We analyze the wave equation in families of pp-wave geometries developing strong localized scale-invariant singularities in certain limits. For both cases of well-localized pp-waves and the so-called null-cosmologies, we observe an intriguing discrete dependence of the existence of a singular limit on the normalization of the pp-wave profile. We also find restrictive matching conditions relating the geometries before and after the singularity (if a singular limit for the solutions of the wave equation with initial conditions specified away from the near-singular region is assumed to exist).
We use the Nahm transform to construct explicit $L^2$ solutions to the Dirac equation in $\mathbb{R}^3$ in the background of one nonabelian $U(2)$ monopole with one positive and one negative Dirac singularity.
We examine SL(2, Z) anomalies in ten and eight-dimensional supergravities, the induced local counterterms and their realization in string theory. Composite connections play an important role in the cancellation mechanism. At the same time their global properties lead to novel non-trivial consistency constraints on compactifications.
This paper deals with the relativistic, quantized electromagnetic and Dirac field equations in the arena of discrete phase space and continuous time. The mathematical formulation involves partial difference equations. In the consequent relativistic quantum electrodynamics, the corresponding Feynman diagrams and S#-matrix elements are derived. In the special case of electron-electron scattering (Moller scattering), the explicit second order element <f|S#(2)|i> is deduced. Moreover, assuming the slow motions for two external electrons, the approximation of <f|S#(2)|i> yields a divergence-free Co…
We consider free massive matter fields in static scalar, electric and gravitational backgrounds. Tuning these backgrounds to the brink of vacuum decay, we identify a term in their effective action that is singular. This singular term is universal, being independent of the features of the background configuration. In the case of gravitational backgrounds, it can be interpreted as a quantum mechanical analog of Choptuik scaling. If the background is tuned slightly above the instability threshold, this singular term gives the leading contribution to the vacuum decay rate.
We present the most general quadratic curvature action with torsion including infinite covariant derivatives and study its implications around the Minkowski background via the Palatini approach. Provided the torsion is solely given by the background axial field, the metric and torsion are shown to decouple, and both of them can be made ghost and singularity free for a fermionic source.
To motivate our discussion, we consider a 1+1 dimensional scalar field interacting with a static Coulomb-type background, so that the spectrum of quantum fluctuations is given by a second-order differential operator on a single coordinate r with a singular coefficient proportional to 1/r. We find that the spectral functions of this operator present an interesting behavior: the zeta function has multiple poles in the complex plane; accordingly, logarithms of the proper time appear in the heat-trace expansion. As a consequence, the zeta function does not provide a finite regularization of the ef…
We construct and study singular functions in strong-field $QED$ with two external electromagnetic fields that represent principally different types of external backgrounds, the first one belongs to the class of so-called $t$-potential electric steps (electric-like fields that are switched on and off at initial and final time instants), and the second one belongs to the class of so-called $x$-potential electric steps (time-independent electric-like fields of constant direction that are concentrated in a restricted spatial area). As the first background ($T$-constant electric field) is chosen an…
