Modified Laplace transformation method at finite temperature: application to infra-red problems of N component ϕ4\phi^4 theory

Modified Laplace transformation method is applied to N component $\phi^4$ theory and the finite temperature problem in the massless limit is re-examined in the large N limit. We perform perturbation expansion of the dressed thermal mass in the massive case to several orders and try the massless approximation with the help of modified Laplace transformation. The contribution with fractional power of the coupling constant is recovered from the truncated massive series. The use of inverse Laplace transformation with respect to the mass square is crucial in evaluating the coefficients of fractional power terms.Comment: 16pages, Latex, typographical errors are correcte

The Pressure of Hot g2ϕ4g^2 \phi^4 Theory at order g5g^5

The order $g^5$ contribution to the pressure of massless $g^2 \phi^4$ theory at nonzero temperature is obtained explicitly. Lower order contributions are reconsidered and two issues leading to the optimal choice of rearranged Lagrangian for such calculations are clarified.Comment: 15 pages, Latex, postscript file attached at the en

Effective Field Theory Approach to High-Temperature Thermodynamics

An effective field theory approach is developed for calculating the thermodynamic properties of a field theory at high temperature $T$ and weak coupling $g$. The effective theory is the 3-dimensional field theory obtained by dimensional reduction to the bosonic zero-frequency modes. The parameters of the effective theory can be calculated as perturbation series in the running coupling constant $g^2(T)$. The free energy is separated into the contributions from the momentum scales $T$ and $gT$, respectively. The first term can be written as a perturbation series in $g^2(T)$. If all forces are screened at the scale $gT$, the second term can be calculated as a perturbation series in $g(T)$ beginning at order $g^3$. The parameters of the effective theory satisfy renormalization group equations that can be used to sum up leading logarithms of $T/(gT)$. We apply this method to a massless scalar field with a $\Phi^4$ interaction, calculating the free energy to order $g^6 \log g$ and the screening mass to order $g^5 \log g$.Comment: 40 pages, LaTeX, 5 uuecoded figure

The Three-Loop Free Energy for High-Temperature QED and QCD with Fermions

We compute the free energy density for gauge theories, with fermions, at high temperature and zero chemical potential. Specifically, we analytically compute the free energy through $O(g^4)$, which requires the evaluation of three-loop diagrams. This computation extends our previous result for pure gauge QCD.Comment: 26 pages, 9 postscript figures, UW/PT-94-1

The Free Energy Of Hot Gauge Theories

The total perturbative contribution to the free-energy of hot SU(3) gauge theory is argued to lie significantly higher than the full result obtained by lattice simulations. This then suggests the existence of large non-perturbative corrections even at temperatures a few times above the critical temperature. Some speculations are then made on the nature and origin of the non-perturbative corrections. The analysis is then carried out for quantum chromodynamics, $SU(N_c)$ gauge theories, and quantum electrodynamics, leading to a conjecture and one more speculation.Comment: Revised Journal version;25 pages Latex and 11 .eps figures in separate file. Requires epsf.st

On the screening of static electromagnetic fields in hot QED plasmas

We study the screening of static magnetic and electric fields in massless quantum electrodynamics (QED) and massless scalar electrodynamics (SQED) at temperature $T$. Various exact relations for the static polarisation tensor are first reviewed and then verified perturbatively to fifth order (in the coupling) in QED and fourth order in SQED, using different resummation techniques. The magnetic and electric screening masses squared, as defined through the pole of the static propagators, are also calculated to fifth order in QED and fourth order in SQED, and their gauge-independence and renormalisation-group invariance is checked. Finally, we provide arguments for the vanishing of the magnetic mass to all orders in perturbation theory.Comment: 37 pages, 8 figure

Solution to the 3-loop Φ\Phi-derivable Approximation for Scalar Thermodynamics

We solve the 3-loop $\Phi$-derivable approximation to the thermodynamics of the massless $\phi^4$ field theory by reducing it to a 1-parameter variational problem. The thermodynamic potential is expanded in powers of $g^2$ and $m/T$, where $g$ is the coupling constant, $m$ is a variational mass parameter, and $T$ is the temperature. There are ultraviolet divergences beginning at 6th order in $g$ that cannot be removed by renormalization. However the finite thermodynamic potential obtained by truncating after terms of 5th order in $g$ and $m/T$ defines a stable approximation to the thermodynamic functions.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur

Solution to the 3-Loop Φ\Phi-Derivable Approximation for Massless Scalar Thermodynamics

We develop a systematic method for solving the 3-loop $\Phi$-derivable approximation to the thermodynamics of the massless $\phi^4$ field theory. The method involves expanding sum-integrals in powers of $g^2$ and m/T, where g is the coupling constant, m is a variational mass parameter, and T is the temperature. The problem is reduced to one with the single variational parameter m by solving the variational equations order-by-order in $g^2$ and m/T. At the variational point, there are ultraviolet divergences of order $g^6$ that cannot be removed by any renormalization of the coupling constant. We define a finite thermodynamic potential by truncating at $5^{th}$ order in g and m/T. The associated thermodynamic functions seem to be perturbatively stable and insensitive to variations in the renormalization scale.Comment: 57 pages, 10 figure

The Free Energy of High Temperature QED to Order e5e^{5} From Effective Field Theory

Massless quantum electrodynamics is studied at high temperature and zero chemical potential. We compute the Debye screening mass to order $e^{4}$ and the free energy to order $e^{5}$} by an effective field theory approach, recently developed by Braaten and Nieto. Our results are in agreement with calculations done in resummed perturbation theory. This method makes it possible to separate contributions to the free energy from different momentum scales (order $T$ and $eT$) and provides an economical alternative to computations in the full theory which involves the dressing of internal propagators.Comment: 10 pages Latex, 6 figure