74 research outputs found
Light propagation in non-trivial QED vacua
Within the framework of effective action QED, we derive the light cone
condition for homogeneous non-trivial QED vacua in the geometric optics
approximation. Our result generalizes the ``unified formula'' suggested by
Latorre, Pascual and Tarrach and allows for the calculation of velocity shifts
and refractive indices for soft photons travelling through these vacua.
Furthermore, we clarify the connection between the light velocity shift and the
scale anomaly. This study motivates the introduction of a so-called effective
action charge that characterizes the velocity modifying properties of the
vacuum. Several applications are given concerning vacuum modifications caused
by, e.g., strong fields, Casimir systems and high temperature.Comment: 13 pages, REVTeX, 3 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.
Glassiness and constrained dynamics of a short-range non-disordered spin model
We study the low temperature dynamics of a two dimensional short-range spin
system with uniform ferromagnetic interactions, which displays glassiness at
low temperatures despite the absence of disorder or frustration. The model has
a dual description in terms of free defects subject to dynamical constraints,
and is an explicit realization of the ``hierarchically constrained dynamics''
scenario for glassy systems. We give a number of exact results for the statics
of the model, and study in detail the dynamical behaviour of one-time and
two-time quantities. We also consider the role played by the configurational
entropy, which can be computed exactly, in the relation between fluctuations
and response.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures; minor changes, references adde
Implications of Space-Time foam for Entanglement Correlations of Neutral Kaons
The role of invariance and consequences for bipartite entanglement of
neutral (K) mesons are discussed. A relaxation of leads to a modification
of the entanglement which is known as the effect. The relaxation of
assumptions required to prove the theorem are examined within the context
of models of space-time foam. It is shown that the evasion of the EPR type
entanglement implied by (which is connected with spin statistics) is
rather elusive. Relaxation of locality (through non-commutative geometry) or
the introduction of decoherence by themselves do not lead to a destruction of
the entanglement. So far we find only one model which is based on non-critical
strings and D-particle capture and recoil that leads to a stochastic
contribution to the space-time metric and consequent change in the neutral
meson bipartite entanglement. The lack of an omega effect is demonstrated for a
class of models based on thermal like baths which are generally considered as
generic models of decoherence
Decoherence and CPT Violation in a Stringy Model of Space-Time Foam
I discuss a model inspired from the string/brane framework, in which our
Universe is represented as a three brane, propagating in a bulk space time
punctured by D0-brane (D-particle) defects. As the D3-brane world moves in the
bulk, the D-particles cross it, and from an effective observer on D3 the
situation looks like a ``space-time foam'' with the defects ``flashing'' on and
off (``D-particle foam''). The open strings, with their ends attached on the
brane, which represent matter in this scenario, can interact with the
D-particles on the D3-brane universe in a topologically non-trivial manner,
involving splitting and capture of the strings by the D0-brane defects. Such
processes are described by logarithmic conformal field theories on the
world-sheet. Physically, they result in effective decoherence of the string
matter on the D3 brane, and as a result, of CPT Violation, but of a type that
implies an ill-defined nature of the effective CPT operator. Due to electric
charge conservation, only electrically neutral (string) matter can exhibit such
interactions with the D-particle foam. This may have unique, experimentally
detectable, consequences for electrically-neutral entangled quantum matter
states on the brane world, in particular the modification of the pertinent EPR
Correlation of neutral mesons in a meson factory.Comment: 41 pages Latex, five eps figures incorporated. Uses special macro
Radiative Decays, Nonet Symmetry and SU(3) Breaking
We re-examine the problem of simultaneously describing in a consistent way
all radiative and leptonic decays of light mesons (V -> P gamma, P -> V gamma,
P -> gamma gamma, V -> e^+ e^-). For this purpose, we rely on the Hidden Local
Symmetry model in both its anomalous and non--anomalous sectors. We show that
the SU(3) symmetry breaking scheme proposed by Bando, Kugo and Yamawaki,
supplemented with nonet symmetry breaking in the pseudoscalar sector, allows
one to reach a nice agreement with all data, except for the K^{*+/-} radiative
decay. An extension of this breaking pattern allows one to account for this
particular decay mode too. Considered together, the whole set of radiative
decays provides a pseudoscalar mixing angle theta_P ~ -11^o and a value for
theta_V which is ~ 3^o from that of ideal mixing. We also show that it is
impossible, in a practical sense, to disentangle the effects of nonet symmetry
breaking and those of glue inside the eta', using only light meson decays.Comment: 36 pages. Published versio
The U(1)A Anomaly and QCD Phenomenology
The role of the U(1)A anomaly in QCD phenomenology is reviewed, focus- ing on the relation between quark dynamics and gluon topology. Topics covered include a generalisation of the Witten-Veneziano formula for the mass of the η′, the determina- tion of pseudoscalar meson decay constants, radiative pseudoscalar decays and the U(1)A Goldberger-Treiman relation. Sum rules are derived for the proton and photon structure functions g1p and g1γ measured in polarised deep-inelastic scattering. The first moment sum rule for g1p (the ‘proton spin’ problem) is confronted with new data from COMPASS and HERMES on the deuteron structure function and shown to be quantitatively explained in terms of topological charge screening. Proposals for experiments on semi-inclusive DIS and polarised two-photon physics at future ep and high-luminosity e+e− colliders are discussed
- …