Limit cycles of effective theories

A simple example is used to show that renormalization group limit cycles of effective quantum theories can be studied in a new way. The method is based on the similarity renormalization group procedure for Hamiltonians. The example contains a logarithmic ultraviolet divergence that is generated by both real and imaginary parts of the Hamiltonian matrix elements. Discussion of the example includes a connection between asymptotic freedom with one scale of bound states and the limit cycle with an entire hierarchy of bound states.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, revtex

Large-momentum convergence of Hamiltonian bound-state dynamics of effective fermions in quantum field theory

Contributions to the bound-state dynamics of fermions in local quantum field theory from the region of large relative momenta of the constituent particles, are studied and compared in two different approaches. The first approach is conventionally developed in terms of bare fermions, a Tamm-Dancoff truncation on the particle number, and a momentum-space cutoff that requires counterterms in the Fock-space Hamiltonian. The second approach to the same theory deals with bound states of effective fermions, the latter being derived from a suitable renormalization group procedure. An example of two-fermion bound states in Yukawa theory, quantized in the light-front form of dynamics, is discussed in detail. The large-momentum region leads to a buildup of overlapping divergences in the bare Tamm-Dancoff approach, while the effective two-fermion dynamics is little influenced by the large-momentum region. This is illustrated by numerical estimates of the large-momentum contributions for coupling constants on the order of between 0.01 and 1, which is relevant for quarks.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figure

Flow equation solution for the weak to strong-coupling crossover in the sine-Gordon model

A continuous sequence of infinitesimal unitary transformations, combined with an operator product expansion for vertex operators, is used to diagonalize the quantum sine-Gordon model for 2 pi < beta^2 < infinity. The leading order of this approximation already gives very accurate results for the single-particle gap in the strong-coupling phase. This approach can be understood as an extension of perturbative scaling theory since it links weak to strong-coupling behavior in a systematic expansion. The approach should also be useful for other strong-coupling problems that can be formulated in terms of vertex operators.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, minor changes (typo in Eq. (3) corrected, references added), published versio

Neutrino oscillations in the front form of Hamiltonian dynamics

Since future, precise theory of neutrino oscillations should include the understanding of the neutrino mass generation and a precise, relativistic description of hadrons, and observing that such a future theory may require Dirac's FF of Hamiltonian dynamics, we provide a preliminary FF description of neutrino oscillations using the Feynman--Gell-Mann-Levy version of an effective theory in which leptons interact directly with whole nucleons and pions, instead of with quarks via intermediate bosons. The interactions are treated in the lowest-order perturbative expansion in the coupling constants in the effective theory, including a perturbative solution of the coupled constraint equations. Despite missing quarks and their binding mechanism, the effective Hamiltonian description is sufficiently precise for showing that the standard oscillation formula results from the interference of amplitudes with different neutrinos in virtual intermediate states. This holds provided that the inherent experimental uncertainties of preparing beams of incoming and measuring rates of production of outgoing particles are large enough for all of the different neutrino intermediate states to contribute as alternative virtual paths through which the long-baseline scattering process can manifest itself. The result that an approximate, effective FF theory reproduces the standard oscillation formula at the level of transition rates for currently considered long-baseline experiments--even though the space-time development of scattering is traced differently and the relevant interaction Hamiltonians are constructed differently than in the commonly used IF of dynamics--has two implications. It shows that the common interpretation of experimental results is not the only one, and it opens the possibility of considering more precise theories taking advantage of the features of the FF that are not available in the IF.Comment: revtex4, 10 page

Renormalized Poincar\'e algebra for effective particles in quantum field theory

Using an expansion in powers of an infinitesimally small coupling constant $g$, all generators of the Poincar\'e group in local scalar quantum field theory with interaction term $g \phi^3$ are expressed in terms of annihilation and creation operators $a_\lambda$ and $a^\dagger_\lambda$ that result from a boost-invariant renormalization group procedure for effective particles. The group parameter $\lambda$ is equal to the momentum-space width of form factors that appear in vertices of the effective-particle Hamiltonians, $H_\lambda$. It is verified for terms order 1, $g$, and $g^2$, that the calculated generators satisfy required commutation relations for arbitrary values of $\lambda$. One-particle eigenstates of $H_\lambda$ are shown to properly transform under all Poincar\'e transformations. The transformations are obtained by exponentiating the calculated algebra. From a phenomenological point of view, this study is a prerequisite to construction of observables such as spin and angular momentum of hadrons in quantum chromodynamics.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figure

