An Analogue of the Kac-Wakimoto Formula and Black Hole Conditional Entropy

A local formula for the dimension of a superselection sector in Quantum Field Theory is obtained as vacuum expectation value of the exponential of the proper Hamiltonian. In the particular case of a chiral conformal theory, this provides a local analogue of a global formula obtained by Kac and Wakimoto within the context of representations of certain affine Lie algebras. Our formula is model independent and its version in general Quantum Field Theory applies to black hole thermodynamics. The relative free energy between two thermal equilibrium states associated with a black hole turns out to be proportional to the variation of the conditional entropy in different superselection sectors, where the conditional entropy is defined as the Connes-Stoermer entropy associated with the DHR localized endomorphism representing the sector. The constant of proportionality is half of the Hawking temperature. As a consequence the relative free energy is quantized proportionally to the logarithm of a rational number, in particular it is equal to a linear function the logarithm of an integer once the initial state or the final state is taken fixed.Comment: AMS-TeX v1.1c, minor grammatical correction

The Bisognano-Wichmann Theorem for Charged States and the Conformal Boundary of a Black Hole

Recent applications of Operator Algebras to Quantum Field Theory on a Curved Spacetime show that the incremental entropy associated with a quantum black hole, due the addition of a short range charge, is quantized proportionally to the logarithm of an integer. This talk first reviews the case of a Rindler black hole and then sketches the case of a spacetime with bifurcate Killing horizon and charges localizable on the horizon. An important tool is the construction of the conformal symmetries on the horizon.Comment: AMS-LaTeX, 7 pages. talk delivered at the conference on ``Mathematical Physics and Quantum Field Theory'', Berkeley, 11-13 June 1999. Electronic Journal of Differential Equations (to appear

Conformal Subnets and Intermediate Subfactors

Given an irreducible local conformal net A of von Neumann algebras on the circle and a finite-index conformal subnet B of A, we show that A is completely rational iff B is completely rational. In particular this extends a result of F. Xu for the orbifold construction. By applying previous results of Xu, many coset models turn out to be completely rational and the structure results in [KLM] hold. Our proofs are based on an analysis of the net inclusion B in A; among other things we show that, for a fixed interval I, every von Neumann algebra R intermediate between B(I) and A(I) comes from an intermediate conformal net L between B and A with L(I)=R. We make use of a theorem of Watatani (type II case) and Teruya and Watatani (type III case) on the finiteness of the set I(N,M) of intermediate subfactors in an irreducible inclusion of factors N in M with finite Jones index [M:N]. We provide a unified proof of this result that gives in particular an explicit bound for the cardinality of I(N,M) which depends only on [M:N].Comment: 29 pages; AMS-Latex2

Covariant Sectors with Infinite Dimension and Positivity of the Energy

We consider a Moebius covariant sector, possibly with infinite dimension, of a local conformal net of von Neumann algebras on the circle. If the sector has finite index, it has automatically positive energy. In the infinite index case, we show the spectrum of the energy always to contain the positive real line, but, as seen by an example, it may contain negative values. We then consider nets with Haag duality on the real line, or equivalently sectors with non-solitonic extension to the dual net; we give a criterion for irreducible sectors to have positive energy, namely this is the case iff there exists an unbounded Moebius covariant left inverse. As a consequence the class of sectors with positive energy is stable under composition, conjugation and direct integral decomposition.Comment: 25 pages, Latex2

A Converse Hawking-Unruh Effect and dS^2/CFT Correspondance

Given a local quantum field theory net A on the de Sitter spacetime dS^d, where geodesic observers are thermalized at Gibbons-Hawking temperature, we look for observers that feel to be in a ground state, i.e. particle evolutions with positive generator, providing a sort of converse to the Hawking-Unruh effect. Such positive energy evolutions always exist as noncommutative flows, but have only a partial geometric meaning, yet they map localized observables into localized observables. We characterize the local conformal nets on dS^d. Only in this case our positive energy evolutions have a complete geometrical meaning. We show that each net has a unique maximal expected conformal subnet, where our evolutions are thus geometrical. In the two-dimensional case, we construct a holographic one-to-one correspondence between local nets A on dS^2 and local conformal non-isotonic families (pseudonets) B on S^1. The pseudonet B gives rise to two local conformal nets B(+/-) on S^1, that correspond to the H(+/-)-horizon components of A, and to the chiral components of the maximal conformal subnet of A. In particular, A is holographically reconstructed by a single horizon component, namely the pseudonet is a net, iff the translations on H(+/-) have positive energy and the translations on H(-/+) are trivial. This is the case iff the one-parameter unitary group implementing rotations on dS^2 has positive/negative generator.Comment: The title has changed. 38 pages, figures. To appear on Annales H. Poincare

