How `hot' are mixed quantum states?

Given a mixed quantum state $\rho$ of a qudit, we consider any observable $M$ as a kind of `thermometer' in the following sense. Given a source which emits pure states with these or those distributions, we select such distributions that the appropriate average value of the observable $M$ is equal to the average Tr$M\rho$ of $M$ in the stare $\rho$. Among those distributions we find the most typical one, namely, having the highest differential entropy. We call this distribution conditional Gibbs ensemble as it turns out to be a Gibbs distribution characterized by a temperature-like parameter $\beta$. The expressions establishing the liaisons between the density operator $\rho$ and its temperature parameter $\beta$ are provided. Within this approach, the uniform mixed state has the highest `temperature', which tends to zero as the state in question approaches to a pure state.Comment: Contribution to Quantum 2006: III workshop ad memoriam of Carlo Novero: Advances in Foundations of Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Information with atoms and photons. 2-5 May 2006 - Turin, Ital

On a novel integrable generalization of the nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation

We consider an integrable generalization of the nonlinear Schr\"odinger (NLS) equation that was recently derived by one of the authors using bi-Hamiltonian methods. This equation is related to the NLS equation in the same way that the Camassa Holm equation is related to the KdV equation. In this paper we: (a) Use the bi-Hamiltonian structure to write down the first few conservation laws. (b) Derive a Lax pair. (c) Use the Lax pair to solve the initial value problem. (d) Analyze solitons.Comment: 20 pages, 1 figur

Space-time Structures from Critical Values in 2D Quantum Gravity

A model for 2D Quantum Gravity is constructed out of the Virasoro group. To this end the quantization of the abstract Virasoro group is revisited. For the critical values of the conformal anomaly c, some quantum operators (SL(2,R) generators) lose their dynamical content (they are no longer conjugated operators). The notion of space-time itself in 2D gravity then arises as associated with this kinematical SL(2,R) symmetry. An ensemble of different copies of AdS do co-exist in this model with different weights, depending on their curvature (which is proportional to \hbar^{2}) and they are connected by gravity operators. This model suggests that, in general, quantum diffemorphisms should not be imposed as constraints to the theory, except for the classical limit.Comment: 22 pages, latex, no figures. Revised version with an effort in the development of the underlying classical theory and the clarification of the classical limit. To appear in Class. Quant. Gra

"Square Root" of the Proca Equation: Spin-3/2 Field Equation

New equations describing particles with spin 3/2 are derived. The non-local equation with the unique mass can be considered as "square root" of the Proca equation in the same sense as the Dirac equation is related to the Klein-Gordon-Fock equation. The local equation describes spin 3/2 particles with three mass states. The equations considered involve fields with spin-3/2 and spin-1/2, i.e. multi-spin 1/2, 3/2. The projection operators extracting states with definite energy, spin, and spin projections are obtained. All independent solutions of the local equation are expressed through projection matrices. The first order relativistic wave equation in the 20-dimensional matrix form, the relativistically invariant bilinear form and the corresponding Lagrangian are given. Two parameters characterizing non-minimal electromagnetic interactions of fermions are introduced, and the quantum-mechanical Hamiltonian is found. It is proved that there is only causal propagation of waves in the approach considered.Comment: 17 pages, corrections in Eqs. (50), (51

Spherical functions on the de Sitter group

Matrix elements and spherical functions of irreducible representations of the de Sitter group are studied on the various homogeneous spaces of this group. It is shown that a universal covering of the de Sitter group gives rise to quaternion Euler angles. An explicit form of Casimir and Laplace-Beltrami operators on the homogeneous spaces is given. Different expressions of the matrix elements and spherical functions are given in terms of multiple hypergeometric functions both for finite-dimensional and unitary representations of the principal series of the de Sitter group.Comment: 40 page

