Quantum Fields on Star Graphs with Bound States at the Vertex

We investigate the propagation of a massless scalar field on a star graph, modeling the junction of $n$ quantum wires. The vertex of the graph is represented by a point-like impurity (defect), characterized by a one-body scattering matrix. The general case of off-critical scattering matrix with bound and/or antibound states is considered. We demonstrate that the contribution of these states to the scalar field is fixed by causality (local commutativity), which is the key point of our investigation. Two different regimes of the theory emerge at this stage. If bound sates are absent, the energy is conserved and the theory admits unitary time evolution. The behavior changes if bound states are present, because each such state generates a kind of damped harmonic oscillator in the spectrum of the field. These oscillators lead to the breakdown of time translation invariance. We study in both regimes the electromagnetic conductance of the Luttinger liquid on the quantum wire junction. We derive an explicit expression for the conductance in terms of the scattering matrix and show that antibound and bound states have a different impact, giving raise to oscillations with exponentially damped and growing amplitudes respectively.Comment: LaTex 1+29 pages, 2 figures: Expanded version with new title and abstract; clarifying comments, fig.2 and references added; final version to appear in J. Math. Phy

From quantum to elliptic algebras

It is shown that the elliptic algebra ${\cal A}_{q,p}(\hat{sl}(2)_c)$ at the critical level c=-2 has a multidimensional center containing some trace-like operators t(z). A family of Poisson structures indexed by a non-negative integer and containing the q-deformed Virasoro algebra is constructed on this center. We show also that t(z) close an exchange algebra when p^m=q^{c+2} for m integer, they commute when in addition p=q^{2k} for k integer non-zero, and they belong to the center of ${\cal A}_{q,p}(\hat{sl}(2)_c)$ when k is odd. The Poisson structures obtained for t(z) in these classical limits contain the q-deformed Virasoro algebra, characterizing the structures at generic values of p, q and m as new ${\cal W}_{q,p}(sl(2))$ algebras.Comment: LaTeX2e Document - packages subeqn,amsfont

Central extensions of classical and quantum q-Viraroso algebras

We investigate the central extensions of the q-deformed (classical and quantum) Virasoro algebras constructed from the elliptic quantum algebra A_{q,p}[sl(N)_c]. After establishing the expressions of the cocycle conditions, we solve them, both in the classical and in the quantum case (for sl(2)). We find that the consistent central extensions are much more general that those found previously in the literature.Comment: Latex2e, needs amsfonts and amssymb package

Deformed W_N algebras from elliptic sl(N) algebras

We extend to the sl(N) case the results that we previously obtained on the construction of W_{q,p} algebras from the elliptic algebra A_{q,p}(\hat{sl}(2)_c). The elliptic algebra A_{q,p}(\hat{sl}(N)_c) at the critical level c=-N has an extended center containing trace-like operators t(z). Families of Poisson structures indexed by N(N-1)/2 integers, defining q-deformations of the W_N algebra, are constructed. The operators t(z) also close an exchange algebra when (-p^1/2)^{NM} = q^{-c-N} for M in Z. It becomes Abelian when in addition p=q^{Nh} where h is a non-zero integer. The Poisson structures obtained in these classical limits contain different q-deformed W_N algebras depending on the parity of h, characterizing the exchange structures at p \ne q^{Nh} as new W_{q,p}(sl(N)) algebras.Comment: LaTeX2e Document - packages subeqn,amsfonts,amssymb - 30 page

Universal construction of W_{p,q} algebras

We present a direct construction of abstract generators for q-deformed W_N algebras. This procedure hinges upon a twisted trace formula for the elliptic algebra A_{q,p}(sl(N)_c) generalizing the previously known formulae for quantum groups.Comment: packages amsfonts, amssym

Persistent oscillations after quantum quenches in d dimensions

We obtain analytical results for the time evolution of local observables in systems undergoing quantum quenches in d spatial dimensions. For homogeneous systems we show that oscillations undamped in time occur when the state produced by the quench includes single-quasiparticle modes and the observable couples to those modes. In particular, a quench of the transverse field within the ferromagnetic phase of the Ising model produces undamped oscillations of the order parameter when d>1. For the more general case in which the quench is performed only in a subregion of the whole d-dimensional space occupied by the system, the time evolution occurs inside a light cone spreading away from the boundary of the quenched region as time increases. The additional condition for undamped oscillations is that the volume of the quenched region is extensive in all dimensions

How Future Space-Based Weak Lensing Surveys Might Obtain Photometric Redshifts Independently

We study how the addition of on-board optical photometric bands to future space-based weak lensing instruments could affect the photometric redshift estimation of galaxies, and hence improve estimations of the dark energy parameters through weak lensing. Basing our study on the current proposed Euclid configuration and using a mock catalog of galaxy observations, various on-board options are tested and compared with the use of ground-based observations from the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) and Pan-STARRS. Comparisons are made through the use of the dark energy Figure of Merit, which provides a quantifiable measure of the change in the quality of the scientific results that can be obtained in each scenario. Effects of systematic offsets between LSST and Euclid photometric calibration are also studied. We find that adding two (U and G) or even one (U) on-board optical band-passes to the space-based infrared instrument greatly improves its photometric redshift performance, bringing it close to the level that would be achieved by combining observations from both space-based and ground-based surveys while freeing the space mission from reliance on external datasets.Comment: Accepted for publication in PASP. A high-quality version of Fig 1 can be found on http://www.ap.smu.ca/~sawicki/DEphoto