Helmut Karzel (1928-2021)

Obituary for Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. Helmut Karzel, who passed away on June 22, 2021, at the age of 93

Static interactions and stability of matter in Rindler space

Dynamical issues associated with quantum fields in Rindler space are addressed in a study of the interaction between two sources at rest generated by the exchange of scalar particles, photons and gravitons. These static interaction energies in Rindler space are shown to be scale invariant, complex quantities. The imaginary part will be seen to have its quantum mechanical origin in the presence of an infinity of zero modes in uniformly accelerated frames which in turn are related to the radiation observed in inertial frames. The impact of a uniform acceleration on the stability of matter and the properties of particles is discussed and estimates are presented of the instability of hydrogen atoms when approaching the horizon.Comment: 28 pages, 4 figure

Global Left Loop Structures on Spheres

On the unit sphere $\mathbb{S}$ in a real Hilbert space $\mathbf{H}$, we derive a binary operation $\odot$ such that $(\mathbb{S},\odot)$ is a power-associative Kikkawa left loop with two-sided identity $\mathbf{e}_0$, i.e., it has the left inverse, automorphic inverse, and $A_l$ properties. The operation $\odot$ is compatible with the symmetric space structure of $\mathbb{S}$. $(\mathbb{S},\odot)$ is not a loop, and the right translations which fail to be injective are easily characterized. $(\mathbb{S},\odot)$ satisfies the left power alternative and left Bol identities ``almost everywhere'' but not everywhere. Left translations are everywhere analytic; right translations are analytic except at $-\mathbf{e}_0$ where they have a nonremovable discontinuity. The orthogonal group $O(\mathbf{H})$ is a semidirect product of $(\mathbb{S},\odot)$ with its automorphism group (cf. http://www.arxiv.org/abs/math.GR/9907085). The left loop structure of $(\mathbb{S},\odot)$ gives some insight into spherical geometry.Comment: 18 pages, no figures, 10pt, LaTeX2e, uses amsart.cls & tcilatex.tex. To appear in Comment. Math. Univ. Carolin. (special issue: Proceedings of LOOPS99) Revised version: various fixes and improvements suggested by refere

Unconventional string-like singularities in flat spacetime

The conical singularity in flat spacetime is mostly known as a model of the cosmic string or the wedge disclination in solids. Its another, equally important, function is to be a representative of quasiregular singularities. From all these of views it seems interesting to find out whether there exist other similar singularities. To specify what "similar" means I introduce the notion of the string-like singularity, which is, roughly speaking, an absolutely mild singularity concentrated on a curve or on a 2-surface S (depending on whether the space is three- of four-dimensional). A few such singularities are already known: the aforementioned conical singularity, two its Lorentzian versions, the "spinning string", the "screw dislocation", and Tod's spacetime. In all these spacetimes S is a straight line (or a plane) and one may wonder if this is an inherent property of the string-like singularities. The aim of this paper is to construct string-like singularities with less trivial S. These include flat spacetimes in which S is a spiral, or even a loop. If such singularities exist in nature (in particular, as an approximation to gravitational field of strings) their cosmological and astrophysical manifestations must differ drastically from those of the conventional cosmic strings. Likewise, being realized as topological defects in crystals such loops and spirals will probably also have rather unusual properties.Comment: Draft. References and comments are welcome. v2. Section 3 is intact, the rest is made briefer and clearer. A couple of references are added. v3. Insignificant correstions. The published versio

Could the photon dispersion relation be non-linear ?

The free photon dispersion relation is a reference quantity for high precision tests of Lorentz Invariance. We first outline theoretical approaches to a conceivable Lorentz Invariance Violation (LIV). Next we address phenomenological tests based on the propagation of cosmic rays, in particular in Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs). As a specific concept, which could imply LIV, we then focus on field theory in a non-commutative (NC) space, and we present non-perturbative results for the dispersion relation of the NC photon.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, talk presented at the 4. EU RTN Workshop on "Constituents, Fundamental Forces and Symmetries of the Universe" in Varna, Sept. 2008. References adde

The Rational Higher Structure of M-theory

We review how core structures of string/M-theory emerge as higher structures in super homotopy theory; namely from systematic analysis of the brane bouquet of universal invariant higher central extensions growing out of the superpoint. Since super homotopy theory is immensely rich, to start with we consider this in the rational/infinitesimal approximation which ignores torsion-subgroups in brane charges and focuses on tangent spaces of super space-time. Already at this level, super homotopy theory discovers all super $p$-brane species, their intersection laws, their M/IIA-, T- and S-duality relations, their black brane avatars at ADE-singularities, including their instanton contributions, and, last not least, Dirac charge quantization: for the D-branes it recovers twisted K-theory, rationally, but for the M-branes it gives cohomotopy cohomology theory. We close with an outlook on the lift of these results beyond the rational/infinitesimal approximation to a candidate formalization of microscopic M-theory in super homotopy theory.Comment: 32 pages, Contribution to Proceedings of LMS/EPSRC Durham Symposium Higher Structures in M-Theory, August 201

Background Independent Quantum Gravity: A Status Report

The goal of this article is to present an introduction to loop quantum gravity -a background independent, non-perturbative approach to the problem of unification of general relativity and quantum physics, based on a quantum theory of geometry. Our presentation is pedagogical. Thus, in addition to providing a bird's eye view of the present status of the subject, the article should also serve as a vehicle to enter the field and explore it in detail. To aid non-experts, very little is assumed beyond elements of general relativity, gauge theories and quantum field theory. While the article is essentially self-contained, the emphasis is on communicating the underlying ideas and the significance of results rather than on presenting systematic derivations and detailed proofs. (These can be found in the listed references.) The subject can be approached in different ways. We have chosen one which is deeply rooted in well established physics and also has sufficient mathematical precision to ensure that there are no hidden infinities. In order to keep the article to a reasonable size, and to avoid overwhelming non-experts, we have had to leave out several interesting topics, results and viewpoints; this is meant to be an introduction to the subject rather than an exhaustive review of it.Comment: 125 pages, 5 figures (eps format), the final version published in CQ