The Structure of the Invariant Charge in Massive Theories with One Coupling

Invariance under finite renormalization group (RG) transformations is used to structure the invariant charge in models with one coupling in the 4 lowest orders of perturbation theory. In every order there starts a RG-invariant, which is uniquely continued to higher orders. Whereas in massless models the RG-invariants are power series in logarithms, there is no such requirement in a massive model. Only when one applies the Callan-Symanzik (CS) equation of the respective theories is the high-energy behavior of the RG-invariants restricted. In models where the CS-equation has the same form as the RG-equation, the massless limit is reached smoothly, i.e., the β-functions are constants in the asymptotic limit and the RG-functions starting the new invariant tend to logarithms. On the other hand, in the spontaneously broken models with fermions the CS-equation contains a β-function of a physical mass. As a consequence the β-functions depend on the normalization point also in the asymptotic region and a mass independent limit does not exist anymore.     

Charges in gauge theories

In this article we investigate charged particles in gauge theories. After reviewing the physical and theoretical problems, a method to construct charged particles is presented. Explicit solutions are found in the abelian theory and a physical interpretation is given. These solutions and our interpretation of these variables as the true degrees of freedom for charged particles, are then tested in the perturbative domain and are demonstrated to yield infra-red finite, on-shell Green’s functions at all orders of perturbation theory. The extension to collinear divergences is studied and it is shown that this method applies to the case of massless charged particles. The application of these constructions to the charged sectors of the standard model is reviewed and we conclude with a discussion of the successes achieved so far in this programme and a list of open questions. An erratum to this article is available at .     

The photon two-point function in unitary approximation

The photon two-point function is calculated using the exponential representation for the time-evolution operator taking into account terms up to second order ine in the exponent. The limiting case of vanishing electron mass is examined and it is shown that mass singularities cancel by means of unitarity. Near mass shell the causal Green function exhibits in the limit of vanishing electron mass the expected cut behaviour, off mass shell we recover the result of the usual perturbation theory.     

Charged sectors and scattering states in quantum electrodynamics

Charge operator and charged sectors in four-dimensional QED are investigated, both within a local, covarian (indefinite metric), and within a positive metric formulation of QED. Assuming a few basic, physical principles-such as Gauss'law and a correspondence principle, etc.-we conclude that charge states determine non-Fock (coherent state) representations of the algebra generated by the asymptotic, electromagnetic field, that Lorentz boosts do not leave the harged sectors invariant (spontaneous breaking of boost symmetry), and that an unambiguous definition of the “mass” of the charged infraparticles is possible. This and other results represent first steps at extending the Haag-Ruelle scattering theory to charged infraparticles.     

Interacting monopoles

The Bogomolny equation for interacting monopoles of like charge in the case of vanishing Higgs mass is fulfilled by an asymptotic expansion in powers of the inverse monopole distance. Consequently, the monopoles exert no long range forces on each other. However, the expansion is not summable. The degrees of freedom of the multi-monopole system are discussed.     

Ward Identities and Vanishing of the Beta Function for d = 1 Interacting Fermi Systems

We give a self consistent and simplified proof of the (asymptotic) vanishing of the Beta function in d=1 interacting Fermi systems as a consequence of a few properties deduced from the exact solution of the Luttinger model. Moreover, since the vanishing of the Beta function is usually “proved” in the physical literature through heuristic arguments based on Ward identities, we briefly discuss here also the possibility of exploiting this idea in a rigorous approach, by using a suitable Dyson equation. We show that there are serious difficulties, related to the presence of corrections (for which we get careful bounds), which are usually neglected.     

Slow relaxation in microcanonical warming of a Ising lattice

We study the warming process of a semi-infinite cylindrical Ising lattice initially ordered and coupled at the boundary to a heat reservoir. The adoption of a proper microcanonical dynamics allows a detailed study of the time evolution of the system. As expected, thermal propagation displays a diffusive character and the spatial correlations decay exponentially in the direction orthogonal to the heat flow. However, we show that the approach to equilibrium presents an unexpected slow behavior. In particular, when the thermostat is at infinite temperature, correlations decay to their asymptotic values by a power law. This can be rephrased in terms of a correlation length vanishing logarithmically with time. At finite temperature, the approach to equilibrium is also a power law, but the exponents depend on the temperature in a non-trivial way. This complex behavior could be explained in terms of two dynamical regimes characterizing finite and infinite temperatures, respectively. When finite sizes are considered, we evidence the emergence of a much more rapid equilibration, and this confirms that the microcanonical dynamics can be successfully applied on finite structures. Indeed, the slowness exhibited by correlations in approaching the asymptotic values are expected to be related to the presence of an unsteady heat flow in an infinite system.     

