Relating on-shell and off-shell formalism in perturbative quantum field theory

In the on-shell formalism (mostly used in perturbative quantum field theory) the entries of the time ordered product T are on-shell fields (i.e. the basic fields satisfy the free field equations). With that, (multi)linearity of T is incompatible with the Action Ward identity. This can be circumvented by using the off-shell formalism in which the entries of T are off-shell fields. To relate on- and off-shell formalism correctly, a map sigma from on-shell fields to off-shell fields was introduced axiomatically by Duetsch and Fredenhagen. In that paper it was shown that, in the case of one real scalar field in N=4 dimensional Minkowski space, these axioms have a unique solution. However, this solution was given there only recursively. We solve this recurrence relation and give a fully explicit expression for sigma in the cases of the scalar, Dirac and gauge fields for arbitrary values of the dimension N.Comment: The case of gauge fields was added. 16 page

Massive gravity from descent equations

Both massless and massive gravity are derived from descent equations (Wess-Zumino consistency conditions). The massive theory is a continuous deformation of the massless one.Comment: 8 pages, no figur

Analytical Results for Random Band Matrices with Preferential Basis

Using the supersymmetry method we analytically calculate the local density of states, the localiztion length, the generalized inverse participation ratios, and the distribution function of eigenvector components for the superposition of a random band matrix with a strongly fluctuating diagonal matrix. In this way we extend previously known results for ordinary band matrices to the class of random band matrices with preferential basis. Our analytical results are in good agreement with (but more general than) recent numerical findings by Jacquod and Shepelyansky.Comment: 8 pages RevTex and 1 Figure, both uuencode

The Interaction of Quantum Gravity with Matter

The interaction of (linearized) gravitation with matter is studied in the causal approach up to the second order of perturbation theory. We consider the generic case and prove that gravitation is universal in the sense that the existence of the interaction with gravitation does not put new constraints on the Lagrangian for lower spin fields. We use the formalism of quantum off-shell fields which makes our computation more straightforward and simpler.Comment: 25 page

Causal perturbation theory in terms of retarded products, and a proof of the Action Ward Identity

In the framework of perturbative algebraic quantum field theory a local construction of interacting fields in terms of retarded products is performed, based on earlier work of Steinmann. In our formalism the entries of the retarded products are local functionals of the off shell classical fields, and we prove that the interacting fields depend only on the action and not on terms in the Lagrangian which are total derivatives, thus providing a proof of Stora's 'Action Ward Identity'. The theory depends on free parameters which flow under the renormalization group. This flow can be derived in our local framework independently of the infrared behavior, as was first established by Hollands and Wald. We explicitly compute non-trivial examples for the renormalization of the interaction and the field.Comment: 76 pages, to appear in Rev. Math. Phy

Theory of thermal spin-charge coupling in electronic systems

The interplay between spin transport and thermoelectricity offers several novel ways of generating, manipulating, and detecting nonequilibrium spin in a wide range of materials. Here we formulate a phenomenological model in the spirit of the standard model of electrical spin injection to describe the electronic mechanism coupling charge, spin, and heat transport and employ the model to analyze several different geometries containing ferromagnetic (F) and nonmagnetic (N) regions: F, F/N, and F/N/F junctions which are subject to thermal gradients. We present analytical formulas for the spin accumulation and spin current profiles in those junctions that are valid for both tunnel and transparent (as well as intermediate) contacts. For F/N junctions we calculate the thermal spin injection efficiency and the spin accumulation induced nonequilibrium thermopower. We find conditions for countering thermal spin effects in the N region with electrical spin injection. This compensating effect should be particularly useful for distinguishing electronic from other mechanisms of spin injection by thermal gradients. For F/N/F junctions we analyze the differences in the nonequilibrium thermopower (and chemical potentials) for parallel and antiparallel orientations of the F magnetizations, as evidence and a quantitative measure of the spin accumulation in N. Furthermore, we study the Peltier and spin Peltier effects in F/N and F/N/F junctions and present analytical formulas for the heat evolution at the interfaces of isothermal junctions.Comment: to be published in PRB (in press), 19 pages, 19 figure

Optical lattice quantum simulator for QED in strong external fields: spontaneous pair creation and the Sauter-Schwinger effect

Spontaneous creation of electron-positron pairs out of the vacuum due to a strong electric field is a spectacular manifestation of the relativistic energy-momentum relation for the Dirac fermions. This fundamental prediction of Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) has not yet been confirmed experimentally as the generation of a sufficiently strong electric field extending over a large enough space-time volume still presents a challenge. Surprisingly, distant areas of physics may help us to circumvent this difficulty. In condensed matter and solid state physics (areas commonly considered as low energy physics), one usually deals with quasi-particles instead of real electrons and positrons. Since their mass gap can often be freely tuned, it is much easier to create these light quasi-particles by an analogue of the Sauter-Schwinger effect. This motivates our proposal of a quantum simulator in which excitations of ultra-cold atoms moving in a bichromatic optical lattice represent particles and antiparticles (holes) satisfying a discretized version of the Dirac equation together with fermionic anti-commutation relations. Using the language of second quantization, we are able to construct an analogue of the spontaneous pair creation which can be realized in an (almost) table-top experiment.Comment: 21 pages, 10 figure

The Galaxy Cluster Luminosity-Temperature Relationship and Iron Abundances - A Measure of Formation History ?

Both the X-ray luminosity-temperature (L-T) relationship and the iron abundance distribution of galaxy clusters show intrinsic dispersion. Using a large set of galaxy clusters with measured iron abundances we find a correlation between abundance and the relative deviation of a cluster from the mean L-T relationship. We argue that these observations can be explained by taking into account the range of cluster formation epochs expected within a hierarchical universe. The known relationship of cooling flow mass deposition rate to luminosity and temperature is also consistent with this explanation. From the observed cluster population we estimate that the oldest clusters formed at z>~2. We propose that the iron abundance of a galaxy cluster can provide a parameterization of its age and dynamical history.Comment: 13 pages Latex, 2 figures, postscript. Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter

Perturbative Gravity in the Causal Approach

Quantum theory of the gravitation in the causal approach is studied up to the second order of perturbation theory. We prove gauge invariance and renormalizability in the second order of perturbation theory for the pure gravity system (massless and massive). Then we investigate the interaction of massless gravity with matter (described by scalars and spinors) and massless Yang-Mills fields. We obtain a difference with respect to the classical field theory due to the fact that in quantum field theory one cannot enforce the divergenceless property on the vector potential and this spoils the divergenceless property of the usual energy-momentum tensor. To correct this one needs a supplementary ghost term in the interaction Lagrangian.Comment: 50 pages, no figures, some changes in the last sectio