A Lorentzian Signature Model for Quantum General Relativity

We give a relativistic spin network model for quantum gravity based on the Lorentz group and its q-deformation, the Quantum Lorentz Algebra. We propose a combinatorial model for the path integral given by an integral over suitable representations of this algebra. This generalises the state sum models for the case of the four-dimensional rotation group previously studied in gr-qc/9709028. As a technical tool, formulae for the evaluation of relativistic spin networks for the Lorentz group are developed, with some simple examples which show that the evaluation is finite in interesting cases. We conjecture that the `10J' symbol needed in our model has a finite value.Comment: 22 pages, latex, amsfonts, Xypic. Version 3: improved presentation. Version 2 is a major revision with explicit formulae included for the evaluation of relativistic spin networks and the computation of examples which have finite value

A Class of Coupled KdV systems and Their Bi-Hamiltonian Formulations

A Hamiltonian pair with arbitrary constants is proposed and thus a sort of hereditary operators is resulted. All the corresponding systems of evolution equations possess local bi-Hamiltonian formulation and a special choice of the systems leads to the KdV hierarchy. Illustrative examples are given.Comment: 8 pages, late

Rigorous steps towards holography in asymptotically flat spacetimes

Scalar QFT on the boundary $\Im^+$ at null infinity of a general asymptotically flat 4D spacetime is constructed using the algebraic approach based on Weyl algebra associated to a BMS-invariant symplectic form. The constructed theory is invariant under a suitable unitary representation of the BMS group with manifest meaning when the fields are interpreted as suitable extensions to $\Im^+$ of massless minimally coupled fields propagating in the bulk. The analysis of the found unitary BMS representation proves that such a field on $\Im^+$ coincides with the natural wave function constructed out of the unitary BMS irreducible representation induced from the little group $\Delta$, the semidirect product between SO(2) and the two dimensional translational group. The result proposes a natural criterion to solve the long standing problem of the topology of BMS group. Indeed the found natural correspondence of quantum field theories holds only if the BMS group is equipped with the nuclear topology rejecting instead the Hilbert one. Eventually some theorems towards a holographic description on $\Im^+$ of QFT in the bulk are established at level of $C^*$ algebras of fields for strongly asymptotically predictable spacetimes. It is proved that preservation of a certain symplectic form implies the existence of an injective $*$-homomorphism from the Weyl algebra of fields of the bulk into that associated with the boundary $\Im^+$. Those results are, in particular, applied to 4D Minkowski spacetime where a nice interplay between Poincar\'e invariance in the bulk and BMS invariance on the boundary at $\Im^+$ is established at level of QFT. It arises that the $*$-homomorphism admits unitary implementation and Minkowski vacuum is mapped into the BMS invariant vacuum on $\Im^+$.Comment: 62 pages, amslatex, xy package; revised section 2 and the conclusions; corrected some typos; added some references; accepted for pubblication on Rev. Math. Phy

Solutions of Podolsky's Electrodynamics Equation in the First-Order Formalism

The Podolsky generalized electrodynamics with higher derivatives is formulated in the first-order formalism. The first-order relativistic wave equation in the 20-dimensional matrix form is derived. We prove that the matrices of the equation obey the Petiau-Duffin-Kemmer algebra. The Hermitianizing matrix and Lagrangian in the first-order formalism are given. The projection operators extracting solutions of field equations for states with definite energy-momentum and spin projections are obtained, and we find the density matrix for the massive state. The $13\times 13$-matrix Schrodinger form of the equation is derived, and the Hamiltonian is obtained. Projection operators extracting the physical eigenvalues of the Hamiltonian are found.Comment: 17 pages, minor corrections, published versio

Abelian Gauge Theory in de Sitter Space

Quantization of spinor and vector free fields in 4-dimensional de Sitter space-time, in the ambient space notation, has been studied in the previous works. Various two-points functions for the above fields are presented in this paper. The interaction between the spinor field and the vector field is then studied by the abelian gauge theory. The U(1) gauge invariant spinor field equation is obtained in a coordinate independent way notation and their corresponding conserved currents are computed. The solution of the field equation is obtained by use of the perturbation method in terms of the Green's function. The null curvature limit is discussed in the final stage.Comment: 10 pages, typos corrected, reference adde