Much attention has been recently devoted to the possibility that quantum gravity effects could lead to departures from Special Relativity in the form of a deformed Poincarè algebra. These proposals go generically under the name of Doubly or Deformed Special Relativity (DSR). In this article we further explore a recently proposed class of quantum field theories, involving noncanonically commuting complex scalar fields, which have been shown to entail a DSR-like symmetry. An open issue for such theories is whether the DSR-like symmetry has to be taken as a physically relevant symmetry, or if in fact the "true" symmetries of the theory are just rotations and translations while boost invariance has to be considered broken. We analyze here this issue by extending the known results to curved spacetime under both of the previous assumptions. We show that if the symmetry of the free theory is taken to be a DSR-like realization of the Poincaré symmetry, then it is not possible to render such a symmetry a gauge symmetry of the curved physical spacetime. However, it is possible to introduce an auxiliary spacetime which allows to describe the theory as a standard quantum field theory in curved spacetime. Alternatively, taking the point of view that the noncanonical commutation of the fields actually implies a breakdown of boost invariance, the physical spacetime manifold has to be foliated in surfaces of simultaneity and the field theory can be coupled to gravity by making use of the ADM prescription.
This is a status report about the ongoing work on the realization of quantum field theory on curved graphene spacetimes that uses Weyl symmetry. The programme is actively pursued from many different perspectives. Here we point to what has been done, and to what needs to be done.
The success of the S-matrix in quantum field theory in Minkowski spacetime naturally demands the extension of the construction of the S-matrix in a general curved spacetime in a covariant manner. However, it is well-known that a global description of the S-matrix may not exist in an arbitrary curved spacetime. Here, we give a local construction of S-matrix in quantum field theory in curved spacetime using Riemann-normal coordinates which mimics the methods, generally used in Minkowski spacetime. Using this construction, the scattering amplitudes and cross-sections of some scattering processes …
We propose to develop the Kalb-Ramond theory in four-dimensional spacetime at the level of a classical field theory by following the same formal development steps as in Maxwell theory of standard electrodynamics. Solutions of Kalb-Ramond theory in the presence of static sources in various curved spacetimes are then analyzed. A question that we address here is that of a possible Kalb-Ramond polarization in curved spacetimes, like one can encounter a dielectric polarization in ordinary Maxwell electrodynamics in certain types of spacetimes.
In this article we investigated the influence of the gravity induced higher dimensional operators on the issue of vacuum stability in a model containing two interacting scalar fields. As a framework we used the curved spacetime Effective Field Theory (cEFT) applied to the aforementioned system in which one of the scalars is heavy. After integrating out the heavy scalar we used the standard Euclidean approach to the obtained cEFT. Apart from analyzing the influence of standard operators like the non-minimal coupling to gravity and the dimension six contribution to the scalar field potential, we…
We revisit the invariance of the curved spacetime Maxwell equations under conformal transformations. Contrary to standard literature, we include the discussion of the four-current, the wave equations for the four-potential and the field, and the behaviour of gauge conditions under the conformal transformation.
A manifestly covariant equation is derived to describe the second order perturbations in topological defects and membranes on arbitrary curved background spacetimes. This, on one hand, generalizes work on macroscopic strings in Minkowski spacetime and introduces a framework for studing in a precise manner membranes behavior near the black hole horizon and on the other hand, introduces a more general framework for examining the stability of topological defects in curved spacetimes.
Gravity is not only able to be mimicked in flat spacetimes, but also in curved spacetimes. We study analogue gravity models in curved spacetime by considering the relativistic Gross-Pitaevskii theory and Yang-Mills theory in the fixed background spacetime geometry. The results show that acoustic metrics can be emergent from curved spacetimes yielding a Hadamard product of a real metric-tensor and an analogue metric-tensor. Taking \emph{quantum vortices} as \emph{test particles}, we evaluate their released energy ratio during the "gravitational binding". The $2+1$-dimensional flat Minkowski met…
The Hamiltonian formulation of modified dispersion relations (MDRs) allows for their implementation on generic curved spacetimes. In turn it is possible to derive phenomenological effects. I will present how to construct the kappa-Poincare dispersion relation on curved spacetimes, its spherically symmetric realizations, among them the kappa deformation of Schwarzschild spacetime, and its implementation on Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker spacetimes with arbitrary scale factor. In addition we will construct the general first order modifications of the general relativistic dispersion relation…
Derrick's theorem is an important result that decides the existence of soliton configurations in field theories in different dimensions. It is proved using the extremization of finite energy of configurations under the scaling transformation. According to this theorem, the $2+1$ dimension is the critical dimension for the existence of solitons in scalar field theories without the gauge fields. In the present article, Derrick's theorem is extended in a generic curved spacetime in a covariant manner. Moreover, the existence of solitons in conformally flat spacetimes and spherically symmetric spa…
Recently, with numerical methods, Hod clarified the validity of Thorne hoop conjecture for spatially regular static charged fluid spheres, which were considered as counterexamples against the hoop conjecture. In this work, we provide an analytical proof on Thorne hoop conjecture in the spatially regular static charged fluid sphere spacetimes.
We show that a notion of one-particle state and the corresponding vacuum state exists in general curved backgrounds for spin $\frac{1}{2}$ fields. A curved spacetime can be equipped with a coordinate system in which the metric component $g_{--}=0$. We separate the component of the left-handed massless Dirac field which is annihilated by the null vector $\partial_-$ and compute the corresponding Feynman propagator. We find that the propagating modes are localized on two dimensional subspaces and the Feynman propagator is similar to the Feynman propagator of chiral fermions in two dimensional Mi…
This article aims to explain some of the basic facts about the questions raised in the title, without the technical details that are available in the literature. We provide a gentle introduction to some rather classical results about quantum field theory in curved spacetime and about the thermodynamic limit of quantum statistical mechanics. We also briefly explain that these results have an analog in the large N limit of gauge theory.
