24 research outputs found
Modular Localization of Massive Particles with "Any" Spin in d=2+1
We discuss a concept of particle localization which is motivated from quantum field theory, and has been proposed by Brunetti, Guido and Longo and by Schroer. It endows the single particle Hilbert space with a family of real subspaces indexed by the space-time regions, with certain specific properties reflecting the principles of locality and covariance. We show by construction that such a localization structure exists also in the case of massive anyons in d=2+1, i.e. for particles with positive mass and with arbitrary spin s in the reals. The construction is completely intrinsic to the corresponding ray representation of the (proper orthochronous) Poincare group. Our result is of particular interest since there are no free fields for anyons, which would fix a localization structure in a straightforward way. We present explicit formulas for the real subspaces, expected to turn out useful for the construction of a quantum field theory for anyons. In accord with well-known results, only localization in string-like, instead of point-like or bounded, regions is achieved. We also prove a single-particle PCT theorem, exhibiting a PCT operator which acts geometrically correctly on the family of real subspaces
Bondi-Metzner-Sachs symmetry, holography on null-surfaces and area proportionality of "light-slice" entropy
It is shown that certain kinds of behavior, which hitherto were expected to
be characteristic for classical gravity and quantum field theory in curved
spacetime, as the infinite dimensional Bondi-Metzner-Sachs symmetry, holography
on event horizons and an area proportionality of entropy, have in fact an
unnoticed presence in Minkowski QFT. This casts new light on the fundamental
question whether the volume propotionality of heat bath entropy and the
(logarithmically corrected) dimensionless area law obeyed by
localization-induced thermal behavior are different geometric parametrizations
which share a common primordeal algebraic origin. Strong arguments are
presented that these two different thermal manifestations can be directly
related, this is in fact the main aim of this paper. It will be demonstrated
that QFT beyond the Lagrangian quantization setting receives crucial new
impulses from holography onto horizons. The present paper is part of a project
aimed at elucidating the enormous physical range of "modular localization". The
latter does not only extend from standard Hamitonian heat bath thermal states
to thermal aspects of causal- or event- horizons addressed in this paper. It
also includes the recent understanding of the crossing property of formfactors
whose intriguing similarity with thermal properties was, although sometimes
noticed, only sufficiently understood in the modular llocalization setting.Comment: 42 pages, changes, addition of new results and new references, in
this form the paper will appear in Foundations of Physic
String-localized Quantum Fields and Modular Localization
We study free, covariant, quantum (Bose) fields that are associated with
irreducible representations of the Poincar\'e group and localized in
semi-infinite strings extending to spacelike infinity. Among these are fields
that generate the irreducible representations of mass zero and infinite spin
that are known to be incompatible with point-like localized fields. For the
massive representation and the massless representations of finite helicity, all
string-localized free fields can be written as an integral, along the string,
of point-localized tensor or spinor fields. As a special case we discuss the
string-localized vector fields associated with the point-like electromagnetic
field and their relation to the axial gauge condition in the usual setting.Comment: minor correction
An alternative to the gauge theoretic setting
The standard formulation of gauge theories results from the Lagrangian
(functional integral) quantization of classical gauge theories. A more
intrinsic qunantum theoretical access in the spirit of Wigner's representation
theory shows that there is a fundamental clash between the pointlike
localization of zero mass (vector, tensor) potentials and the Hilbert space
(positivity, unitarity) structure of QT. The quantization approach has no other
way than to stay with pointlike localization and sacrifice the Hilbert space
whereas the approach build on the intrinsic quantum concept of modular
localization keeps the Hilbert space and trades the conflict creating pointlike
generation with the tightest consistent localization:: semiinfinite spacelike
string localization. Whereas these potentials in the presence of interactions
stay quite close to associated pointlike field strength, the interacting matter
fields to which they are coupled bear the brunt of the nonlocal aspect in that
they are string.generated in a way which cannot be undone by any
differentiation. The new stringlike approach to gauge theory also revives the
idea of a Schwinger-Higgs screening mechanism as a deeper and less metaphoric
description of the Higgs spontaneous symmetry breaking and its accompanying
tale about "God's particle" and its mass generation for all other particles.Comment: 26 page
A critical look at 50 years particle theory from the perspective of the crossing property
The crossing property is perhaps the most subtle aspect of the particle-field
