When renormalizability is not sufficient: Coulomb problem for vector bosons

The Coulomb problem for vector bosons W incorporates a known difficulty; the boson falls on the center. In QED the fermion vacuum polarization produces a barrier at small distances which solves the problem. In a renormalizable SU(2) theory containing vector triplet (W^+,W^-,gamma) and a heavy fermion doublet F with mass M the W^- falls on F^+, to distances r ~ 1/M, where M can be made arbitrary large. To prevent the collapse the theory needs additional light fermions, which switch the ultraviolet behavior of the theory from the asymptotic freedom to the Landau pole. Similar situation can take place in the Standard Model. Thus, the renormalizability of a theory is not sufficient to guarantee a reasonable behavior at small distances for non-perturbative problems, such as a bound state problem.Comment: Four page

A Maximally Symmetric Vector Propagator

We derive the propagator for a massive vector field on a de Sitter background of arbitrary dimension. This propagator is de Sitter invariant and possesses the proper flat spacetime and massless limits. Moreover, the retarded Green's function inferred from it produces the correct classical response to a test source. Our result is expressed in a tensor basis which is convenient for performing quantum field theory computations using dimensional regularization.Comment: 21 pages, no figures, uses LaTeX 2 epsilon, version 2 has an error in eqn (86) corrected and an updated reference lis

Experimental test of magnetic photons

A "magnetic" photon hypothesis associated with magnetic monopoles is tested experimentally. These photons are predicted to easily penetrate metal. Experimentally the optical transmittance T of a metal foil was less than 2 x 10^-17. The hypothesis is not supported since it predicts T = 2 x 10^-12

Splitting the Dirac equation: the case of longitudinal potentials

Recently, we have demonstrated that some subsolutions of the free Duffin-Kemmer-Petiau and the Dirac equations obey the same Dirac equation with some built-in projection operators. In the present paper we study the Dirac equation in the interacting case. It is demonstrated that the Dirac equation in longitudinal external fields can be also splitted into two covariant subequations.Comment: LaTeX, 8 pages, two references adde

Charge density of a positively charged vector boson may be negative

The charge density of vector particles, for example W, may change sign. The effect manifests itself even for a free propagation; when the energy of the W-boson is higher than sqrt{2}m and the standing-wave is considered the charge density oscillates in space. The charge density of W also changes sign in close vicinity of a Coulomb center. The dependence of this effect on the g-factor for an arbitrary vector boson, for example rho-meson, is discussed. An origin of this surprising effect is traced to the electric quadrupole moment and spin-orbit interaction of vector particles. Their contributions to the current have a polarization nature. The charge density of this current, rho = -\nabla \cdot P, where P is an effective polarization vector that depends on the quadrupole moment and spin-orbit interaction, oscillates in space, producing zero contribution to the total charge.Comment: 4 pages, revte

Mass for Plasma Photons from Gauge Symmetry Breaking

We derive the effective masses for photons in unmagnetized plasma waves using a quantum field theory with two vector fields (gauge fields). In order to properly define the quantum field degrees of freedom we re-derive the classical wave equations on light-front gauge. This is needed because the usual scalar potential of electromagnetism is, in quantum field theory, not a physical degree of freedom that renders negative energy eigenstates. We also consider a background local fluid metric that allows for a covariant treatment of the problem. The different masses for the longitudinal (plasmon) and transverse photons are in our framework due to the local fluid metric. We apply the mechanism of mass generation by gauge symmetry breaking recently proposed by the authors by giving a non-trivial vacuum-expectation-value to the second vector field (gauge field). The Debye length $\lambda_D$ is interpreted as an effective compactification length and we compute an explicit solution for the large gauge transformations that correspond to the specific mass eigenvalues derived here. Using an usual quantum field theory canonical quantization we obtain the usual results in the literature. Although none of these ingredients are new to physicist, as far as the authors are aware it is the first time that such constructions are applied to Plasma Physics. Also we give a physical interpretation (and realization) for the second vector field in terms of the plasma background in terms of known physical phenomena. Addendum: It is given a short proof that equation (10) is wrong, therefore equations (12-17) are meaningless. The remaining results are correct being generic derivations for nonmagnetized plasmas derived in a covariant QFT framework.Comment: v1: 1+6 pages v2: Several discussions rewritten; Abstract rewritten; References added; v3: includes Addendu

