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Author: Walter Dittrich Publisher: Springer ISBN: 354045585X Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 249
Book Description
This book is devoted to an investigation of the vacuum of quantum elec trodynamics (QED), relying on the perturbative effective action approach. If the vacuum is probed with external perturbations, the response of the system can be analyzed after averaging over the high energy degrees of freedom. This results in an effective description of the properties of the vacuum, which are comparable to the properties of a classical medium. We concentrate primarily on the physics of slowly varying fields or soft photons by integrating out the high energy degrees of freedom, i.e. the elec trons, employing Schwinger's proper time method. We derive a new represen tation of the one loop photon polarization tensor, coupling to all orders to an arbitrary constant electromagnetic field, fully maintaining the dependence on the complete set of invariants. On the basis of effective Lagrangians, we derive the light cone condition for low frequency photons propagating in strong fields. Our formalism can be extended to various external perturbations, such as temperature and Casimir situations. We give a proof of the "unified formula" for low energy phenom ena that describes the refractive indices of various perturbed quantum vacua. In the high energy domain, we observe similarities between a vacuum with a superstrong magnetic field and a magnetized plasma. The question of mea surability of the various effects is addressed; a violation of causality is not found.
Author: Walter Dittrich Publisher: Springer ISBN: 354045585X Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 249
Book Description
This book is devoted to an investigation of the vacuum of quantum elec trodynamics (QED), relying on the perturbative effective action approach. If the vacuum is probed with external perturbations, the response of the system can be analyzed after averaging over the high energy degrees of freedom. This results in an effective description of the properties of the vacuum, which are comparable to the properties of a classical medium. We concentrate primarily on the physics of slowly varying fields or soft photons by integrating out the high energy degrees of freedom, i.e. the elec trons, employing Schwinger's proper time method. We derive a new represen tation of the one loop photon polarization tensor, coupling to all orders to an arbitrary constant electromagnetic field, fully maintaining the dependence on the complete set of invariants. On the basis of effective Lagrangians, we derive the light cone condition for low frequency photons propagating in strong fields. Our formalism can be extended to various external perturbations, such as temperature and Casimir situations. We give a proof of the "unified formula" for low energy phenom ena that describes the refractive indices of various perturbed quantum vacua. In the high energy domain, we observe similarities between a vacuum with a superstrong magnetic field and a magnetized plasma. The question of mea surability of the various effects is addressed; a violation of causality is not found.
Author: Shifman Misha Publisher: World Scientific ISBN: 9814482048 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 2388
Book Description
This volume is a collection of dedicated reviews covering all aspects of theoretical high energy physics and some aspects of solid state physics. Some of the papers are broad reviews of topics that span the entire field while others are surveys of authors' personal achievements. This is the most comprehensive review collection reflecting state of the art at the end of 2004. An important and unique aspect is a special effort the authors have invested in making the presentation pedagogical.
Author: Paul Teller Publisher: Princeton University Press ISBN: 0691216290 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 190
Book Description
Quantum mechanics is a subject that has captured the imagination of a surprisingly broad range of thinkers, including many philosophers of science. Quantum field theory, however, is a subject that has been discussed mostly by physicists. This is the first book to present quantum field theory in a manner that makes it accessible to philosophers. Because it presents a lucid view of the theory and debates that surround the theory, An Interpretive Introduction to Quantum Field Theory will interest students of physics as well as students of philosophy. Paul Teller presents the basic ideas of quantum field theory in a way that is understandable to readers who are familiar with non-relativistic quantum mechanics. He provides information about the physics of the theory without calculational detail, and he enlightens readers on how to think about the theory physically. Along the way, he dismantles some popular myths and clarifies the novel ways in which quantum field theory is both a theory about fields and about particles. His goal is to raise questions about the philosophical implications of the theory and to offer some tentative interpretive views of his own. This provocative and thoughtful book challenges philosophers to extend their thinking beyond the realm of quantum mechanics and it challenges physicists to consider the philosophical issues that their explorations have encouraged.
