scholarly journals Quantum Vacuum Gravitation Matter-Antimatter Antigravity

2021 ◽  
Vol 2090 (1) ◽  
pp. 012044
Author(s):  
Constantin Meis

Abstract Without stating any assumptions or making postulates we show that the electromagnetic quantum vacuum plays a primary role in quantum electrodynamics, particle physics, gravitation and cosmology. Photons are local oscillations of the electromagnetic quantum vacuum field guided by a non-local vector potential wave function. The electron-positron elementary charge emerges naturally from the vacuum field and is related to the photon vector potential. We establish the masse-charge equivalence relation showing that the masses of all particles (leptons, mesons, baryons) and antiparticles have electromagnetic origin. In addition, we deduce that the gravitational constant G is an intrinsic property of the electromagnetic quantum vacuum putting in evidence the electromagnetic nature of gravity. We show that Newton’s gravitational law is equivalent to Coulomb’s electrostatic law. Furthermore, we draw that G is the same for matter and antimatter but gravitational forces could be repulsive between particles and antiparticles because their masses bear naturally opposite signs. The electromagnetic quantum vacuum field may be the natural link between particle physics, quantum electrodynamics, gravitation and cosmology constituting a basic step towards a unified field theory.

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constantin Meis

We investigate the quantization of the vector potential amplitude of the electromagnetic field to a single photon state starting from the fundamental link equations between the classical electromagnetic theory and the quantum mechanical expressions. The resulting wave-particle formalism ensures a coherent transition between the classical electromagnetic wave theory and the quantum representation. A quantization constant of the photon vector potential is defined. A new quantum vacuum description results directly in having very low energy density. The calculated spontaneous emission rate and Lambs shift for the nS states of the hydrogen atom are in agreement with quantum electrodynamics. This low energy quantum vacuum state might be compatible with recent astrophysical observations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabien Quéré ◽  
Henri Vincenti

Abstract The quantum vacuum plays a central role in physics. Quantum electrodynamics (QED) predicts that the properties of the fermionic quantum vacuum can be probed by extremely large electromagnetic fields. The typical field amplitudes required correspond to the onset of the ‘optical breakdown’ of this vacuum, expected at light intensities >4.7×1029 W/cm2. Approaching this ‘Schwinger limit’ would enable testing of major but still unverified predictions of QED. Yet, the Schwinger limit is seven orders of magnitude above the present record in light intensity achieved by high-power lasers. To close this considerable gap, a promising paradigm consists of reflecting these laser beams off a mirror in relativistic motion, to induce a Doppler effect that compresses the light pulse in time down to the attosecond range and converts it to shorter wavelengths, which can then be focused much more tightly than the initial laser light. However, this faces a major experimental hurdle: how to generate such relativistic mirrors? In this article, we explain how this challenge could nowadays be tackled by using so-called ‘relativistic plasma mirrors’. We argue that approaching the Schwinger limit in the coming years by applying this scheme to the latest generation of petawatt-class lasers is a challenging but realistic objective.


Universe ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 45
Author(s):  
Christof Wetterich

We compute the effective potential for scalar fields in asymptotically safe quantum gravity. A scaling potential and other scaling functions generalize the fixed point values of renormalizable couplings. The scaling potential takes a non-polynomial form, approaching typically a constant for large values of scalar fields. Spontaneous symmetry breaking may be induced by non-vanishing gauge couplings. We strengthen the arguments for a prediction of the ratio between the masses of the top quark and the Higgs boson. Higgs inflation in the standard model is unlikely to be compatible with asymptotic safety. Scaling solutions with vanishing relevant parameters can be sufficient for a realistic description of particle physics and cosmology, leading to an asymptotically vanishing “cosmological constant” or dynamical dark energy.


Symmetry ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1323 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Jordan Maclay

Understanding the hydrogen atom has been at the heart of modern physics. Exploring the symmetry of the most fundamental two body system has led to advances in atomic physics, quantum mechanics, quantum electrodynamics, and elementary particle physics. In this pedagogic review, we present an integrated treatment of the symmetries of the Schrodinger hydrogen atom, including the classical atom, the SO(4) degeneracy group, the non-invariance group or spectrum generating group SO(4,1), and the expanded group SO(4,2). After giving a brief history of these discoveries, most of which took place from 1935–1975, we focus on the physics of the hydrogen atom, providing a background discussion of the symmetries, providing explicit expressions for all of the manifestly Hermitian generators in terms of position and momenta operators in a Cartesian space, explaining the action of the generators on the basis states, and giving a unified treatment of the bound and continuum states in terms of eigenfunctions that have the same quantum numbers as the ordinary bound states. We present some new results from SO(4,2) group theory that are useful in a practical application, the computation of the first order Lamb shift in the hydrogen atom. By using SO(4,2) methods, we are able to obtain a generating function for the radiative shift for all levels. Students, non-experts, and the new generation of scientists may find the clearer, integrated presentation of the symmetries of the hydrogen atom helpful and illuminating. Experts will find new perspectives, even some surprises.


Quantum ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 393
Author(s):  
Jan F. Haase ◽  
Luca Dellantonio ◽  
Alessio Celi ◽  
Danny Paulson ◽  
Angus Kan ◽  
...  