In the presented paper we tackle the problem of the effective field theory in curved spacetime (cEFT) construction. To this end, we propose to use the heat kernel method. After introducing the general formalism based on the well established formulas known from the application of the heat kernel method to deriving the one-loop effective action in curved spacetime, we tested it on selected problems. The discussed examples were chosen to serve as a check of validity of the derived formulas by comparing the obtained results to the known flat spacetime calculations. On the other hand, they allowed …
We introduced a generalized Maxwell-Higgs model in a $(3+1)$ isotropic spacetime, and we found their stationary solutions using the BPS approach in curved spacetime. In order to investigate the compact-like vortices, we assume a particular choice for the generalization term. The model is controlled by a potential driven by a single real parameter that can be used to change the vortex solutions profile as they approach their bound values. Resembling some flat spacetime vortex solutions, our model tends to compress the vortices when the parameter $l$ increases. Through numerical analysis, we als…
We reduce Dirac's spinor formalism for a spin 1/2 particle to a complex wavefunction description in curved spacetimes. We consider a localized fermionic particle in curved spacetimes and perform an expansion in terms of the acceleration and curvature around the center of mass of the system, generalizing the results of [Phys. Rev. D 22, 1922]. Under a non-relativistic approximation, one obtains a quantum description in a Hilbert space of complex wavefunctions defined in the rest space of the system. The wavefunction of the particle then evolves according to a modified Schrödinger equation assoc…
Using the method of covariant symbols we compute the divergent part of the effective action of the Proca field with non-minimal mass term. Specifically a quantum Abelian vector field with a non-derivative coupling to an external tensor field in curved spacetime in four dimensions is considered. Relatively explicit expressions are obtained which are manifestly local but non polynomial in the external fields. Our result is shown to reproduce existing ones in all particular cases considered. Internal consistency with Weyl invariance is also verified.
Gravity curves spacetime. In regions where the de Broglie wavelength is very small compared to the curvature of spacetime, the wave equations in flat spacetime can be generalized to curved spacetime. The validity of the formulation when the de Broglie wavelength becomes comparable to the curvature is an open question. To test these formulations experimentally, huge energy of the order of the Planck mass would be required. Euclideanized spacetime is used to model thermal systems. In this work, an equivalence between spatial variation of temperature in thermal baths and curvature of Euclideanize…
We present a new approach to the problem of the thermodynamical equilibrium of a quantum relativistic fluid in a curved spacetime in the limit of small curvature. We calculate the mean value of local operators by expanding the four-temperature Killing vector field in Riemann normal coordinates about the same spacetime point and we derive corrections with respect to the flat spacetime expressions. Thereby, we clarify the origin of the terms proportional to Riemann and Ricci tensors introduced in general hydrodynamic expansion of the stress-energy tensor.
Zitterbewegung, as it was originally described by Schrödinger, is an unphysical, non-observable effect. We verify whether the effect can be observed in non-inertial reference frames/curved spacetimes, where the ambiguity in defining particle states results in a mixing of positive and negative frequency modes. We explicitly demonstrate that such a mixing is in fact necessary to obtain the correct classical value for a particle's velocity in a uniformly accelerated reference frame, whereas in cosmological spacetime a particle does indeed exhibit Zitterbewegung.
We compute the equation of state for an ensemble of degenerate fermions by using the curved spacetime of a slowly rotating axially symmetric star. We show that the equation of state computed in such curved spacetime depends on the gravitational time dilation as well as on the dragging of inertial frames, unlike an equation of state computed in a globally flat spacetime. The effect of gravitational time dilation leads to a significant enhancement of the maximum mass limit of a degenerate neutron star. However, such an enhancement due to the frame-dragging effect is extremely small. Nevertheless…
In the study of spherical degenerate stars such as neutron stars, general relativistic effects are incorporated by using Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equations to describe their interior spacetime. However, the equation of states employed in such studies are invariably computed in flat spacetime. We show that the equation of states computed in the curved spacetime of these stars depend explicitly on the metric function. Further, we show that ignoring such metric-dependent gravitational time dilation effect leads one to grossly underestimate the mass limits of these compact stars.
We formulate the lattice QCD simulation with background classical gravitational fields. This formulation enables us to study nonperturbative aspects of quantum phenomena in curved spacetimes from the first principles. As the first application, we perform the simulation with the Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker metric and analyze particle production in the expanding universe.
Relativistic spin-1/2 particles in curved spacetime are naturally described by Dirac theory, which is a dynamical and Lorentz-invariant field theory. In this work, we propose a non-dynamical fermion theory in 3+1 dimensions dubbed spinor topological field theory, built in terms of a spinor field and a Cartan connection related to de Sitter group. We show that our model gives rise to the Dirac theory in curved spacetime when the local de Sitter gauge invariance of the model breaks down to the Lorentz gauge invariance, providing also a geometric origin to the fermion mass. Finally, we show that …
We propose a fully covariant model for smeared particle detectors in quantum field theory in curved spacetimes. We show how effects related to accelerated motion of the detector and the curvature of spacetime influence the way different observers assign an interaction Hamiltonian between the detector and the field. The fully covariant formulation explicitly leaves the physical predictions of the theory invariant under general coordinate transformations, hence providing a description of particle detector models (e.g., Unruh-DeWitt detectors, models for the light-matter interaction, etc) that is…