relation. Although it is not difficult to state its content in terms of certain
analytic properties relating different matrixelements of the S-matrix or
formfactors, its relation to the localization- and positive energy spectral
principles requires a level of insight into the inner workings of QFT which
goes beyond anything which can be found in typical textbooks on QFT. This paper
presents a recent account based on new ideas derived from "modular
localization" including a mathematic appendix on this subject. Its main novel
achievement is the proof of the crossing property of formfactors from a
two-algebra generalization of the KMS condition. The main content of this
article is the presentation of the derailments of particle theory during more
than 4 decades: the S-matrix bootstrap, the dual model and its string theoretic
extension. Rather than being related to crossing, string theory is the (only
known) realization of a dynamic infinite component one-particle wave function
space and its associated infinite component field. Here "dynamic" means that,
unlike a mere collection of infinitely many irreducible unitary Poincar\'e
group representation or free fields, the formalism contains also operators
which communicate between the different irreducible Poincar\'e represenations
(the levels of the "infinite tower") and set the mass/spin spectrum. Wheras in
pre-string times there were unsuccessful attempts to achieve this in analogy to
the O(4,2) hydrogen spectrum by the use of higher noncompact groups, the
superstring in d=9+1, which uses instead (bosonic/fermionic) oscillators
obtained from multicomponent chiral currents is the only known unitary positive
energy solution of the dynamical infinite component pointlike localized field
project.Comment: 66 pages, addition of new results, addition of references, will
appear in this form in Foundations of Physic
Genetic polymorphisms associated with the inflammatory response in bacterial meningitis
BACKGROUND
Bacterial meningitis (BM) is an infectious disease that results in high mortality and morbidity. Despite efficacious antibiotic therapy, neurological sequelae are often observed in patients after disease. Currently, the main challenge in BM treatment is to develop adjuvant therapies that reduce the occurrence of sequelae. In recent papers published by our group, we described the associations between the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) AADAT +401C > T, APEX1 Asn148Glu, OGG1 Ser326Cys and PARP1 Val762Ala and BM. In this study, we analyzed the associations between the SNPs TNF -308G > A, TNF -857C > T, IL-8 -251A > T and BM and investigated gene-gene interactions, including the SNPs that we published previously.
METHODS
The study was conducted with 54 BM patients and 110 healthy volunteers (as the control group). The genotypes were investigated via primer-introduced restriction analysis-polymerase chain reaction (PIRA-PCR) or polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis. Allelic and genotypic frequencies were also associated with cytokine and chemokine levels, as measured with the x-MAP method, and cell counts. We analyzed gene-gene interactions among SNPs using the generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) method.
RESULTS
We did not find significant association between the SNPs TNF -857C > T and IL-8 -251A > T and the disease. However, a higher frequency of the variant allele TNF -308A was observed in the control group, associated with changes in cytokine levels compared to individuals with wild type genotypes, suggesting a possible protective role. In addition, combined inter-gene interaction analysis indicated a significant association between certain genotypes and BM, mainly involving the alleles APEX1 148Glu, IL8 -251 T and AADAT +401 T. These genotypic combinations were shown to affect cyto/chemokine levels and cell counts in CSF samples from BM patients.
CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, this study revealed a significant association between genetic variability and altered inflammatory responses, involving important pathways that are activated during BM. This knowledge may be useful for a better understanding of BM pathogenesis and the development of new therapeutic approaches
The complete genome sequence of Chromobacterium violaceum reveals remarkable and exploitable bacterial adaptability
Chromobacterium violaceum is one of millions of species of free-living microorganisms that populate the soil and water in the extant areas of tropical biodiversity around the world. Its complete genome sequence reveals (i) extensive alternative pathways for energy generation, (ii) ≈500 ORFs for transport-related proteins, (iii) complex and extensive systems for stress adaptation and motility, and (iv) wide-spread utilization of quorum sensing for control of inducible systems, all of which underpin the versatility and adaptability of the organism. The genome also contains extensive but incomplete arrays of ORFs coding for proteins associated with mammalian pathogenicity, possibly involved in the occasional but often fatal cases of human C. violaceum infection. There is, in addition, a series of previously unknown but important enzymes and secondary metabolites including paraquat-inducible proteins, drug and heavy-metal-resistance proteins, multiple chitinases, and proteins for the detoxification of xenobiotics that may have biotechnological applications