Texture zeros and majorana phases of the neutrino mass matrix

We present the generic formulas to calculate the ratios of neutrino masses and the Majorana phases of CP violation from the neutrino mass matrix with two independent vanishing entries in the flavor basis where the charged lepton mass matrix is diagonal. An order-of-magnitude illustration is given for seven experimentally acceptable textures of the neutrino mass matrix, and some analytical approximations are made for their phenomenological consequences at low energy scales.     

Calculation of Feynman diagrams with zero mass threshold from their small momentum expansion

A method of calculating Feynman diagrams from their small momentum expansion [1] is extended to diagrams with zero mass thresholds. We start from the asymptotic expansion in large masses [2] (applied to the case when all $M_i^2$ are large compared to all momenta squared). Using dimensional regularization, a finite result is obtained in terms of powers of logarithms (describing the zero-threshold singularity) times power series in the momentum squared. Surprisingly, these latter ones represent functions, which not only have the expected physical “second threshold” but have a branchcut singularity as well below threshold at a mirror position. These can be understood as pseudothresholds corresponding to solutions of the Landau equations. In the spacelike region the imaginary parts from the various contributions cancel. For the two-loop examples with one mass M, in the timelike region for q² ≈ M² we obtain approximations of high precision. This will be of relevance in particular for the calculation of the decay Z → bb?in the m _b = 0 approximation.     

Repeated Interaction Quantum Systems: Van Hove Limits and Asymptotic States

We establish the existence of two weak coupling regime effective dynamics for an open quantum system of repeated interactions (vanishing strength and individual interaction duration, respectively). This generalizes known results (Attal and Joye in J. Stat. Phys. 126:1241–1283, 2007) in that the von Neumann algebras describing the system and the chain element may not be of finite type. Then (but now assuming that the small system is of finite type), we prove that both effective dynamics capture the long-term behavior of the system: existence of a unique asymptotic state for them implies the same property for the respective exact dynamics—provided that the perturbation parameter is sufficiently small. The zero-th order term in a power series expansion in the perturbation parameter of such an asymptotic state is given by the asymptotic state of the effective dynamics. We conclude by working out the case in which the small system and the chain element are spins. Dedicated to Mariana Huerta. This work was partially funded by Nucleus Millennium Information and Randomness P04-069-F.     

The relation between metric and spin-2 formulations of linearized Einstein theory

A twenty-dimensional space of charged solutions of spin-2 equations is proposed. The relation with extended (via dilatation) Poincaré group is analyzed. Locally, each solution of the theory may be described in terms of a potential, which can be interpreted as a metric tensor satisfying linearized Einstein equations. Globally, the nonsingular metric tensor exists if and only if 10 among the above 20 charges do vanish. The situation is analogous to that in classical electrodynamics, where vanishing of magnetic monopole implies the global existence of the electromagnetic potentials. The notion ofasymptotic conformal Yano-Killing tensor is defined and used as a basic concept to introduce an inertial frame in General Relativity via asymptotic conditions at spatial infinity. The introduced class of asymptotically flat solutions is free of supertranslation ambiguities.     

Neutrino masses as a second-order effect in Higgs coupling

It is suggested that in the usual type of gauge theory all fermions, including neutrinos, have right-handed components. The smallness or vanishing of the observed neutrino masses is explained by the fact that the appropriate neutral Higgs boson does not develop a non-zero vacuum expectation value. In the case when the neutrino masses do not vanish they are finite, of order G_Fm³, where m is the mass of the charged lepton. Non-conservation of lepton flavor gives rise to an instability of all neutrinos except v_e and to μ→e+γ decay, but at a very low level.     

Asymptotic freedom and IR freezing in QCD: the role of gluon paramagnetism

Paramagnetism of gluons is shown to play the basic role in establishing main properties of QCD: IR freezing and asymptotic freedom (AF). Starting with Polyakov background field approach the first terms of background perturbation theory are calculated and shown to ensure not only the classical result of AF but also IR freezing. For the latter only the confining property of the background is needed, and the effective mass entering the IR freezing logarithms is calculated in good agreement with phenomenology and lattice data.     