Classification of Local Conformal Nets. Case c < 1

We completely classify diffeomorphism covariant local nets of von Neumann algebras on the circle with central charge c less than 1. The irreducible ones are in bijective correspondence with the pairs of A-D_{2n}-E_{6,8} Dynkin diagrams such that the difference of their Coxeter numbers is equal to 1. We first identify the nets generated by irreducible representations of the Virasoro algebra for c<1 with certain coset nets. Then, by using the classification of modular invariants for the minimal models by Cappelli-Itzykson-Zuber and the method of alpha-induction in subfactor theory, we classify all local irreducible extensions of the Virasoro nets for c<1 and infer our main classification result. As an application, we identify in our classification list certain concrete coset nets studied in the literature.Comment: 30 pages, LaTeX2

Localization in Nets of Standard Spaces

Starting from a real standard subspace of a Hilbert space and a representation of the translation group with natural properties, we construct and analyze for each endomorphism of this pair a local, translationally covariant net of standard subspaces, on the lightray and on two-dimensional Minkowski space. These nets share many features with low-dimensional quantum field theory, described by corresponding nets of von Neumann algebras. Generalizing a result of Longo and Witten to two dimensions and massive multiplicity free representations, we characterize these endomorphisms in terms of specific analytic functions. Such a characterization then allows us to analyze the corresponding nets of standard spaces, and in particular compute their minimal localization length. The analogies and differences to the von Neumann algebraic situation are discussed.Comment: 34 pages, 1 figur

Natural Energy Bounds in Quantum Thermodynamics

Given a stationary state for a noncommutative flow, we study a boundedness condition, depending on a positive parameter beta, which is weaker than the KMS equilibrium condition at inverse temperature beta. This condition is equivalent to a holomorphic property closely related to the one recently considered by Ruelle and D'Antoni-Zsido and shared by a natural class of non-equilibrium steady states. Our holomorphic property is stronger than the Ruelle's one and thus selects a restricted class of non-equilibrium steady states. We also introduce the complete boundedness condition and show this notion to be equivalent to the Pusz-Woronowicz complete passivity property, hence to the KMS condition. In Quantum Field Theory, the beta-boundedness condition can be interpreted as the property that localized state vectors have energy density levels increasing beta-subexponentially, a property which is similar in the form and weaker in the spirit than the modular compactness-nuclearity condition. In particular, for a Poincare' covariant net of C*-algebras on the Minkowski spacetime, the beta-boundedness property, for beta greater equal than 2 pi, for the boosts is shown to be equivalent to the Bisognano-Wichmann property. The Hawking temperature is thus minimal for a thermodynamical system in the background of a Rindler black hole within the class of beta-holomorphic states. More generally, concerning the Killing evolution associated with a class of stationary quantum black holes, we characterize KMS thermal equilibrium states at Hawking temperature in terms of the boundedness property and the existence of a translation symmetry on the horizon.Comment: 28 pages, LaTeX. Minor modifications in the abstract, to appear in Commun. Math. Phy

Graded KMS Functionals and the Breakdown of Supersymmetry

It is shown that the modulus of any graded or, more generally, twisted KMS functional of a C*-dynamical system is proportional to an ordinary KMS state and the twist is weakly inner in the corresponding GNS-representation. If the functional is invariant under the adjoint action of some asymptotically abelian family of automorphisms, then the twist is trivial. As a consequence, such functionals do not exist for supersymmetric C*-dynamical systems. This is in contrast with the situation in compact spaces where super KMS functionals occur as super-Gibbs functionals.Comment: 9 pages, Latex, note added about a generalization of Corollary