We explore the properties of non-local effective actions which include gravitational couplings. Non-local functions originally defined in flat space can not be easily generalized to curved space. The problem is made worse by the calculational impossibility of providing closed form expressions in a general metric. The technique of covariant perturbation theory (CPT) has been pioneered by Vilkovisky, Barvinsky and collaborators whereby the effective action is displayed as an expansion in the generalized curvatures similar to the Schwinger-De Witt local expansion. We present an alternative procedure to construct the non-local action which we call {\em non-linear completion}. Our approach is in one-to-one correspondence with the more familiar diagrammatic expansion of the effective action. This technique moreover enables us to decide on the appropriate non-local action that generates the QED trace anomaly in 4$D$. In particular we discuss carefully the curved space generalization of $\ln \Box$, and show that the anomaly requires both the anomalous logarithm as well as $1/\Box$ term where the latter is related to the Riegert anomaly action.
Hamada and Shiu have recently shown that tree level amplitudes in QED satisfy an infinite hierarchy of soft photon theorems, the first two of which are Weinberg and Low's theorems respectively. In this paper we propose that in tree level massless QED, this entire hierarchy is equivalent to a hierarchy of (asymptotic) conservation laws. We prove the equivalence explicitly for the case of sub-subleading soft photon theorem and give substantial evidence that the equivalence continues to hold for the entire hierarchy. Our work also brings out the (complimentary) relationship between the asymptotic…
Strominger and his collaborators pioneered the study of equivalence between soft theorems and asymptotic conservation laws. We study this equivalence in the context of loop level subleading soft photon theorem for massless scalar QED in presence of dynamical gravity. Motivated by Campiglia and Laddha \cite{1903.09133}, we show that the Sahoo-Sen soft photon theorem \cite{1808.03288} for loop amplitudes is equivalent to an asymptotic conservation law. This asymptotic charge is directly related to the dressing of fields due to long range forces exclusively present in four spacetime dimensions. I…
We perform the perturbative generation of the higher-derivative Chern-Simons contribution to the effective action in the three-dimensional QED at zero and finite temperature. In the latter case, we show that as the temperature goes to infinity this contribution vanishes. However, as expected, as the temperature goes to zero only the covariant part survives. The non-covariant part contributes only in intermediate temperatures where presents a maximum.
In the context of massless quantum electrodynamics (QED) with a linear covariant gauge fixing, the connection between the counterterm and the Hopf-algebraic approach to renormalization is examined. The coproduct formula of Green's functions contains two invariant charges, which give rise to different renormalization group functions. All formulas are tested by explicit computations to third loop order. The possibility of a finite electron self-energy by fixing a generalized linear covariant gauge is discussed. An analysis of subdivergences leads to the conclusion that such a gauge only exists i…
We consider multi-flavor massless $(1+1)$-dimensional QED with chemical potentials at finite spatial length and the zero-temperature limit. Its sign problem is solved using the mean-field calculation with complex saddle points.
We consider massless higher-order gravities in general $D=d+1$ dimensions, which are Einstein gravity extended with higher-order curvature invariants in such a way that the linearized spectrum around the AdS vacua involves only the massless graviton. We derive the covariant holographic two-point functions and find that they have a universal structure. In particular, the theory-dependent overall coefficient factor $\mathcal{C}_T$ can be universally expressed by $(d-1) \mathcal{C}_T=\ell (\partial a/\partial\ell)$, where $a$ is the holographic $a$-charge and $\ell$ is the AdS radius. We verify t…
We revisit the proof of equivalence of one loop expressions for fermion self-energy and vertex correction in light-front QED and Covariant QED at the Feynman diagram level and generalize, to all components, the proof of equivalence for the one loop vertex correction diagram which was presented earlier by us only for the $+$ component of $Λ^μ$. We demonstrate, in the general case also, that the equivalence cannot be established without the third term in the three-term photon propagator in light cone gauge.
An infinite number of physically nontrivial symmetries are found for abelian gauge theories with massless charged particles. They are generated by large $U(1)$ gauge transformations that asymptotically approach an arbitrary function $\varepsilon(z,\bar{z})$ on the conformal sphere at future null infinity ($\mathscr I^+$) but are independent of the retarded time. The value of $\varepsilon$ at past null infinity ($\mathscr I^-$) is determined from that on $\mathscr I^+$ by the condition that it take the same value at either end of any light ray crossing Minkowski space. The $\varepsilon\neq$ con…
We study a three-dimensional non-compact QED with a single two-component massless fermion and two infinitely massive regulator fermions of half the charge using lattice overlap formalism. The parity anomaly is expected to cancel exactly between the massless and regulator fermions in the continuum, but this cancellation is inexact on lattice akin to lattice chiral gauge theories. We show non-perturbatively that parity-breaking terms vanish in the continuum limit at any finite volume. We present numerical evidences that the resulting parity-invariant theory spontaneously breaks parity in the inf…
We study the gauge-covariance of the massless fermion propagator in reduced Quantum Electrodynamics (QED). Starting from its value in some gauge, we evaluate an all order expression for it in another gauge by means of the Landau-Khalatnikov-Fradkin transformation. We find that the weak coupling expansions thus derived are in perfect agreement with the exact calculations. We also prove that the fermion anomalous dimension of reduced QED is gauge invariant to all orders of perturbation theory except for the first one.
We calculate the three- and four-loop corrections to the massless fermion propagator in three-dimensional quenched Quantum Electrodynamics with four-component fermions. The three-loop correction is finite and gauge invariant but the four-loop one has singularities except in the Feynman gauge where it is also finite. Our results explicitly show that, up to four loops, gauge-dependent terms are completely determined by lower order ones in agreement with the Landau-Khalatnikov-Fradkin transformation.
