Absence of species doubling in finite-element quantum electrodynamics

In this Letter, it will be demonstrated explicitly that the finite-element formulation of quantum electrodynamics is free from fermion doubling. We do this by (1) examining the lattice fermion propagator and using it to compute the one-loop vacuum polarization on the lattice, and (2) by an explict computation of vector and axial-vector current anomalies for an arbitrary rectangular lattice in the Schwinger model. There it is shown that requiring that the vector current be conserved necessitates the use of a square lattice, in which case the axial-vector current is anomalous.     

On the uniqueness of the equilibrium state for an interacting fermion gas at high temperatures and low densities

Starting from bounded local perturbations, we release the spatial cutoff and prove the uniqueness of the KMS state at high temperatures and low densities for the continuous fermion system with pair-interaction proposed by Narnhofer and Thirring.     

Fermion number creation via electromagnetism

Let an external current, whose support is confined to the space-like slab |x ⁰| < T in two-dimensional spacetime, build up a localized charge density which vanishes for times |x ⁰| > T. We show that the zero mass Dirac quantum field reacts to this current by a c-number shift of the fermion number, i.e. Q _out=Q _in+Q, with , where q(x ⁰) denotes the total external charge. For the shift of the axial charge we obtain an extension of existing results.     

Fermionic stochastic differential equations and the index of Fredholm operators

The index of a Fredholm operator associated to a-summable Fredholm module is expressed in terms of the vacuum expectation value of a unitary operator-valued stochastic process which satisfies a stochastic differential equation with unbounded coefficients driven by fermion noise.     

Dispersive Calculation of the Massless Multi-loop Sunrise Diagram

The massless sunrise diagram with an arbitrary number of loops is calculated in a simple but formal manner. The result is then verified by rigorous mathematical treatment. Pitfalls in the calculation with distributions are highlighted and explained. The result displays the high energy behaviour of the massive sunrise diagrams, whose calculation is involved already for the two-loop case.     

On the holomorphic factorization for superconformal fields

For a generic value of the central charge, we prove the holomorphic factorization of partition functions for free superconformal fields which are defined on a compact Riemann surface without boundary. The partition functions are viewed as functionals of the Beltrami coefficients and their fermionic partners, which variables parametrize superconformal classes of metrics.     

Endomorphism semigroups and lightlike translations

Borchers and Wiesbrock have studied the one-parameter semigroups of endomorphisms of von Neumann algebras that appear as lightlike translations in the theory of algebras of local observables, showing that they automatically transform under the appropriate modular automorphisms as under velocity transformations. Here, these results are abstracted and analyzed as essentially operator-theoretic. Criteria are then established for a spatial derivation of a von Neumann algebra to generate a one-parameter semigroup of endomorphisms, and all of this is combined to establish a von Neumann-algebraic converse to the Borchers and Wiesbrock results. This sort of analysis is then applied to questions of isotony and covariance for local algebras, to show that Poincaré covariance together with a domain condition for the translations can imply isotony.This research was partly supported by a fellowship from the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche.     

The gravitational anomalies in de Sitter space

All solutions to the consistency equations are determined which have to be satisfied by anomalies in gravitational theories with a de Sitter-invariant groundstate. They turn out to be identical with the solutions for a Poincaré-invariant groundstate.     

Krichever-Novikov formulation of topological conformal field theory

The Krichever-Novikov (KN) global operator formalism is applied to construct a topological conformal field theory on a compact Riemann surface from an N=2 super-conformal field theory. The topological version of the KN algebra is derived and the BRST charge is shown to be genus-dependent in this formulation. This leads to an interesting cohomology structure for the physical subspace of the Hilbert space.     

Modular inclusion,the Hawking temperature,and quantum field theory in curved spacetime

A recent result by Borchers connecting geometric modular action, modular inclusion and spectrum condition, is applied in quantum field theory on spacetimes with a bifurcate Killing horizon (these are generalizations of black-hole spacetimes, comprising the familiar black-hole spacetime models). Within this framework, we give sufficient, model-independent conditions ensuring that the temperature of thermal equilibrium quantum states is the Hawking temperature.     

