Subtraction-free renormalization of the quantum-field vacuum energy in the presence of nontrivial boundary conditions

2005 ◽  
Vol 143 (1) ◽  
pp. 529-540
Author(s):  
I. Yu. Malakhov ◽  
K. A. Sveshnikov ◽  
P. K. Silaev
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Vacuum Energy ◽  
Quantum Field

scholarly journals Thermal Casimir effect with general boundary conditions

2020 ◽  
Vol 80 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Muñoz-Castañeda ◽  
L. Santamaría-Sanz ◽  
M. Donaire ◽  
M. Tello-Fraile
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Vacuum Energy ◽  
Casimir Effect ◽  
Quantum Field ◽  
Quantum Vacuum ◽  
Parallel Plates ◽  
Casimir Forces ◽  
Thermal Correction ◽  
Frequency Independent ◽  
Scalar Quantum

Abstract In this paper we study the system of a scalar quantum field confined between two plane, isotropic, and homogeneous parallel plates at thermal equilibrium. We represent the plates by the most general lossless and frequency-independent boundary conditions that satisfy the conditions of isotropy and homogeneity and are compatible with the unitarity of the quantum field theory. Under these conditions we compute the thermal correction to the quantum vacuum energy as a function of the temperature and the parameters encoding the boundary condition. The latter enables us to obtain similar results for the pressure between plates and the quantum thermal correction to the entropy. We find out that our system is thermodynamically stable for any boundary conditions, and we identify a critical temperature below which certain boundary conditions yield attractive, repulsive, and null Casimir forces.

scholarly journals How low can vacuum energy go when your fields are finite-dimensional?

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (14) ◽  
pp. 1944006
Author(s):  
ChunJun Cao ◽  
Aidan Chatwin-Davies ◽  
Ashmeet Singh
Keyword(s):  
Field Theory ◽  
Quantum Field Theory ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Vacuum Energy ◽  
Quantum Field ◽  
Locally Finite ◽  
Finite Dimensional ◽  
Finite Dimensionality ◽  
Klein Gordon ◽  
Dimensional Version

According to the holographic bound, there is only a finite density of degrees of freedom in space when gravity is taken into account. Conventional quantum field theory does not conform to this bound, since in this framework, infinitely many degrees of freedom may be localized to any given region of space. In this paper, we explore the viewpoint that quantum field theory may emerge from an underlying theory that is locally finite-dimensional, and we construct a locally finite-dimensional version of a Klein–Gordon scalar field using generalized Clifford algebras. Demanding that the finite-dimensional field operators obey a suitable version of the canonical commutation relations makes this construction essentially unique. We then find that enforcing local finite dimensionality in a holographically consistent way leads to a huge suppression of the quantum contribution to vacuum energy, to the point that the theoretical prediction becomes plausibly consistent with observations.

scholarly journals ISSUES WITH VACUUM ENERGY AS THE ORIGIN OF DARK ENERGY

2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (27) ◽  
pp. 1250154 ◽  
Author(s):  
HOURI ZIAEEPOUR
Keyword(s):  
Field Theory ◽  
Quantum Field Theory ◽  
Dark Energy ◽  
Particle Physics ◽  
Vacuum Energy ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Higgs Field ◽  
Scalar Fields ◽  
Vacuum Energy Density ◽  
Quantum Field

In this paper, we address some of the issues raised in the literature about the conflict between a large vacuum energy density, a priori predicted by quantum field theory, and the observed dark energy which must be the energy of vacuum or include it. We present a number of arguments against this claim and in favor of a null vacuum energy. They are based on the following arguments: A new definition for the vacuum in quantum field theory as a frame-independent coherent state; results from a detailed study of condensation of scalar fields in Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker (FLRW) background performed in a previous work; and our present knowledge about the Standard Model of particle physics. One of the predictions of these arguments is the confinement of nonzero expectation value of Higgs field to scales roughly comparable with the width of electroweak gauge bosons or shorter. If the observation of Higgs by the LHC is confirmed, accumulation of relevant events and their energy dependence in near future should allow us to measure the spatial extend of the Higgs condensate.

scholarly journals Anomalous symmetries end at the boundary

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Thorngren ◽  
Yifan Wang
Keyword(s):  
Field Theory ◽  
Quantum Field Theory ◽  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Global Symmetries ◽  
Local Symmetry ◽  
Global Symmetry ◽  
Quantum Field ◽  
Ward Identities ◽  
Diffeomorphism Symmetry ◽  
Gravitational Anomalies

Abstract A global symmetry of a quantum field theory is said to have an ’t Hooft anomaly if it cannot be promoted to a local symmetry of a gauged theory. In this paper, we show that the anomaly is also an obstruction to defining symmetric boundary conditions. This applies to Lorentz symmetries with gravitational anomalies as well. For theories with perturbative anomalies, we demonstrate the obstruction by analyzing the Wess-Zumino consistency conditions and current Ward identities in the presence of a boundary. We then recast the problem in terms of symmetry defects and find the same conclusions for anomalies of discrete and orientation-reversing global symmetries, up to the conjecture that global gravitational anomalies, which may not be associated with any diffeomorphism symmetry, also forbid the existence of boundary conditions. This conjecture holds for known gravitational anomalies in D ≤ 3 which allows us to conclude the obstruction result for D ≤ 4.

scholarly journals Axion–photon mixing in quantum field theory and vacuum energy

2019 ◽  
Vol 790 ◽  
pp. 427-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Capolupo ◽  
I. De Martino ◽  
G. Lambiase ◽  
An. Stabile
Keyword(s):  
Field Theory ◽  
Quantum Field Theory ◽  
Vacuum Energy ◽  
Quantum Field

scholarly journals Exorcising ghosts in quantum gravity

2020 ◽  
Vol 135 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Iberê Kuntz
Keyword(s):  
Field Theory ◽  
Quantum Field Theory ◽  
Quantum Gravity ◽  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Finite Number ◽  
Integration Contour ◽  
Quantum Field ◽  
Curvature Invariants ◽  
Higher Derivative ◽  
Quadratic Gravity

AbstractWe remark that Ostrogradsky ghosts in higher-derivative gravity, with a finite number of derivatives, are fictitious as they result from an unjustified truncation performed in a complete theory containing infinitely many curvature invariants. The apparent ghosts can then be projected out of the quadratic gravity spectrum by redefining the boundary conditions of the theory in terms of an integration contour that does not enclose the ghost poles. This procedure does not alter the renormalizability of the theory. One can thus use quadratic gravity as a quantum field theory of gravity that is both renormalizable and unitary.

scholarly journals Some differences between Dirac's hole theory and quantum field theory

2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 257-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Solomon
Keyword(s):  
Field Theory ◽  
Quantum Field Theory ◽  
Exact Solution ◽  
Dirac Equation ◽  
Vacuum Energy ◽  
Time Dependent ◽  
Quantum Field ◽  
Hole Theory

Dirac's hole theory (HT) and quantum field theory (QFT) are generally considered equivalent. However, it was recently shown by several investigators that this is not necessarily the case because when the change in the vacuum energy was calculated for a time-independent perturbation, HT and QFT yielded different results. In this paper, we extend this discussion to include a time-dependent perturbation for which the exact solution to the Dirac equation is known. We show that for this case also, HT and QFT yield different results. In addition, we offer some discussion of the problem of anomalies in QFT. PACS Nos.: 03.65–w, 11.10–z

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document