Structure theorem for covariant bundles on quantum homogeneous spaces

The natural generalization of the notion of bundle in quantum geometry is that of bimodule. If the base space has quantum group symmetries, one is particularly interested in bimodules covariant (equivariant) under these symmetries. Most attention has so far been focused on the case with maximal symmetry — where the base space is a quantum group and the bimodules are bicovariant. The structure of bicovariant bimodules is well understood through their correspondence with crossed modules. We investigate the “next best” case — where the base space is a quantum homogeneous space and the bimodules are covariant. We present a structure theorem that resembles the one for bicovariant bimodules. Thus, there is a correspondence between covariant bimodules and a new kind of “crossed” modules which we define. The latter are attached to the pair of quantum groups which defines the quantum homogeneous space. We apply our structure theorem to differential calculi on quantum homogeneous spaces and discuss a related notion of induced differential calculus. Presented at the 10th International Colloquium on Quantum Groups: “Quantum Groups and Integrable Systems”, Prague, 21–23 June 2001. This work was supported by a NATO fellowship grant.     

On some meaningful inner product for real Klein—Gordon fields with positive semi-definite norm

A simple derivation of a meaningful, manifestly covariant inner product for real Klein—Gordon (KG) fields with positive semi-definite norm is provided, which turns out — assuming a symmetric bilinear form — to be the real-KG-field limit of the inner product for complex KG fields reviewed by A. Mostafazadeh and F. Zamani in December 2003, and February 2006 (quant-ph/0312078, quant-ph/0602151, quant-ph/0602161). It is explicitly shown that the positive semi-definite norm associated with the derived inner product for real KG fields measures the number of active positive and negative energy Fourier-modes of the real KG field on the relativistic mass shell. The very existence of an inner product with positive semi-definite norm for the considered real, i.e. neutral, KG fields shows that the metric operator entering the inner product does not contain the charge-conjugation operator. This observation sheds some additional light on the meaning of the C operator in the CPT inner product of PT-symmetric quantum mechanics defined by C.M. Bender, D.C. Brody and H.F. Jones.     

Matrix Kernels for Measures on Partitions

We consider the problem of computation of the correlation functions for the z-measures with the deformation (Jack) parameters 2 or 1/2. Such measures on partitions are originated from the representation theory of the infinite symmetric group, and in many ways are similar to the ensembles of Random Matrix Theory of β=4 or β=1 symmetry types. For a certain class of such measures we show that correlation functions can be represented as Pfaffians including 2×2 matrix valued kernels, and compute these kernels explicitly. We also give contour integral representations for correlation kernels of closely connected measures on partitions. Supported by US-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF) Grant No. 2006333.     

Covariant derivative on non-linear fiber bundles

A gauge field is usually described as a connection on a principal bundle. It induces a covariant derivative on associated vector bundles, sections of which represent matter fields. In general, however, it is not possible to define a covariant derivative on non-linear fiber bundles, i.e. on those which are not vector bundles. We definelogarithmic covariant derivatives acting on two special non-linear fiber bundles — on the principal bundle and on the local gauge group bundle. The logarithmic derivatives map from sections of these bundles to the sections of the local gauge algebra bundle. Some properties of the logarithmic derivatives are formulated.     

Arnowitt–Deser–Misner representation and Hamiltonian analysis of covariant renormalizable gravity

We study the recently proposed Covariant Renormalizable Gravity (CRG), which aims to provide a generally covariant ultraviolet completion of general relativity. We obtain a spacetime decomposed form—an Arnowitt–Deser–Misner (ADM) representation—of the CRG action. The action is found to contain time derivatives of the gravitational fields up to fourth order. Some ways to reduce the order of these time derivatives are considered. The resulting action is analyzed using the Hamiltonian formalism, which was originally adapted for constrained theories by Dirac. It is shown that the theory has a consistent set of constraints. It is, however, found that the theory exhibits four propagating physical degrees of freedom. This is one degree of freedom more than in Hořava–Lifshitz (HL) gravity and two more propagating modes than in general relativity. One extra physical degree of freedom has its origin in the higher order nature of the CRG action. The other extra propagating mode is a consequence of a projectability condition similarly as in HL gravity. Some additional gauge symmetry may need to be introduced in order to get rid of the extra gravitational degrees of freedom.     