Moduli Space of BPS Walls in Supersymmetric Gauge Theories

Existence and uniqueness of the solution are proved for the ‘master equation’ derived from the BPS equation for the vector multiplet scalar in the U(1) gauge theory with N _F charged matter hypermultiplets with eight supercharges. This proof establishes that the solutions of the BPS equations are completely characterized by the moduli matrices divided by the V-equivalence relation for the gauge theory at finite gauge couplings. Therefore the moduli space at finite gauge couplings is topologically the same manifold as that at infinite gauge coupling, where the gauged linear sigma model reduces to a nonlinear sigma model. The proof is extended to the U(N _C) gauge theory with N _F hypermultiplets in the fundamental representation, provided the moduli matrix of the domain wall solution is U(1)-factorizable. Thus the dimension of the moduli space of U(N _C) gauge theory is bounded from below by the dimension of the U(1)-factorizable part of the moduli space. We also obtain sharp estimates of the asymptotic exponential decay which depend on both the gauge coupling and the hypermultiplet mass differences.     

Inertial Mass and Vacuum Fluctuations in Quantum Field Theory

Motivated by recent works on the origin of inertial mass, we revisit the relationship between the mass of charged particles and zero-point electromagnetic fields. To this end we first introduce a simple model comprising a scalar field coupled to stochastic or thermal electromagnetic fields. Then we check if it is possible to start from a zero bare mass in the renormalization process and express the finite physical mass in terms of a cut-off. In scalar QED this is indeed possible, except for the problem that all conceivable cut-offs correspond to very large masses. For spin-1/2 particles (QED with fermions) the relation between bare mass and renormalized mass is compatible with the observed electron mass and with a finite cut-off, but only if the bare mass is not zero; for any value of the cut-off the radiative correction is very small.     

A method of cauchy integral equation for non-coherent transfer in half-space

A technique is presented which allows easy construction of solutions for various half-space problems arising in non-coherent radiative transfer with complete redistribution. By use of an inverse Laplace transform method, Wiener-Hopf integral equations are reduced to Cauchy-type singular integral equations. The factorization technique used by Case and Zweifel for coherent scattering can then be carried over to non-coherent transfer. The method is applied to the inhomogeneous integral equation for the source function of a two-level atom, previously solved by Ivanov. It is also applied to the conservative, homogeneous case and to singular Wiener-Hopf equations arising from asymptotic expansions in the limit of vanishing probability of collisional destruction ?. Consequences for the scaling laws in a finite slab are examined in a companion paper.     

ON THE EXTERIOR SOLUTIONS OF A CHARGED MASS POINT IN GAUGE THEORIES OF GRAVITATION

In a case of spherically symtric and static field, exterior solutions of a charged mass point for the nine-parameter R+R² gravitational theories are investigated. We obtain results as follows: in the case of coupling constant (zP-2r+s)=0, solution without torsion is the Reissner-Nordstrom metric; otherwise there is no solution with vanishing torsion.     

Die Eindeutigkeit der Ortsobservablen in einer irreduziblen unitären Darstellung bis auf einen Faktor der Galilei-Gruppe

Uniqueness of the Position Observable in an Irreducible Unitary Representation up to a Factor of the Galilei Group. An elementarary quantum mechanical system with non vanishing mass is characterized by a continuous irreducible unitary representation up to a factor of the Galilei group in Hilbert space. An argument is given concerning the continuous iurreducible unitary representations of the universal covering group of the Euclidean group such that the position observable is uniquely determined by the transformation properties under the representation of the Galilei group.     

Asymptotic analysis of ultra-relativistic charge

This article offers a new approach for analysing the dynamic behaviour of distributions of charged particles in an electromagnetic field. After discussing the limitations inherent in the Lorentz-Dirac equation for a single point particle a simple model is proposed for a charged continuum interacting self-consistently with the Maxwell field in vacuo. The model is developed using intrinsic tensor field theory and exploits to the full the symmetry and light-cone structure of Minkowski spacetime. This permits the construction of a regular stress-energy tensor whose vanishing divergence determines a system of non-linear partial differential equations for the velocity and self-fields of accelerated charge. Within this covariant framework a particular perturbation scheme is motivated by an exact class of solutions to this system describing the evolution of a charged fluid under the combined effects of both self and external electromagnetic fields. The scheme yields an asymptotic approximation in terms of inhomogeneous linear equations for the self-consistent Maxwell field, charge current and time-like velocity field of the charged fluid and is defined as an ultra-relativistic configuration. To facilitate comparisons with existing accounts of beam dynamics an appendix translates the tensor formulation of the perturbation scheme into the language involving electric and magnetic fields observed in a laboratory (inertial) frame.     

Faddeev approach to the three-body problem in total-angular-momentum representation

For a system of three charged particles the Faddeev equations are derived in the total-angular-momentum representation. They have the form of coupled sets of partial differential equations in three-dimensional space and can be used to develop new efficient numerical procedures to tackle the three-body Coulomb problem. The asymptotic conditions at large distances corresponding both to binary scattering and bound-state problems are presented. The behaviour of the Faddeev components near the triple and double collision points is studied.