mathematical construction based on the indecomposable representations of the conformal group associated with the electromagnetic potential and current. As a corollary of this construction modified expressions for the 3-point Green functions are obtained which both contain transverse parts. They make it possible to formulate a conformal invariant skeleton perturbation theory. It is also shown that the Euclidean Maxwell equations in conformal electrodynamics are manifestations of its kinematical structure: in the case of the 3-point Green functions these equations follow (up to constants) from the conformal invariance while in the case of higher Green functions they are equivalent to the equality of the kernels of the partial wave expansions. This is the manifestation of the mathematical fact of a (partial) equivalence of the representations associated with the potential, current and the field tensor.     

Uniform stable conformal convolutional perfectly matched layer for enlarged cell technique conformal finite-difference time-domain method

Based on conformal construction of physical model in a three-dimensional Cartesian grid,an integral-based conformal convolutional perfectly matched layer(CPML) is given for solving the truncation problem of the open port when the enlarged cell technique conformal finite-difference time-domain(ECT-CFDTD) method is used to simulate the wave propagation inside a perfect electric conductor(PEC) waveguide.The algorithm has the same numerical stability as the ECT-CFDTD method.For the long-time propagation problems of an evanescent wave in a waveguide,several numerical simulations are performed to analyze the reflection error by sweeping the constitutive parameters of the integral-based conformal CPML.Our numerical results show that the integral-based conformal CPML can be used to efficiently truncate the open port of the waveguide.