arXiv subjects

B. -S. Skagerstam

Publications and source records attributed to B. -S. Skagerstam.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2017

Gauge Theories and Fibre Bundles - Applications to Particle Dynamics

The underlying mathematical structures of gauge theories are known to be geometrical in nature and the local and global features of this geometry have been studied for a long time in mathematics under the name of fibre bundles. It is now understood that the global properties of gauge theories can have a profound influence on physics. For example, instantons and monopoles are both consequences of properties of geometry in the large, and the former can lead to, e.g., CP-violation, while the latter can lead to such remarkable results as the creation of fermions out of bosons. Some familiarity with global differential geometry and fibre bundles seems therefore very desirable to a physicist who works with gauge theories. One of the purposes of the present work is to introduce the physicist to these disciplines using simple examples.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2012

Morse potential derived from first principles

We show that a direct connection can be drawn, based on fundamental quantum principles, between the Morse potential, extensively used as an empirical description for the atomic interaction in diatomic molecules, and the harmonic potential. This is conceptually achieved here through a non-additive translation operator, whose action leads to a perfect equivalence between the quantum harmonic oscillator in deformed space and the quantum Morse oscillator in regular space. In this way, our theoretical approach provides a distinctive first principle rationale for anharmonicity, therefore revealing a possible quantum origin for several related properties as, for example, the dissociation energy of diatomic molecules and the deformation of cubic metals.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2011

Interference of Light in Michelson-Morley Interferometer: A Quantum Optical Approach

We investigate how the temporal coherence interference properties of light in a Michelson-Morley interferometer (MMI), using only a single-photon detector, can be understood in a quantum-optics framework in a straightforward and pedagogical manner. For this purpose we make use of elementary quantum field theory and Glaubers theory for photon detection in order to calculate the expected interference pattern in the MMI. If a thermal reference source is used in the MMI local oscillator port in combination with a thermal source in the signal port, the interference pattern revealed by such an intensity measurement shows a distinctive dependence on the differences in the temperature of the two sources. The MMI can therefore be used in order to perform temperature measurements. A related method was actually used to carry out high precision measurements of the cosmic micro-wave background radiation on board of the COBE satellite. The theoretical framework allows us to consider any initial quantum state. The interference of single photons as a tool to determine the angular peak-frequency of a one-photon pulse interfering with a single-photon reference pulse is, e.g., considered. A similar consideration for coherent laser pulses leads to a different response in the detector. The MMI experimental setup is therefore in a sense an example of an optical device where one can exhibit the difference between classical and quantum-mechanical light using only intensity measurements.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2006

Memory Effects and Scaling Properties of Traffic Flows

Traffic flows are studied in terms of their noise of sound, which is an easily accessible experimental quantity. The sound noise data is studied making use of scaling properties of wavelet transforms and Hurst exponents are extracted. The scaling behavior is used to characterize the traffic flows in terms of scaling properties of the memory function in Mori-Lee stochastic differential equations. The results obtained provides for a new theoretical as well as experimental framework to characterize the large-time behavior of traffic flows. The present paper outlines the procedure by making use of one-lane computer simulations as well as sound-data measurements from a real two-lane traffic flow. We find the presence of conventional diffusion as well as 1/f-noise in real traffic flows at large time scales.

physics.data-an↗

arXiv1994

Condensation and Magnetization of the Relativistic Bose Gas

We present a simple proof of the absence of Bose--Einstein condensation of a relativistic boson gas, in any finite local magnetic field in less than five dimensions. We show that the relativistic charged boson gas exhibit a genuine Meissner--Ochsenfeld effect of the Schafroth form at fixed supercritical density. As in the well--known non--relativistic case, this total expulsion of a magnetic field is caused by the condensation of the Bose gas at vanishing magnetic field. The result is discussed in the context of kaon condensation in neutron stars.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1993

Real-Time Thermal Propagators and the QED Effective Action for an External Magnetic Field

The thermal averaged real-time propagator of a Dirac fermion in a static uniform magnetic field $B$ is derived. At non-zero chemical potential and temperature we find explicitly the effective action for the magnetic field, which is shown to be closely related to the Helmholz free energy of a relativistic fermion gas, and it exhibits the expected de\ Haas -- van\ Alphen oscillations. An effective QED coupling constant at finite temperature and density is derived, and compared with renormalization group results. We discuss some astrophysical implications of our results.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1993

Charged Boson Stars and Vacuum Instabilities

We consider charged boson stars and study their effect on the structure of the vacuum. For very compact particle like ``stars", with constituent mass $m_{*}$ close to the Planck mass $m_{Pl}$, i.e. $m_{*}^{2} = {\cal O} (αm_{Pl}^{2})$, we argue that there is a limiting total electric charge $Z_c$, which, primarily, is due to the formation of a pion condensate ($Z_{c} \simeq 0.5α^{-1}e$, where $α$ is the fine structure constant and $e$ is the electric charge of the positron). If the charge of the ``star" is larger than $Z_c$ we find numerical evidence for a complete screening indicating a limiting charge for a very compact object. There is also a less efficient competing charge screening mechanism due to spontaneous electron-positron pair creation in which case $Z_{c} \simeq α^{-1}e$. Astrophysical and cosmological abundances of charged compact boson stars are briefly discussed in terms of dark matter.

astro-ph↗