Coulomb problem for vector bosons versus Standard Model

The Coulomb problem for vector bosons W(+/-) propagating in an attractive Coulomb field incorporates a known difficulty, i.e. the total charge of the boson localized on the Coulomb center turns out infinite. This fact contradicts the renormalizability of the Standard model, which presumes that at small distances all physical quantities are well defined. The paradox is shown to be resolved by the QED vacuum polarization, which brings in a strong effective repulsion and eradicates the infinite charge of the boson on the Coulomb center. The effect makes the Coulomb problem for vector bosons well defined and consistent with the Standard Model.Comment: 4 page

Casimir effect of electromagnetic field in Randall-Sundrum spacetime

We study the finite temperature Casimir effect on a pair of parallel perfectly conducting plates in Randall-Sundrum model without using scalar field analogy. Two different ways of interpreting perfectly conducting conditions are discussed. The conventional way that uses perfectly conducting condition induced from 5D leads to three discrete mode corrections. This is very different from the result obtained from imposing 4D perfectly conducting conditions on the 4D massless and massive vector fields obtained by decomposing the 5D electromagnetic field. The latter only contains two discrete mode corrections, but it has a continuum mode correction that depends on the thicknesses of the plates. It is shown that under both boundary conditions, the corrections to the Casimir force make the Casimir force more attractive. The correction under 4D perfectly conducting condition is always smaller than the correction under the 5D induced perfectly conducting condition. These statements are true at any temperature.Comment: 20 pages, 4 figure

Searching for an equation: Dirac, Majorana and the others

We review the non-trivial issue of the relativistic description of a quantum mechanical system that, contrary to a common belief, kept theoreticians busy from the end of 1920s to (at least) mid 1940s. Starting by the well-known works by Klein-Gordon and Dirac, we then give an account of the main results achieved by a variety of different authors, ranging from de Broglie to Proca, Majorana, Fierz-Pauli, Kemmer, Rarita-Schwinger and many others. A particular interest comes out for the general problem of the description of particles with \textit{arbitrary} spin, introduced (and solved) by Majorana as early as 1932, and later reconsidered, within a different approach, by Dirac in 1936 and by Fierz-Pauli in 1939. The final settlement of the problem in 1945 by Bhabha, who came back to the general ideas introduced by Majorana in 1932, is discussed as well, and, by making recourse also to unpublished documents by Majorana, we are able to reconstruct the line of reasoning behind the Majorana and the Bhabha equations, as well as its evolution. Intriguingly enough, such an evolution was \textit{identical} in the two authors, the difference being just the period of time required for that: probably few weeks in one case (Majorana), while more than ten years in the other one (Bhabha), with the contribution of several intermediate authors. Majorana's paper of 1932, in fact, contrary to the more complicated Dirac-Fierz-Pauli formalism, resulted to be very difficult to fully understand (probably for its pregnant meaning and latent physical and mathematical content): as is clear from his letters, even Pauli (who suggested its reading to Bhabha) took about one year in 1940-1 to understand it. This just testifies for the difficulty of the problem, and for the depth of Majorana's reasoning and results.Comment: amsart, 34 pages, no figure

Quantum Corrections to the Reissner-Nordstrom and Kerr-Newman Metrics: Spin 1

A previous evaluation of one-photon loop corrections to the energy-momentum tensor has been extended to particles with unit spin and speculations are presented concerning general properties of such forms.Comment: 21 pages, 1 Figur