Author: Stefan Schramm Publisher: Springer ISBN: 3319441655 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 381
Book Description
This volume presents the state-of-the-art in selected topics across modern nuclear physics, covering fields of central importance to research and illustrating their connection to many different areas of physics. It describes recent progress in the study of superheavy and exotic nuclei, which is pushing our knowledge to ever heavier elements and neutron-richer isotopes. Extending nuclear physics to systems that are many times denser than even the core of an atomic nucleus, one enters the realm of the physics of neutron stars and possibly quark stars, a topic that is intensively investigated with many ground-based and outer-space research missions as well as numerous theoretical works. By colliding two nuclei at very high ultra-relativistic energies one can create a fireball of extremely hot matter, reminiscent of the universe very shortly after the big bang, leading to a phase of melted hadrons and free quarks and gluons, the so-called quark-gluon plasma. These studies tie up with effects of crucial importance in other fields. During the collision of heavy ions, electric fields of extreme strength are produced, potentially destabilizing the vacuum of the atomic physics system, subsequently leading to the decay of the vacuum state and the emission of positrons. In neutron stars the ultra-dense matter might support extremely high magnetic fields, far beyond anything that can be produced in the laboratory, significantly affecting the stellar properties. At very high densities general relativity predicts the stellar collapse to a black hole. However, a number of current theoretical activities, modifying Einstein’s theory, point to possible alternative scenarios, where this collapse might be avoided. These and related topics are addressed in this book in a series of highly readable chapters. In addition, the book includes fundamental analyses of the practicalities involved in transiting to an electricity supply mainly based on renewable energies, investigating this scenario less from an engineering and more from a physics point of view. While the topics comprise a large scope of activities, the contributions also show an extensive overlap in the methodology and in the analytical and numerical tools involved in tackling these diverse research fields that are the forefront of modern science.
Author: Luigi Maxmilian Caligiuri Publisher: Nova Science Publishers ISBN: 9781634847445 Category : Consciousness Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
It is commonly thought superluminal or faster-than-light physics phenomena should be excluded from mainstream physics and considered an exotic subject to be confined at most to science fiction, since their existence should be in contrast with the predictions of currently accepted main physical theories. On the other hand, several theoretical and experimental results collected during the last decades (like those related, for example, to hypothetical tachyons, astrophysical quasars, anomalous dispersion in material media, quantum tunneling of single photons or e.m. fields, and quantum entanglement) gave founded evidence of the occurrence of superluminal processes. Unfortunately, the study of such phenomena has been often compromised by misleading analyses, scientific prejudices and/or misunderstandings, preventing a balanced and in-depth assessment. This discourages the realization of further experimental and theoretical examinations. In this book, the authors explored these possibilities by adopting an open mind and rigorous approach. Some of the most intriguing and fascinating aspects of superluminal phenomena physics by describing and discussing, from a radically new standpoint related to the picture of QED coherence in matter, a series of theoretical explorations probing the possibility that superluminal particles and fields actually exist were proposed. In particular, they also considered the hypothesis according to which the higher performance capabilities of the human brain, including consciousness, could be explained from the standpoint of quantum computation, invoking superluminal particles like tachyons. As shown in this monograph, superluminal fields and particles emerging from quantum vacuum coherent dynamics could be responsible for new types of physical process, providing new and valuable insights into the fields of fundamental physics, condensed matter physics, astrophysics, cosmology and biophysics. Additionally, superluminal fields indicate the need for an honest and deep revision of the currently accepted framework of theoretical and applied physics, as well as historically well-established scientific knowledge.
Author: Henrik Bruus Publisher: Oxford University Press ISBN: 0198566336 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 458
Book Description
The book is an introduction to quantum field theory applied to condensed matter physics. The topics cover modern applications in electron systems and electronic properties of mesoscopic systems and nanosystems. The textbook is developed for a graduate or advanced undergraduate course with exercises which aim at giving students the ability to confront real problems.
Author: Michel Talagrand Publisher: Cambridge University Press ISBN: 1108247113 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 760
Book Description
Quantum field theory (QFT) is one of the great achievements of physics, of profound interest to mathematicians. Most pedagogical texts on QFT are geared toward budding professional physicists, however, whereas mathematical accounts are abstract and difficult to relate to the physics. This book bridges the gap. While the treatment is rigorous whenever possible, the accent is not on formality but on explaining what the physicists do and why, using precise mathematical language. In particular, it covers in detail the mysterious procedure of renormalization. Written for readers with a mathematical background but no previous knowledge of physics and largely self-contained, it presents both basic physical ideas from special relativity and quantum mechanics and advanced mathematical concepts in complete detail. It will be of interest to mathematicians wanting to learn about QFT and, with nearly 300 exercises, also to physics students seeking greater rigor than they typically find in their courses. Erratum for the book can be found at michel.talagrand.net/erratum.pdf.
Author: Walter Dittrich
Author: Walter Dittrich
Author: Walter Dittrich
Author: Holger Martin Gies
Author: Shifman Misha
Author: Paul Teller
Author: Stefan Schramm
Author: 
Author: Luigi Maxmilian Caligiuri
Author: Henrik Bruus
Author: Michel Talagrand