991 research outputs found
On the issue of imposing boundary conditions on quantum fields
An interesting example of the deep interrelation between Physics and
Mathematics is obtained when trying to impose mathematical boundary conditions
on physical quantum fields. This procedure has recently been re-examined with
care. Comments on that and previous analysis are here provided, together with
considerations on the results of the purely mathematical zeta-function method,
in an attempt at clarifying the issue. Hadamard regularization is invoked in
order to fill the gap between the infinities appearing in the QFT renormalized
results and the finite values obtained in the literature with other procedures.Comment: 13 pages, no figure
The ground state energy of a massive scalar field in the background of a semi-transparent spherical shell
We calculate the zero point energy of a massive scalar field in the
background of an infinitely thin spherical shell given by a potential of the
delta function type. We use zeta functional regularization and express the
regularized ground state energy in terms of the Jost function of the related
scattering problem. Then we find the corresponding heat kernel coefficients and
perform the renormalization, imposing the normalization condition that the
ground state energy vanishes when the mass of the quantum field becomes large.
Finally the ground state energy is calculated numerically. Corresponding plots
are given for different values of the strength of the background potential, for
both attractive and repulsive potentials.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figure
Casimir Effect for Spherical Shell in de Sitter Space
The Casimir stress on a spherical shell in de Sitter background for massless
scalar field satisfying Dirichlet boundary conditions on the shell is
calculated. The metric is written in conformally flat form. Although the metric
is time dependent no particles are created. The Casimir stress is calculated
for inside and outside of the shell with different backgrounds corresponding to
different cosmological constants. The detail dynamics of the bubble depends on
different parameter of the model. Specifically, bubbles with true vacuum inside
expand if the difference in the vacuum energies is small, otherwise they
collapse.Comment: 9 pages, submitted to Class. Quantum Gra
Explicit Zeta Functions for Bosonic and Fermionic Fields on a Noncommutative Toroidal Spacetime
Explicit formulas for the zeta functions corresponding to
bosonic () and to fermionic () quantum fields living on a
noncommutative, partially toroidal spacetime are derived. Formulas for the most
general case of the zeta function associated to a quadratic+linear+constant
form (in {\bf Z}) are obtained. They provide the analytical continuation of the
zeta functions in question to the whole complex plane, in terms of series
of Bessel functions (of fast, exponential convergence), thus being extended
Chowla-Selberg formulas. As well known, this is the most convenient expression
that can be found for the analytical continuation of a zeta function, in
particular, the residua of the poles and their finite parts are explicitly
given there. An important novelty is the fact that simple poles show up at
, as well as in other places (simple or double, depending on the number of
compactified, noncompactified, and noncommutative dimensions of the spacetime),
where they had never appeared before. This poses a challenge to the
zeta-function regularization procedure.Comment: 15 pages, no figures, LaTeX fil
Dynamical Casimir Effect with Semi-Transparent Mirrors, and Cosmology
After reviewing some essential features of the Casimir effect and,
specifically, of its regularization by zeta function and Hadamard methods, we
consider the dynamical Casimir effect (or Fulling-Davis theory), where related
regularization problems appear, with a view to an experimental verification of
this theory. We finish with a discussion of the possible contribution of vacuum
fluctuations to dark energy, in a Casimir like fashion, that might involve the
dynamical version.Comment: 11 pages, Talk given in the Workshop ``Quantum Field Theory under the
Influence of External Conditions (QFEXT07)'', Leipzig (Germany), September 17
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Vacuum energy in the presence of a magnetic string with delta function profile
We present a calculation of the ground state energy of massive spinor fields
and massive scalar fields in the background of an inhomogeneous magnetic string
with potential given by a delta function. The zeta functional regularization is
used and the lowest heat kernel coefficients are calculated. The rest of the
analytical calculation adopts the Jost function formalism. In the numerical
part of the work the renormalized vacuum energy as a function of the radius
of the string is calculated and plotted for various values of the strength of
the potential. The sign of the energy is found to change with the radius. For
both scalar and spinor fields the renormalized energy shows no logarithmic
behaviour in the limit , as was expected from the vanishing of the heat
kernel coefficient , which is not zero for other types of profiles.Comment: 30 pages, 10 figure
Casimir effect for scalar fields with Robin boundary conditions in Schwarzschild background
The stress tensor of a massless scalar field satisfying Robin boundary
conditions on two one-dimensional wall in two-dimensional Schwarzschild
background is calculated. We show that vacuum expectation value of stress
tensor can be obtained explicitly by Casimir effect, trace anomaly and Hawking
radiation.Comment: 10 pages, no figure
The renormalization group and spontaneous compactification of a higher-dimensional scalar field theory in curved spacetime
The renormalization group (RG) is used to study the asymptotically free
-theory in curved spacetime. Several forms of the RG equations for
the effective potential are formulated. By solving these equations we obtain
the one-loop effective potential as well as its explicit forms in the case of
strong gravitational fields and strong scalar fields. Using zeta function
techniques, the one-loop and corresponding RG improved vacuum energies are
found for the Kaluza-Klein backgrounds and . They are given in terms of exponentially convergent series, appropriate
for numerical calculations. A study of these vacuum energies as a function of
compactification lengths and other couplings shows that spontaneous
compactification can be qualitatively different when the RG improved energy is
used.Comment: LaTeX, 15 pages, 4 figure
Casimir stress on parallel plates in de Sitter space
The Casimir stress on two parallel plates in de Sitter background for
massless scalar field satisfying Robin boundary conditions on the plates is
calculated. The metric is written in conformally flat form to make maximum use
of the Minkowski space calculations. Different cosmological constants are
assumed for the space between and outside of the plates to have general results
applicable to the case of domain wall formations in the early universe.Comment: 6 page
Heat-kernel expansion on non compact domains and a generalised zeta-function regularisation procedure
Heat-kernel expansion and zeta function regularisation are discussed for
Laplace type operators with discrete spectrum in non compact domains. Since a
general theory is lacking, the heat-kernel expansion is investigated by means
of several examples. It is pointed out that for a class of exponential
(analytic) interactions, generically the non-compactness of the domain gives
rise to logarithmic terms in the heat-kernel expansion. Then, a meromorphic
continuation of the associated zeta function is investigated. A simple model is
considered, for which the analytic continuation of the zeta function is not
regular at the origin, displaying a pole of higher order. For a physically
meaningful evaluation of the related functional determinant, a generalised zeta
function regularisation procedure is proposed.Comment: Latex, 14 pages, no figures. The version to be published in JM
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