Axiomatic Quantum Field Theory in Curved Spacetime

The usual formulations of quantum field theory in Minkowski spacetime make crucial use of features—such as Poincaré invariance and the existence of a preferred vacuum state—that are very special to Minkowski spacetime. In order to generalize the formulation of quantum field theory to arbitrary globally hyperbolic curved spacetimes, it is essential that the theory be formulated in an entirely local and covariant manner, without assuming the presence of a preferred state. We propose a new framework for quantum field theory, in which the existence of an Operator Product Expansion (OPE) is elevated to a fundamental status, and, in essence, all of the properties of the quantum field theory are determined by its OPE. We provide general axioms for the OPE coefficients of a quantum field theory. These include a local and covariance assumption (implying that the quantum field theory is constructed in a local and covariant manner from the spacetime metric and other background structure, such as time and space orientations), a microlocal spectrum condition, an “associativity” condition, and the requirement that the coefficient of the identity in the OPE of the product of a field with its adjoint have positive scaling degree. We prove curved spacetime versions of the spin-statistics theorem and the PCT theorem. Some potentially significant further implications of our new viewpoint on quantum field theory are discussed.     

A discrete nonetheless remarkable brick in de Sitter: The “massless minimally coupled field”

Over the last ten years interest in the physics of de Sitter space—time has been growing very fast. Besides the supposed existence of a “de Sitterian period” in inflation theories, the observational evidence of an acceleration of the universe expansion (interpreted as a positive cosmological constant or a “dark energy” or some form of “quintessence”) has triggered a lot of attention in the physics community. A specific de Sitterian field called “massless minimally coupled field” (mmc) plays a fundamental role in inflation models and in the construction of the de Sitterian gravitational field. A covariant quantization of the mmc field, à la Krein—Gupta—Bleuler was proposed in Class. Quantum. Grav. 17, 1415 (2000). In this talk, we will review this construction and explain the relevance of such a field in the construction of a massless spin-2 field in de Sitter space—time.     

On the Uniqueness of Diffeomorphism Symmetry in Conformal Field Theory

A Möbius covariant net of von Neumann algebras on S¹ is diffeomorphism covariant if its Möbius symmetry extends to diffeomorphism symmetry. We prove that in case the net is either a Virasoro net or any at least 4-regular net such an extension is unique: the local algebras together with the Möbius symmetry (equivalently: the local algebras together with the vacuum vector) completely determine it. We draw the two following conclusions for such theories. (1) The value of the central charge c is an invariant and hence the Virasoro nets for different values of c are not isomorphic as Möbius covariant nets. (2) A vacuum preserving internal symmetry always commutes with the diffeomorphism symmetries. We further use our result to give a large class of new examples of nets (even strongly additive ones), which are not diffeomorphism covariant; i.e. which do not admit an extension of the symmetry to Diff⁺(S¹).Supported in part by the Italian MIUR and GNAMPA-INDAM.     

Towards a quantization of gauge fields on de Sitter group by functional integral method

A formulation of the de Sitter symmetry as a purely inner symmetry defined on a fixed Minkowski space-time is presented. We define the generators of the de Sitter group and write the structure equations using a constant deformation parameter λ. The conserved gauge currents are calculated, and their physical meaning is given. Local gauge transformations and the corresponding covariant derivative depending on the gauge fields are also obtained. We study the behavior of gauge fields, the torsion and curvature tensors and give a regularization technique in terms of the ζ function.     

Nonlinear realization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>=2 superconformal symmetry and brane effective actions

Since there is an incompatibility of simultaneously nonlinear breaking the superconformal symmetry and the dilatation symmetry with the dilaton taken as the compensator field, in the present paper is shown an alternative mechanism of spontaneous breaking the N=2 superconformal symmetry to the N=0 case. By using the approach of nonlinear transformations one finds that it leads to a space-filling brane theory with Weyl scale W(1,3) symmetry. The dynamics of the resulting Weyl scale invariant brane, along with that of other Nambu–Goldstone fields, is derived in terms of the building blocks of the vierbein and the covariant derivative from the Maurer–Cartan one-forms. A general coupling of the matter fields localized on the brane world volume to these NG fields is also constructed.     

Differential calculus on quantum Euclidean spheres

We study covariant differential calculus on the quantum Euclidean spheres S _q ^N−1 which are quantum homogeneous spaces with coactions of the quantum groups O _q (N). First order differential calculi on the quantum Euclidean spheres satisfying a dimension constraint are found and classified: ForN≥6, there exist exactly two such calculi one of which is closely related to the classical differential calculus in the commutative case. Higher order differential forms and symmetry are discussed. Presented at the 9th Colloquium “Quantum Groups and Integrable Systems”, Prague, 22–24 June 2000.     

