Conformal field theory on the half-space x>0 of Minkowski space-time ("boundary CFT") is analyzed from an algebraic point of view, clarifying in particular the algebraic structure of local algebras and the bi-localized charge structure of local fields. The field content and the admissible boundary conditions are characterized in terms of a non-local chiral field algebra.
The relations and differences between various classification problems arising in the context of local two-dimensional conformal QFT, modular invariants, and subfactors are discussed. The extent to which locality implies modular invariance, is exhibited.
This PhD thesis focuses on local conformal nets of von Neumann algebras on the circle. For a more detailed description of its content and of the results published within, see its preface.
Global conformal invariance (GCI) of quantum field theory (QFT) in two and higher space-time dimensions implies the Huygens' principle, and hence, rationality of correlation functions of observable fields (see Commun. Math. Phys. 218 (2001) 417-436; hep-th/0009004). The conformal Hamiltonian $H$ has discrete spectrum assumed here to be finitely degenerate. We then prove that thermal expectation values of field products on compactified Minkowski space can be represented as finite linear combinations of basic (doubly periodic) elliptic functions in the conformal time variables (of periods 1 and …
We analyze the set of locally normal KMS states w.r.t. the translation group for a local conformal net A of von Neumann algebras on R. In this first part, we focus on completely rational net A. Our main result here states that, if A is completely rational, there exists exactly one locally normal KMS state ϕ. Moreover, ϕis canonically constructed by a geometric procedure. A crucial rôle is played by the analysis of the "thermal completion net" associated with a locally normal KMS state. A similar uniqueness result holds for KMS states of two-dimensional local conformal nets w.r.t. the time-tran…
We study the structure of local algebras in relativistic conformal quantum field theory with phase boundaries. Phase boundaries are instances of a more general notion of boundaries that give rise to a variety of algebraic structures. These can be formulated in a common framework originating in Algebraic QFT, with the principle of Einstein Causality playing a prominent role.We classify the phase boundary conditions by the centre of a certain universal construction, which produces a reducible representation in which all possible boundary conditions are realized. For a large class of models, the …
In a recent paper we showed that the correlators of free scalar field theory in four dimensions can be constructed from a two dimensional topological field theory based on so(4,2) equivariant maps (intertwiners). The free field result, along with results of Frenkel and Libine on equivariance properties of Feynman integrals, are developed further in this paper. We show that the coefficient of the log term in the 1-loop 4-point conformal integral is a projector in the tensor product of so(4,2) representations. We also show that the 1-loop 4-point integral can be written as a sum of four terms, e…
In this work we report a homological perturbation calculation to construct effective theories of topological quantum mechanics on $\mathbb{R}_{\geqslant 0}$. Such calculation can be regarded as a generalization of Feynman graph computation. The resulting effective theories fit into derived BV algebra structure, which generalizes BV quantization. Besides, our construction may serve as the simplest example of a process called "boundary transfer", which may help study bulk-boundary correspondence.
We review our recent construction of operator-algebraic quantum field models with a weak localization property. Chiral components of two-dimensional conformal fields and certain endomorphisms of their observable algebras play a crucial role. In one case, this construction leads to a family of strictly local (Haag-Kastler) nets.
The main aim of this work is to relate integrability in QFT with a complete particle interpretation directly to the principle of causal localization, circumventing the standard method of finding sufficiently many conservation laws. Its precise conceptual-mathematical formulation as "modular localization" within the setting of local operator algebras also suggests novel ways of looking at general (non-integrable) QFTs which are not based on quantizing classical field theories. Conformal QFT, which is known to admit no particle interpretation, suggest the presence of a "partial" integrability, r…
The General Boundary Formulation (GBF) is a new framework for studying quantum theories. After concise overviews of the GBF and Schrödinger-Feynman quantization we apply the GBF to resolve a well known problem on Anti-deSitter spacetime where due to the lack of temporally asymptotic free states the usual S-matrix cannot be defined. We construct a different type of S-matrix plus propagators for free and interacting real Klein-Gordon theory.
