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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

A real-time approach to nonequilibrium quantum field theory of relativistic fields

Summary The basic ingredients of a real-time nonequilibrium quantumfield theoretical approach, based on a generalization of thermofield dynamics, are briefly reviewed. In particular, the possible advantages of its application to relativistic models, as the φ⁴-model for the Higgs field are pointed out. Also the differences between the above approach and others using the Feynman's path integral method are underlined. ?Angelo della Riccia? Fellow.     

Effective field theory approach to light propagation in an external magnetic field

The recent PVLAS experiment observed rotation of polarization and ellipticity when a linearly polarized laser beam passes through a transverse magnetic field. The phenomenon cannot be explained in conventional QED. We attempt to accommodate the result by employing an effective theory for the electromagnetic field alone. No new particles with a mass of order the laser frequency or below are assumed. To quartic terms in the field strength, a parity-violating term appears besides the two ordinary terms. The rotation of polarization and ellipticity are computed for parity-asymmetric and -symmetric experimental set-ups. While rotation occurs in an ideal asymmetric case and has the same magnitude as ellipticity, it disappears in a symmetric set-up like PVLAS. This would mean that we have to appeal to some low-mass new particles with nontrivial interactions with photons to understand the PVLAS result. PACS 12.20.-m; 12.20.Fv; 42.25.Lc; 42.25.Ja     

Stimulated emission by external sources in quantum field theory

A formalism is developed to study stimulated emission by external sources in relativistic quantum field theory as a generalization of an earlier work involving essentially noninteracting particles. A general expression is derived for transition amplitudes for the production of an arbitrary number of particles, as final products, by emission sources when there is initially an arbitrary number of particles before the intervention of the emission sources, thus stimulating the latter for further emissions. An application to quantum electrodynamics is then given in the presence of an external electromagnetic current with an initial background radiation of an arbitrary number of photons with unspecified momenta and spins leading to an electron-positron pair as final products.     

Descending problem in Green's function approach to quantum field theory

The question how to determine lower many-point functions in terms of higher ones, which we call the descending problem, is discussed for the (ø⁴)₁₊₃ model of quantum field theory. Equations to be considered are non-linear non-compact operator equations in complex Banach spaces.Several sufficient sets of conditions for convergence of successive approximation schemes are presented for small values of the renormalised coupling constant. Local uniqueness of solution is proved under certain conditions.     

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.     

Dynamical renormalization group approach to relaxation in quantum field theory

The real time evolution and relaxation of expectation values of quantum fields and of quantum states are computed as initial value problems by implementing the dynamical renormalization group (DRG). Linear response is invoked to set up the renormalized initial value problem to study the dynamics of the expectation value of quantum fields. The perturbative solution of the equations of motion for the field expectation values of quantum fields as well as the evolution of quantum states features secular terms, namely terms that grow in time and invalidate the perturbative expansion for late times. The DRG provides a consistent framework to resum these secular terms and yields a uniform asymptotic expansion at long times. Several relevant cases are studied in detail, including those of threshold infrared divergences which appear in gauge theories at finite temperature and lead to anomalous relaxation. In these cases the DRG is shown to provide a resummation akin to Bloch-Nordsieck but directly in real time and that goes beyond the scope of Bloch-Nordsieck and Dyson resummations. The nature of the resummation program is discussed in several examples. The DRG provides a framework that is consistent, systematic, and easy to implement to study the non-equilibrium relaxational dynamics directly in real time that does not rely on the concept of quasiparticle widths.     

New geometrical approach to Rainich-Misner-Wheeler theory

We introduce a new principal fiber bundle, the bundle of biframes, associated with the geometry of bivectors on spacetime. It is shown that the biframe bundle is a natural geometric arena for modeling the already unified theory of Rainich, Misner, and Wheeler (RMW). The structure equations for the bitorsion inherent in the biframe bundle lead to a generalization of Rainich's algebraic conditions for electromagnetic-type stress tensors which includes sources in a natural way. Besides the usual complexion vector of the RMW theory, an additional new complexion-type vector is found. The generalized algebraic conditions reduce to the usual RMW conditions in the special case of no sources.     

Correlations in one-dimensional quantum impurity problems with an external field

We study response functions of integrable quantum impurity problems with an external field at T = 0 using non-perturbative techniques derived from the Bethe ansatz. We develop the first steps of the theory of excitations over the new, field-dependent ground state, leading to renormalized (or “dressed”) form factors. We obtain exactly the low-frequency behaviour of the dynamical susceptibility χ″ (ω) in the double-well problem of dissipative quantum mechanics (or equivalently the anisotropic Kondo problem), and the low-frequency behaviour of the AC noise S_t(ω) for tunnelling between edges in fractional quantum Hall devices. We also obtain exactly the structure of singularities in χ″ (ω) and S_t (ω). Our results differ significantly from previous perturbative approaches.     

Variational approach to three-dimensional inverse problems of potential theory

A method of regularization and solving problems of flow around bodies according to a desired distribution of the characteristics of the fields on the surface of the bodies themselves is described. Examples of solutions of such problems for potential flows are given, and a method of reducing inverse problems of the fluid mechanics of an effectively inviscid liquid to potential problems is presented. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 67, 8–15 (October 1997)     

Ab-initio Hamiltonian approach to light nuclei and to quantum field theory

Nuclear structure physics is on the threshold of confronting several long-standing problems such as the origin of shell structure from basic nucleon-nucleon and three-nucleon interactions. At the same time those interactions are being developed with increasing contact to QCD, the underlying theory of the strong interactions, using effective field theory. The motivation is clear — QCD offers the promise of great predictive power spanning phenomena on multiple scales from quarks and gluons to nuclear structure. However, new tools that involve non-perturbative methods are required to build bridges from one scale to the next. We present an overview of recent theoretical and computational progress with a Hamiltonian approach to build these bridges and provide illustrative results for the nuclear structure of light nuclei and quantum field theory.     

Operator approach to conformal invariant quantum field theories and related problems

Conformal quantum field theory is analysed from a global point of view. The use of the covering transformations leads to a global decomposition theory in which the basic building blocks are nonlocal quantum fields which live on each light cone separately. As an application of the new formalism arbitrary order-disorder mixed n-point functions of the Ising field theory are explicitly calculated.     

Weil algebra structure and geometrical meaning of BRST transformation in topological quantum field theory

The Weil algebra structure of the BRST transformation of topological quantum field theory is investigated. This structure appears in the gauge and ghost fields sector and is common to both topological quantum field theory and BRS gauge fixed non-abelian gauge theory. By the Weil algebra structure, we can derive the descent equations of topological quantum field theory which generate the Donaldson polynomials. The algebraic structure also reveals the geometrical meaning of the ghost fields ψ and ? in topological quantum field theory as the components of the total curvature.