A unified approach to conservation laws in general relativity,gauge theories,and elementary particle physics

A unified treatment of conservation laws in general relativity, gauge theories, and elementary particle physics is formulated in the setting of principal fiber bundles. The group AUT(P) is introduced as the general gauge transformation group that covers space-time coordinate transformations. A set of master equations is exhibited for any Lagrangian density generally covariant with respect to AUT(P). The symmetry group for elementary particle theory is shown to be the structure group of the bundle only in the special case when the gauge potential is flat and the space-time is simply connected. In the general case, the symmetry group is reduced to the symmetry group of the gauge potential. This natural mechanism for a reduction of the symmetry group is speculated on as a model for spontaneous symmetry breaking.This essay received an honorable mention from the Gravity Research Foundation for the year 1981-Ed.Partially supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation.     

Dynamical symmetries in contemporary nuclear structure applications

In terms of group theory—the language of symmetries, the concept of spontaneous symmetry breaking is represented in terms of chains of group-subgroup structures that define the dynamical symmetry of the system under consideration. This framework enables exact analytic solutions of the associated eigenvalue problems.     

Particles and events in classical off-shell electrodynamics

Despite the many successes of the relativistic quantum theory developed by Horwitz et al., certain difficulties persist in the associated covariant classical mechanics. In this paper, we explore these difficulties through an examination of the classical. Coulomb problem in the framework of off-shell electrodynamics. As the local gauge theory of a covariant quantum mechanics with evolution paratmeter τ, off-shell electrodynamics constitutes a dynamical theory of ppacetime events, interacting through five τ-dependent pre-Maxwell potentials. We present a straightforward solution of the classical equations of motion, for a test event traversing the field induced by a “fixed” event (an event moving uniformly along the time axis at a fixed point in space). This solution is seen to be unsatisfactory, and reveals the essential difficulties in the formalism at the classical levels. We then offer a new model of the particle current—as a certain distribution of the event currents on the worldline—which eliminates these difficulties and permits comparison of classisical off-shell electrodynamics with the standard Maxwell theory. In this model, the “fixed” event induces a Yukawa-type potential, permitting a semiclassical identification of the pre-Maxwell time scale λ with the inverse mass of the intervening photon. Numerical solutions to the equations of motion are compared with the standard Maxwell solutions, and are seen to coincide when λ≳10⁻⁶ seconds, providing an initial estimate of this parameter. It is also demonstrated that the proposed model provides a natural interpretation for the photon mass cut-off required for the renormalizability of the off-shell quantum electrodynamics.     

Covariant Perturbation Expansion of Off-Diagonal Heat Kernel

Covariant perturbation expansion is an important method in quantum field theory. In this paper an expansion up to arbitrary order for off-diagonal heat kernels in flat space based on the covariant perturbation expansion is given. In literature, only diagonal heat kernels are calculated based on the covariant perturbation expansion.     

Piezoelectricity in quasicrystals: A group-theoretical study

Group-theoretical methods have been accepted as exact and reliable tools in studying the physical properties of crystals and quasicrystalline materials. By group representation theory, the maximum number of non-vanishing and independent second-order piezoelectric coefficients required by the seven pentagonal and two icosahedral point groups — that describe the quasicrystal symmetry groups in two and three dimensions — is determined. The schemes of non-vanishing and independent second-order piezoelectric tensor components needed by the nine point groups with five-fold rotations are identified and tabulated employing a compact notation. The results of this group-theoretical study are briefly discussed.      

Unified Field Theory From Enlarged Transformation Group. The Covariant Derivative for Conservative Coordinate Transformations and Local Frame Transformations

Pandres has developed a theory in which the geometrical structure of a real four-dimensional space-time is expressed by a real orthonormal tetrad, and the group of diffeomorphisms is replaced by a larger group called the conservation group. This paper extends the geometrical foundation for Pandres’ theory by developing an appropriate covariant derivative which is covariant under all local Lorentz (frame) transformations, including complex Lorentz transformations, as well as conservative transformations. After defining this extended covariant derivative, an appropriate Lagrangian and its resulting field equations are derived. As in Pandres’ theory, these field equations result in a stress-energy tensor that has terms which may automatically represent the electroweak field. Finally, the theory is extended to include 2-spinors and 4-spinors.