Schwinger-Keldysh formalism. Part I: BRST symmetries and superspace

We review the Schwinger-Keldysh, or in-in, formalism for studying quantum dynamics of systems out-of-equilibrium. The main motivation is to rephrase well known facts in the subject in a mathematically elegant setting, by exhibiting a set of BRST symmetries inherent in the construction. We show how these fundamental symmetries can be made manifest by working in a superspace formalism. We argue that this rephrasing is extremely efficacious in understanding low energy dynamics following the usual renormalization group approach, for the BRST symmetries are robust under integrating out degrees of freedom. In addition we discuss potential generalizations of the formalism that allow us to compute out-of-time-order correlation functions that have been the focus of recent attention in the context of chaos and scrambling. We also outline a set of problems ranging from stochastic dynamics, hydrodynamics, dynamics of entanglement in QFTs, and the physics of black holes and cosmology, where we believe this framework could play a crucial role in demystifying various confusions. Our companion paper [1] describes in greater detail the mathematical framework embodying the topological symmetries we uncover here

Non-Abelian anomalous (super)fluids in thermal equilibrium from differential geometry

We apply differential geometry methods to the computation of the anomalyinduced hydrodynamic equilibrium partition function. Implementing the imaginary-time prescription on the Chern-Simons effective action on a stationary background, we obtain general closed expressions for both the invariant and anomalous part of the partition function. This is applied to the Wess-Zumino-Witten action for Goldstone modes, giving the equilibrium partition function of superfluids. In all cases, we also study the anomalyinduced gauge currents and energy-momentum tensor, providing explicit expressions for them.This work has been supported by Plan Nacional de Altas Energías Spanish MINECO grants FPA2015-64041-C2-1-P, FPA2015-64041-C2-2-P, and by Basque Government grant IT979-16. The research of E.M. is also supported by Spanish MINEICO and European FEDER funds grant FIS2017-85053-C2-1-P, Junta de Andalucía grant FQM-225, as well as by Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU through a Visiting Professor appointment and by Spanish MINEICO Ramón y Cajal Progra