417 research outputs found
The V-A sum rules and the Operator Product Expansion in complex q^2-plane from tau-decay data
The operator product expansion (OPE) for the difference of vector and axial
current correlators is analyzed for complex values of momentum q^2. The vector
and axial spectral functions, taken from hadronic tau-decay data, are treated
with the help of Borel, Gaussian and spectral moments sum rules. The range of
applicability, advantages and disadvantages of each type are discussed. The
general features of OPE are confirmed by the data. The vacuum expectation
values of dimension 6 and 8 operators are found to be O_6=-(6.8\pm 2.1)*10^{-3}
GeV^6, O_8=(7\pm 4)*10^{-3} GeV^8.Comment: 1 latex + 10 eps files, 14 page
The first dozen years of the history of ITEP Theoretical Physics Laboratory
The theoretical investigations at ITEP in the years 1945-1958 are reviewed.
There are exposed the most important theoretical results, obtained in the
following branches of physics: 1) the theory of nuclear reactors on thermal
neutrons; 2) the hydrogen bomb project ("Tube" in USSR and "Classical Super" in
USA); 3) radiation theory; ~4) low temperature physics; 5) quantum
electrodynamics and quantum field theories; 6) parity violation in weak
interactions, the theory of -decay and other weak processes; 7) strong
interaction and nuclear physics. To the review are added the English
translations of few papers, originally published in Russian, but unknown (or
almost unknown) to Western readers.Comment: 55 pages, 5 fig
Following a "Collapsing" Wavefunction
I study the quantum mechanics of a spin interacting with an ``apparatus''.
Although the evolution of the whole system is unitary, the spin evolution is
not. The system is chosen so that the spin exhibits loss of quantum coherence,
or ``wavefunction collapse'', of the sort usually associated with a quantum
measurement. The system is analyzed from the point of view of the spin density
matrix (or ``Schmidt paths''), and also using the consistent histories
approach. These two points of view are contrasted with each other. Connections
between the results and the form of the Hamiltonian are discussed in detail.Comment: 30 pages, plain LaTex, 3 figures in a separate uuencoded fil
Information measures and classicality in quantum mechanics
We study information measures in quantu mechanics, with particular emphasis
on providing a quantification of the notions of classicality and
predictability. Our primary tool is the Shannon - Wehrl entropy I. We give a
precise criterion for phase space classicality and argue that in view of this
a) I provides a measure of the degree of deviation from classicality for closed
system b) I - S (S the von Neumann entropy) plays the same role in open systems
We examine particular examples in non-relativistic quantum mechanics. Finally,
(this being one of our main motivations) we comment on field classicalisation
on early universe cosmology.Comment: 35 pages, LATE
Noise induced transitions in semiclassical cosmology
A semiclassical cosmological model is considered which consists of a closed
Friedmann-Robertson-Walker in the presence of a cosmological constant, which
mimics the effect of an inflaton field, and a massless, non-conformally coupled
quantum scalar field. We show that the back-reaction of the quantum field,
which consists basically of a non local term due to gravitational particle
creation and a noise term induced by the quantum fluctuations of the field, are
able to drive the cosmological scale factor over the barrier of the classical
potential so that if the universe starts near zero scale factor (initial
singularity) it can make the transition to an exponentially expanding de Sitter
phase. We compute the probability of this transition and it turns out to be
comparable with the probability that the universe tunnels from "nothing" into
an inflationary stage in quantum cosmology. This suggests that in the presence
of matter fields the back-reaction on the spacetime should not be neglected in
quantum cosmology.Comment: LaTex, 33.tex pages, no figure
Strong Interactions at Low Energy
The lectures review some of the basic concepts relevant for an understanding
of the low energy properties of the strong interactions: chiral symmetry,
spontaneous symmetry breakdown, Goldstone bosons, quark condensate. The
effective field theory used to analyze the low energy structure is briefly
sketched. As an illustration, I discuss the implications of the recent data on
the decay for the magnitude of the quark condensate.Comment: Lectures given at the school of physics "Understanding the structure
of hadrons", Prague, July 2001, 20 p
Flavour SU(3) Symmetry in Charmless B Decays
QCD sum rules are used to estimate the flavour SU(3)-symmetry violation in
two-body B decays to pions and kaons. In the factorizable amplitudes the
SU(3)-violation manifests itself in the ratio of the decay constants f_K/f_pi
and in the differences between the B->K, B_s->K and B->pi form factors. These
effects are calculated from the QCD two-point and light-cone sum rules,
respectively, in terms of the strange quark mass and the ratio of the strange
and nonstrange quark-condensate densities. Importantly, QCD sum rules predict
that SU(3) breaking in the heavy-to-light form factors can be substantial and
does not vanish in the heavy-quark mass limit. Furthermore, we investigate the
strange-quark mass dependence of nonfactorizable effects in the B->K pi decay
amplitudes. Taking into account these effects we estimate the accuracy of
several SU(3)-symmetry relations between charmless B-decay amplitudes.Comment: Two references added, version to be published in Phys.Rev.D, 21
pages, 12 postscript figure
Lectures on Chiral Disorder in QCD
I explain the concept that light quarks diffuse in the QCD vacuum following
the spontaneous breakdown of chiral symmetry. I exploit the striking analogy to
disordered electrons in metals, identifying, among others, the universal regime
described by random matrix theory, diffusive regime described by chiral
perturbation theory and the crossover between these two domains.Comment: Lectures given at the Cargese Summer School, August 6-18, 200
QCD sum rule for nucleon in nuclear matter
We consider the two-point function of nucleon current in nuclear matter and
write a QCD sum rule to analyse the residue of the nucleon pole as a function
of nuclear density. The nucleon self-energy needed for the sum rule is taken as
input from calculations using phenomenological NN potential. Our result shows a
decrease in the residue with increasing nuclear density, as is known to be the
case with similar quantities
Environment-Induced Decoherence and the Transition From Quantum to Classical
We study dynamics of quantum open systems, paying special attention to those
aspects of their evolution which are relevant to the transition from quantum to
classical. We begin with a discussion of the conditional dynamics of simple
systems. The resulting models are straightforward but suffice to illustrate
basic physical ideas behind quantum measurements and decoherence. To discuss
decoherence and environment-induced superselection einselection in a more
general setting, we sketch perturbative as well as exact derivations of several
master equations valid for various systems. Using these equations we study
einselection employing the general strategy of the predictability sieve.
Assumptions that are usually made in the discussion of decoherence are
critically reexamined along with the ``standard lore'' to which they lead.
Restoration of quantum-classical correspondence in systems that are classically
chaotic is discussed. The dynamical second law -it is shown- can be traced to
the same phenomena that allow for the restoration of the correspondence
principle in decohering chaotic systems (where it is otherwise lost on a very
short time-scale). Quantum error correction is discussed as an example of an
anti-decoherence strategy. Implications of decoherence and einselection for the
interpretation of quantum theory are briefly pointed out.Comment: 80 pages, 7 figures included, Lectures given by both authors at the
72nd Les Houches Summer School on "Coherent Matter Waves", July-August 199
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