Remarks on the thermodynamics and the vacuum energy of a quantum Maxwell gas on compact and closed manifolds

The quantum Maxwell theory at finite temperature at equilibrium is studied on compact and closed manifolds in both the functional integral and Hamiltonian formalism. The aim is to shed some light onto the interrelation between the topology of the spatial background and the thermodynamic properties of the system. The quantization is not unique and gives rise to inequivalent quantum theories which are classified by θ-vacua. Based on explicit parametrizations of the gauge orbit space in the functional integral approach and of the physical phase space in the canonical quantization scheme, the Gribov problem is resolved and the equivalence of both quantization schemes is elucidated. Using zeta-function regularization the free energy is determined and the effect of the topology of the spatial manifold on the vacuum energy and on the thermal gauge field excitations is clarified. The general results are then applied to a quantum Maxwell gas on an n-dimensional torus providing explicit formulae for the main thermodynamic functions in the low- and high-temperature regimes, respectively.     

Sp(2) renormalization

The renormalization of general gauge theories on flat and curved space–time backgrounds is considered within the Sp(2)-covariant quantization method. We assume the existence of a gauge-invariant and diffeomorphism invariant regularization. Using the Sp(2)-covariant formalism one can show that the theory possesses gauge-invariant and diffeomorphism invariant renormalizability to all orders in the loop expansion and the extended BRST-symmetry after renormalization is preserved. The advantage of the Sp(2) method compared to the standard Batalin–Vilkovisky approach is that, in reducible theories, the structure of ghosts and ghosts for ghosts and auxiliary fields is described in terms of irreducible representations of the Sp(2) group. This makes the presentation of solutions to the master equations in more simple and systematic way because they are Sp(2)-scalars.     

Yang—Mills instantons over Riemann surfaces

Exact solutions to the self-dual Yang—Mills equations over Riemann surfaces of arbitrary genus are constructed. They are characterized by the conformal class of the Riemann surface. They correspond to U(1) instantonic solutions for an Abelian-Higgs system. A functional action of a genus g Riemann surface is constructed, with minimal points being the two-dimensional self-dual connections. The exact solutions may be interpreted as connecting initial and final nontrivial vacuum states of a conformal theory, in the sense of Segal, with a Feynman functor constructed from the functional integral of the action.     

Resummation of Mass Terms in Perturbative Massless Quantum Field Theory

The neutral massless scalar quantum field Φ in four-dimensional space-time is considered, which is subject to a simple bilinear self-interaction. Is is well-known from renormalization theory that adding a term of the form to the Lagrangean has the formal effect of shifting the particle mass from the original zero value to m after resummation of all two-leg insertions in the Feynman graphs appearing in the perturbative expansion of the S-matrix. However, this resummation is accompanied by some subtleties if done in a proper mathematical manner. Although the model seems to be almost trivial, is shows many interesting features which are useful for the understanding of the convergence behavior of perturbation theory in general. Some important facts in connection with the basic principles of quantum field theory and distribution theory are highlighted, and a remark is made on possible generalizations of the distribution spaces used in local quantum field theory. A short discussion how one can view the spontaneous breakdown of gauge symmetry in massive gauge theories within a massless framework is presented.      

Causal Construction of the Massless Vertex Diagram

The massless one-loop vertex diagram is constructed by exploiting the causal structure of the diagram in configuration space, which can be translated directly into dispersive relations in momentum space.     

Generalized string equations for double Hurwitz numbers

The generating function of double Hurwitz numbers is known to become a tau function of the Toda hierarchy. The associated Lax and Orlov–Schulman operators turn out to satisfy a set of generalized string equations. These generalized string equations resemble those of c=1$c=1$ string theory except that the Orlov–Schulman operators are contained therein in an exponentiated form. These equations are derived from a set of intertwining relations for fermion bilinears in a two-dimensional free fermion system. The intertwiner is constructed from a fermionic counterpart of the cut-and-join operator. A classical limit of these generalized string equations is also obtained. The so-called Lambert curve emerges in a specialization of its solution. This seems to be another way of deriving the spectral curve of the random matrix approach to Hurwitz numbers.     

On the topological theory of self-dual connections over noncompact Riemann surfaces

A topological action for self-dual connections over noncompact Riemann surfaces is proposed. TheJ formulation and the associated linear system are obtained. A new connection is constructed, depending on a Kac-Moody parameter such that its flatness condition is theJ-equation associated to the self-dual problem. The algebra of infinitesimal Bäcklund transformations depending on this Kac-Moody parameter is constructed.     

A monopole-like classical solution to a purely fermionic model of even dimensions

We present a static solution to the classical field equations of a purely spinorial model with SO(2n) internal symmetry in 2n dimensions. The model contains composite vector fields which have solutions of the Wu-Yang monopole type.     

Nuclearity,split property,and duality for the Klein-Gordon field in curved spacetime

Nuclearity, split property and duality are established for the nets of von Neumann algebras associated with the representations of distinguished states of the massive Klein-Gordon field propagating in particular classes of curved spacetimes.Supported by the DFG.