Gauge theories establish the standard model of particle physics, and lattice gauge theory (LGT) calculations employing Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods have been pivotal in our understanding of fundamental interactions. The present limitations of MCMC techniques may be overcome by Hamiltonian-based simulations on classical or quantum devices, which further provide the potential to address questions that lay beyond the capabilities of the current approaches. However, for continuous gauge groups, Hamiltonian-based formulations involve infinite-dimensional gauge degrees of freedom that can solely be handled by truncation. Current truncation schemes require dramatically increasing computational resources at small values of the bare couplings, where magnetic field effects become important. Such limitation precludes one from `taking the continuous limit' while working with finite resources. To overcome this limitation, we provide a resource-efficient protocol to simulate LGTs with continuous gauge groups in the Hamiltonian formulation. Our new method allows for calculations at arbitrary values of the bare coupling and lattice spacing. The approach consists of the combination of a Hilbert space truncation with a regularization of the gauge group, which permits an efficient description of the magnetically-dominated regime. We focus here on Abelian gauge theories and use 2+1 dimensional quantum electrodynamics as a benchmark example to demonstrate this efficient framework to achieve the continuum limit in LGTs. This possibility is a key requirement to make quantitative predictions at the field theory level and offers the long-term perspective to utilise quantum simulations to compute physically meaningful quantities in regimes that are precluded to quantum Monte Carlo.


Author(s):  
Jean Zinn-Justin

Supersymmetry has been proposed, in particular as a principle to solve the so-called fine-tuning problem in particle physics by relating the masses of scalar particles (like Higgs fields) to those of fermions, which can be protected against ‘large’ mass renormalization by chiral symmetry. However, supersymmetry is, at best, an approximate symmetry broken at a scale beyond the reach of a large hadron collider (LHC), because the possible supersymmetric partners of known particles have not been discovered yet (2020) and thus, if they exist, must be much heavier. Exact supersymmetry would also have implied the vanishing of the vacuum energy and thus, of the cosmological constant. The discovery of dark energy has a natural interpretation as resulting from a very small cosmological constant. However, a naive model based on broken supersymmetry would still predict 60 orders of magnitude too large a value compared to 120 orders of magnitude otherwise. Gauging supersymmetry leads naturally to a unification with gravity, because the commutators of supersymmetry currents involve the energy momentum tensor. First, examples of supersymmetric theories involving scalar superfields, simple generalizations of supersymmetric quantum mechanics (QM) are described. The new feature of supersymmetry in higher dimensions is the combination of supersymmetry with spin, since fermions have spins. In four dimensions, theories with chiral scalar fields and vector fields are constructed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 160 (35) ◽  
pp. 1395-1402
Author(s):  
Csenge Csorba ◽  
Norbert Pásztor ◽  
Emese Szalma ◽  
Gabriella Kovács ◽  
András Palkó ◽  
...  

Abstract: The incidence of endometriosis, including atypical forms of the disease, has been continuously growing, thus increasingly challenging for the imaging specialists as well. We conducted a retrospective study to analyze the results of ultrasound-guided interventions between 2016 and 2018. All interventions were performed in female patients due to uncertain abdominal wall lesions at the University of Szeged, Hungary. The abdominal wall lesions were incidentally detected, one by CT, the others by ultrasound examinations. We identified 12 cases during the study period. The average age of the patients was 59 years (29–79), 8 of them had abdominal surgery in their medical history. The mean diameter of the masses was 34.4 mm (20–49 mm). Since the indication of imaging examinations was the evaluation of a known or suspected malignancy, four patients had undergone an MRI prior to the biopsy. In addition, ultrasound-guided biopsy was not performed in another two patients, and the diagnosis was established by histological examination of the surgically removed specimens. The histological examination revealed malignant primary serous epithelial tumor in one case, metastases in six cases, endometriosis in six patients and abdominal wall abscess was found in one patient. Endometriosis was more frequent in the younger patients. The likelihood of endometriosis as a cause of abdominal wall lesions of younger, premenopausal female patients is rather high, especially with obstetrical or gynaecological operations in the medical history. Ultrasound plays a primary role in the detection and therapy planning of these lesions. Orv Hetil. 2019; 160(35): 1395–1403.


For over 40 years, optical and microwave spectroscopists, and atomic, nuclear and elementary particle physicists have been engaged in measuring the 2 2 S ½ -2 2 P ½ energy level separation in atomic hydrogen (the Lamb shift) and attempting to predict the splitting theoretically. The discrepancies encountered have influenced the development of theoretical methods of calculation in the areas of atomic structure, quantum electrodynamics and elementary particle physics. In this paper we present the results of a precision microwave determination of the Lamb shift, using a fast atomic beam and a single microwave interaction region. The value obtained is in substantial agreement with the earlier determinations and with the recent calculation by Mohr but is in disagreement with the earlier calculation by Erickson. This disagreement is further accentuated if recent modifications to the size of the proton are included, whereas the agreement with Mohr’s calculation is not affected. The experimental method uses a 21 keV beam of metastable 2 s hydrogen atoms which are obtained by charge exchange of a proton beam extracted from a radio frequency (r.f.) ion source. The experiment is performed in essentially zero magnetic field and uses a precision transmission line interaction region to induce r.f. transitions at the Lamb shift frequency. The result for the 2 2 S ½ F = 0 to 2 2 P ½ F = 1 interval in zero field is 909.904 ± 0.020 MHz corresponding to a Lamb shift of 1057.862 ± 0.020 MHz. The paper discusses the method and the host of corrections for systematic effects which need to be applied to the line centre, many of which have not been sufficiently understood or controlled in previous experiments. The paper is introduced with a brief survey of significant landmarks in calculation and measurement of the Lamb shift and concludes with a comparison of the present theoretical and experimental positions.


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