We continue the analysis of the set of locally normal KMS states w.r.t. the translation group for a local conformal net A of von Neumann algebras on the real line. In the first part we have proved the uniqueness of KMS state on every completely rational net. In this second part, we exhibit several (non-rational) conformal nets which admit continuously many primary KMS states. We give a complete classification of the KMS states on the U(1)-current net and on the Virasoro net Vir_1 with the central charge c=1, whilst for the Virasoro net Vir_c with c>1 we exhibit a (possibly incomplete) list of …
The main result of these notes is an analytical expression for the partition function of the circular brane model for arbitrary values of the topological angle. The model has important applications in condensed matter physics. It is related to the dissipative rotator (Ambegaokar-Eckern-Schon) model and describes a ``weakly blocked'' quantum dot with an infinite number of tunneling channels under a finite gate voltage bias. A numerical check of the analytical solution by means of Monte Carlo simulations has been performed recently. To derive the main result we study the so-called boundary paraf…
We consider quantum field theories with boundary on a codimension one hyperplane. Using 1+1 dimensional examples, we clarify the relation between three parameters characterising one-point functions, finite size corrections to the ground state energy and the singularity structure of scattering amplitudes, respectively. We then develop the formalism of boundary states in general D+1 spacetime dimensions and relate the cluster expansion of the boundary state to the correlation functions using reduction formulae. This allows us to derive the cluster expansion in terms of the boundary scattering am…
In suitable states, the modular group of local algebras associated with unions of disjoint intervals in chiral conformal quantum field theory acts geometrically. We translate this result into the setting of boundary conformal QFT and interpret it as a relation between temperature and acceleration. We also discuss aspects ("mixing" and "charge splitting") of geometric modular action for unions of disjoint intervals in the vacuum state.
In the framework of Quantum Field Theory, we provide a rigorous, operator algebraic notion of entanglement entropy associated with a pair of open double cones $O \subset \tilde O$ of the spacetime, where the closure of $O$ is contained in $\tilde O$. Given a QFT net $A$ of local von Neumann algebras $A(O)$, we consider the von Neumann entropy $S_A(O, \tilde O)$ of the restriction of the vacuum state to the canonical intermediate type $I$ factor for the inclusion of von Neumann algebras $A(O)\subset A(\tilde O)$ (split property). We show that this canonical entanglement entropy $S_A(O, \tilde O…
Scalar BMS-invariant QFT defined on the causal boundary $\scri$ of an asymptotically flat spacetime is discussed. (a)(i) It is noticed that the natural $BMS$ invariant pure quasifree state $λ$ on $\cW(\scri)$, recently introduced by Dappiaggi, Moretti an Pinamonti, enjoys positivity of the self-adjoint generator of $u$-translations with respect to {\em every} Bondi coordinate frame $(u,\z,\bz)$ on $\scri$, $u\in \bR$ being the affine parameter of the null geodesics forming $\scri$. This fact may be interpreted as a remnant of spectral condition inherited from Minkowski spacetime. (ii) It is pr…
We analyze the asymptotically free massless scalar $ϕ^3$ quantum field theory in 6 dimensions, using resurgent asymptotic analysis to find the trans-series solutions which yield the non-perturbative completion of the divergent perturbative solutions to the Kreimer-Connes Hopf-algebraic Dyson-Schwinger equations for the anomalous dimension. This scalar conformal field theory is asymptotically free and has a real Lipatov instanton. In the Hopf-algebraic approach we find a trans-series having an intricate Borel singularity structure, with three distinct but resonant non-perturbative terms, each r…
Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology(斯科尔科沃科学技术研究所);Saint Petersburg State University(圣彼得堡国立大学);National Research University Higher School of Economics(俄罗斯国立高等经济大学)
Thermal One-point Functions and Asymptotic CFT Data: QFT in AdS
School of Mathematics and Hamilton Mathematics Institute, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland(三一学院);Deutsches Elektronen-Synchroton DESY, Notkestr. 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany(德国电子同步加速器);CPHT, CNRS, École polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91120 Palaiseau, France(巴黎理工学院);Department of Physics, University of Pisa and INFN, Largo Pontecorvo 3, I-56127 Pisa, Italy(比萨大学)
We propose an extension of the definition of vertex algebras in arbitrary space-time dimensions together with their basic structure theory. An one-to-one correspondence between these vertex algebras and axiomatic quantum field theory (QFT) with global conformal invariance (GCI) is constructed.
We give introductions into the representation theory of the Virasoro algebra, Wightman axioms and vertex algebras in the first part. In the second part, we compare the above definitions. We give a proof of Luescher and Mack that a dilation invariant 2D QFT with an energy-momentum tensor gives rise to two commuting unitary representations of the Virasoro algebra. In the last chapter we compare Wightman QFTs to vertex algebras. We present Kac's proof that every Wightman Moebius CFT (a 2D Wightman QFT containing quasiprimary fields) gives rise to two commuting strongly-generated positive-energy M…
Higher dimensional conformal QFT possesses an interesting braided structure which, different from the d=1+1 models, is restricted to the timelike region and therefore easily escapes euclidean action methods. It lies behind the spectrum of anomalous dimensions which may be viewed as a kind of substitute for a missing particle interpretation in the presence of interactions.