Neutrino oscillations in the formal theory of scattering

Scattering theory in the Gell-Mann and Goldberger formulation is slightly extended to render a Hamiltonian quantum mechanical description of the neutrino oscillations.Comment: revtex4, 4 page

Renormalization approach to many-particle systems

This paper presents a renormalization approach to many-particle systems. By starting from a bare Hamiltonian ${\cal H}= {\cal H}_0 +{\cal H}_1$ with an unperturbed part ${\cal H}_0$ and a perturbation ${\cal H}_1$,we define an effective Hamiltonian which has a band-diagonal shape with respect to the eigenbasis of ${\cal H}_0$. This means that all transition matrix elements are suppressed which have energy differences larger than a given cutoff $\lambda$ that is smaller than the cutoff $\Lambda$ of the original Hamiltonian. This property resembles a recent flow equation approach on the basis of continuous unitary transformations. For demonstration of the method we discuss an exact solvable model, as well as the Anderson-lattice model where the well-known quasiparticle behavior of heavy fermions is derived.Comment: 11 pages, final version, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Color van der Waals forces between heavy quarkonia in effective QCD

The perturbative renormalization group for light-front QCD Hamiltonian produces a logarithmically rising interquark potential already in second order, when all gluons are neglected. There is a question if this approach produces also color van der Waals forces between heavy quarkonia and of what kind. This article shows that such forces do exist and estimates their strength, with the result that they are on the border of exclusion in naive approach, while more advanced calculation is possible in QCD.Comment: 7 pages, elsart, bibliography in .bbl file, to be submitted to Physics Letters

Boost-Invariant Running Couplings in Effective Hamiltonians

We apply a boost-invariant similarity renormalization group procedure to a light-front Hamiltonian of a scalar field phi of bare mass mu and interaction term g phi^3 in 6 dimensions using 3rd order perturbative expansion in powers of the coupling constant g. The initial Hamiltonian is regulated using momentum dependent factors that approach 1 when a cutoff parameter Delta tends to infinity. The similarity flow of corresponding effective Hamiltonians is integrated analytically and two counterterms depending on Delta are obtained in the initial Hamiltonian: a change in mu and a change of g. In addition, the interaction vertex requires a Delta-independent counterterm that contains a boost invariant function of momenta of particles participating in the interaction. The resulting effective Hamiltonians contain a running coupling constant that exhibits asymptotic freedom. The evolution of the coupling with changing width of effective Hamiltonians agrees with results obtained using Feynman diagrams and dimensional regularization when one identifies the renormalization scale with the width. The effective light-front Schroedinger equation is equally valid in a whole class of moving frames of reference including the infinite momentum frame. Therefore, the calculation described here provides an interesting pattern one can attempt to follow in the case of Hamiltonians applicable in particle physics.Comment: 24 pages, LaTeX, included discussion of finite x-dependent counterterm

Systematic Renormalization in Hamiltonian Light-Front Field Theory: The Massive Generalization

Hamiltonian light-front field theory can be used to solve for hadron states in QCD. To this end, a method has been developed for systematic renormalization of Hamiltonian light-front field theories, with the hope of applying the method to QCD. It assumed massless particles, so its immediate application to QCD is limited to gluon states or states where quark masses can be neglected. This paper builds on the previous work by including particle masses non-perturbatively, which is necessary for a full treatment of QCD. We show that several subtle new issues are encountered when including masses non-perturbatively. The method with masses is algebraically and conceptually more difficult; however, we focus on how the methods differ. We demonstrate the method using massive phi^3 theory in 5+1 dimensions, which has important similarities to QCD.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures. Corrected error in Eq. (11), v3: Added extra disclaimer after Eq. (2), and some clarification at end of Sec. 3.3. Final published versio