Translocality and a Duality Principle in Generally Covariant Quantum Field Theory

It is argued that the formal rules of correspondence between local observation procedures and observables do not exhaust the entire physical content of generally covariant quantum field theory. This result is obtained by expressing the distinguishing features of the local kinematical structure of quantum field theory in the generally covariant context in terms of a translocal structure which carries the totality of the nonlocal kinematical informations in a local region. This gives rise to a duality principle at the dynamical level which emphasizes the significance of the underlying translocal structure for modelling a minimal algebra around a given point. We discuss the emergence of classical properties from this point of view.Comment: 12 pages. To appear in Classical Quantum Gravit

Duality, Time-asymmetry and the Condensation of Vacuum

A variant of the divergence theory for vacuum-condensation developed in a previous communication is analyzed from the viewpoint of a 'time' asymmetric law in vacuum. This law is found to establish a substantial distinction between dynamically allowed vacuum-configurations related by signature changing duality transformations.Comment: 6 pages, latex fil

A regularizing commutant duality for a kinematically covariant partial ordered net of observables

We consider a net of *-algebras, locally around any point of observation, equipped with a natural partial order related to the isotony property. Assuming the underlying manifold of the net to be a differentiable, this net shall be kinematically covariant under general diffeomorphisms. However, the dynamical relations, induced by the physical state defining the related net of (von Neumann) observables, are in general not covariant under all diffeomorphisms, but only under the subgroup of dynamical symmetries. We introduce algebraically both, IR and UV cutoffs, and assume that these are related by a commutant duality. The latter, having strong implications on the net, allows us to identify a 1-parameter group of the dynamical symmetries with the group of outer modular automorphisms. For thermal equilibrium states, the modular dilation parameter may be used locally to define the notions of both, time and a causal structure.Comment: LaTeX, to appear in: Proc. XXI. Int. Sem. on Group Theor. Methods, Goslar (1996), eds. Doebner et a

Mechanism for a Decaying Cosmological Constant

A mechanism is introduced to reduce a large cosmological constant to a sufficiently small value consistent with observational upper limit. The basic ingradient in this mechanism is a distinction which has been made between the two unit systems used on cosmology and particle physics. We have used a conformal invariant gravitational model to define a particular conformal frame in terms of the large scale properties of the universe. It is then argued that the contributions of mass scales in particle physics to the vacuum energy density should be considered in a different conformal frame. In this manner a cancellation mechanism is presented in which the conformal factor plays a key role to relax the large effective cosmological constant.Comment: 6 pages, no figur