We describe applications of the gluing formalism discussed in the companion paper. When a $d$-dimensional local theory $\text{QFT}_d$ is supersymmetric, and if we can find a supersymmetric polarization for $\text{QFT}_d$ quantized on a $(d-1)$-manifold $W$, gluing along $W$ is described by a non-local $\text{QFT}_{d-1}$ that has an induced supersymmetry. Applying supersymmetric localization to $\text{QFT}_{d-1}$, which we refer to as the boundary localization, allows in some cases to represent gluing by finite-dimensional integrals over appropriate spaces of supersymmetric boundary conditions.…
The concept of a "space of quantum field theories" or "theory space" was set out in the 1970's in work of Wilson, Friedan and others. This structure should play an important role in organizing and classifying QFTs, and in the study of the string landscape, allowing us to say when two theories are connected by finite variations of the couplings or by RG flows, when a sequence of QFTs converges to another QFT, and bounding the amount of information needed to uniquely specify a QFT, enabling us to estimate their number. As yet we do not have any definition of theory space which can be used to mak…
We study the perturbative quantization of 2-dimensional massive scalar field theory with polynomial (or power series) potential on manifolds with boundary. We prove that it fits into the functorial quantum field theory framework of Atiyah-Segal. In particular, we prove that the perturbative partition function defined in terms of integrals over configuration spaces of points on the surface satisfies an Atiyah-Segal type gluing formula. Tadpoles (short loops) behave nontrivially under gluing and play a crucial role in the result.
Under natural conditions (such as split property and geometric modular action of wedge algebras) it is shown that the unitary equivalence class of the net of local (von Neumann) algebras in the vacuum sector associated to double cones with bases on a fixed space-like hyperplane completely determines an algebraic QFT model. More precisely, if for two models there is unitary connecting all of these algebras, then --- without assuming that this unitary also connects their respective vacuum states or spacetime symmetry representations --- it follows that the two models are equivalent. This result …
We provide a model independent construction of a net of C*-algebras satisfying the Haag-Kastler axioms over any spacetime manifold. Such a net, called the net of causal loops, is constructed by selecting a suitable base K encoding causal and symmetry properties of the spacetime. Considering K as a partially ordered set (poset) with respect to the inclusion order relation, we define groups of closed paths (loops) formed by the elements of K. These groups come equipped with a causal disjointness relation and an action of the symmetry group of the spacetime. In this way the local algebras of the …
We construct local, boost covariant boundary QFT nets of von Neumann algebras on the interior of the Lorentz hyperboloid LH = {x^2 - t^2 > R^2, x>0}, in the two-dimensional Minkowski spacetime. Our first construction is canonical, starting with a local conformal net on the real line, and is analogous to our previous construction of local boundary CFT nets on the Minkowski half-space. This net is in a thermal state at Hawking temperature. Then, inspired by a recent construction by E. Witten and one of us, we consider a unitary semigroup that we use to build up infinitely many nets. Surprisingly…
We confirm the equivalence of the Schrödinger representation and the holomorphic one, based on previous results of the General Boundary Formulation (GBF) of quantum field theory. On a wide class of curved spacetimes, we consider real Klein-Gordon theory in two types of regions: interval regions (consisting e.g. of a time interval times all of space), and rod regions (a solid ball of space extended over all of time). Using mode expansions, we provide explicit expressions for the Schrödinger vacuum (which determines this representation) and for the corresponding complex structure on the space of…
We introduce a new type of spectral density condition, that we call L^2-nuclearity. One formulation concerns lowest weight unitary representations of SL(2,R) and turns out to be equivalent to the existence of characters. A second formulation concerns inclusions of local observable von Neumann algebras in Quantum Field Theory. We show the two formulations to agree in chiral Conformal QFT and, starting from the trace class condition for the semigroup generated by the conformal Hamiltonian L_0, we infer and naturally estimate the Buchholz-Wichmann nuclearity condition and the (distal) split prope…
We construct continuously parametrised families of conformally invariant boundary operators on densities. These may also be viewed as conformally covariant boundary operators on functions and generalise to higher orders the first-order conformal Robin operator and an analogous third-order operator of Chang-Qing. Our families include operators of critical order on odd-dimensional boundaries. Combined with the (conformal Laplacian power) GJMS operators, a suitable selection of the boundary operators yields formally self-adjoint elliptic conformal boundary problems. Working on a conformal manifol…