arXiv subjects

Bert Schroer

Publications and source records attributed to Bert Schroer.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

sQFT: an autonomous explanation of the interactions of quantum particles

Successful applications of a conceptually novel setup of Quantum Field Theory, that accounts for all subtheories of the Standard Model (QED, Electroweak Interaction and Higgs, Yang-Mills and QCD) and beyond (Helicity 2), call for a perspective view in a broader conceptual context. The setting is "autonomous" in the sense of being intrinsically quantum. Its principles are: Hilbert space, Poincaré symmetry and causality. Its free quantum fields are obtained from Wigner's unitary representations of the Poincaré group, with only physical and observable degrees of freedom. A "quantization" of an "underlying" classical theory is not needed. It allows renormalizable perturbation theory with interactions whose detailed structure, and in some cases even the particle content, is predicted by internal consistency. The results confirm and extend observable predictions for the interactions of the SM without assuming a "principle" of gauge invariance.

hep-th↗

arXiv2022

How the Higgs potential got its shape

String-localized quantum field theory allows renormalizable couplings involving massive vector bosons, without invoking negative-norm states and compensating ghosts. We analyze the most general coupling of a massive vector boson to a scalar field, and find that the scalar field necessarily comes with a quartic potential which has the precise shape of the shifted Higgs potential. In other words: the shape of the Higgs potential has not to be assumed, but arises as a consistency condition among fundamental principles of QFT: Hilbert space, causality, and covariance. The consistency can be achieved by relaxing the localization properties of auxiliary quantities, including interacting charged fields, while observable fields and the S-matrix are not affected. This is an instance of the "L-V formalism" - a novel model-independent scheme that can be used as a tool to "renormalize the non-renormalizable" by adding a total derivative to the interaction.

hep-th↗

arXiv2021

Infraparticle quantum fields and the formation of photon clouds

A non-perturbative and exactly solvable quantum field theoretical model for a "dressed Dirac field" is presented, that exhibits all the kinematical features of QED: an appropriate delocalization of the charged field as a prerequisite for the global Gauss Law, superselected photon clouds (asymptotic expectation values of the Maxwell field), infraparticle nature of charged particles that cannot be separated from their photon clouds, broken Lorentz symmetry. The model serves as an intermediate leg on a new roadmap towards full QED, formulated as an off-shell theory, i.e., including a perturbative construction of its interacting charged fields. It also fills a gap in recent discussions of the "Infrared Triangle", and points the way towards a new scattering theory for theories with massless particles of helicity $\geq 1$, in which infraparticles can be described at the level of charged fields, rather than just states.

hep-th↗

arXiv2020

Gauss' Law and String-Localized Quantum Field Theory

The quantum Gauss Law as an interacting field equation is a prominent feature of QED with eminent impact on its algebraic and superselection structure. It forces charged particles to be accompanied by "photon clouds" that cannot be realized in the Fock space, and prevents them from having a sharp mass. Because it entails the possibility of "measurement of charges at a distance", it is well-known to be in conflict with locality of charged fields in a Hilbert space. We show how a new approach to QED advocated by the authors, that avoids indefinite metric and ghosts, can secure causality and achieve Gauss' Law along with all its nontrivial consequences. We explain why this is not at variance with recent results in a paper by Buchholz et al.

hep-th↗

arXiv2019

Positivity and causal localizability in higher spin quantum field theories

It is shown that the recently introduced positivity and causality preserving string-local quantum field theory (SLFT) resolves most No-Go situations in higher spin problems. This includes in particular the Velo-Zwanziger causality problem which turns out to be related in an interesting way to the solution of zero mass Weinberg-Witten issue. In contrast to the indefinite metric and ghosts of gauge theory, SLFT uses only positivity-respecting physical degrees of freedom. The result is a fully Lorentz-covariant and causal string field theory in which light- or space-like linear strings transform covariant under Lorentz transformation. The cooperation of causality and quantum positivity in the presence of interacting s particles leads to remarkable conceptual changes. It turns out that the presence of H-selfinteractions in the Higgs model is not the result of SSB on a postulated Mexican hat potential, but solely the consequence of the implementation of positivity and causality. These principles (and not the imposed gauge symmetry) account also for the Lie-algebra structure of the leading contributions of selfinteracting vector mesons. Second order consistency of selfinteracting vector mesons in SLFT requires the presence of H-particles; this, and not SSB, is the raison d'être for H. The basic conceptual and calculational tool of SLFT is the S-matrix. Its string-independence is a powerful restriction which determines the form of interaction densities in terms of the model-defining particle content and plays a fundamental role in the construction of pl observables and sl interpolating fields.

math-ph↗

arXiv2017

Helicity decoupling in the massless limit of massive tensor fields

Massive and massless potentials play an essential role in the perturbative formulation of particle interactions. Many difficulties arise due to the indefinite metric in gauge theoretic approaches, or the increase with the spin of the UV dimension of massive potentials. All these problems can be evaded in one stroke: modify the potentials by suitable terms that leave unchanged the field strengths, but are not polynomial in the momenta. This feature implies a weaker localization property: the potentials are "string-localized". In this setting, several old issues can be solved directly in the physical Hilbert space of the respective particles: We can control the separation of helicities in the massless limit of higher spin fields and conversely we recover massive potentials with 2s+1 degrees of freedom by a smooth deformation of the massless potentials ("fattening"). We construct stress-energy tensors for massless fields of any helicity (thus evading the Weinberg-Witten theorem). We arrive at a simple understanding of the van Dam-Veltman-Zakharov discontinuity concerning, e.g., the distinction between a massless or a very light graviton. Finally, the use of string-localized fields opens new perspectives for interacting quantum field theories with, e.g., vector bosons or gravitons.

hep-th↗

arXiv2017

Relations between positivity, localization and degrees of freedom: the Weinberg-Witten theorem and the van Dam-Veltman-Zakharov discontinuity

The problem of accounting for the quantum degrees of freedom in passing from massive higher-spin potentials to massless ones and its inverse, the "fattening" of massless tensor potentials of helicity $\pm h$ to their massive $s = |h|$ counterparts, are solved - in a perfectly ghost-free approach - using "string-localized fields". This approach allows to overcome the Weinberg-Witten impediment against the existence of massless $|h| \geq 2$ energy-momentum tensors, and to qualitatively and quantitatively resolve the van Dam-Veltman-Zakharov discontinuity concerning, e.g., very light gravitons, in the limit $m \to 0$.

hep-th↗

arXiv2016

Wigner's infinite spin representations and inert matter

Positive energy ray representations of the Poincaré group are naturally subdivided into three classes according to their mass and spin content: m>0, m=0 finite helicity and m=0 infinite helicity. For a long time the localization properties of the massless infinite spin class remained unknown before it became clear that such matter does not permit compact spactime localization and its generating covariant fields are localized on semi-infinite spacelike strings. Using a new perturbation theory for higher spin fields we show that infinite spin matter cannot interact with normal matter and we formulate condition under which this also could happen for finite spin s>1 fields. This raises the question of a possible connection between inert matter and dark matter.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2016

Peculiarities of massive vectormesons and their zero mass limits

Massive QED, in contrast with its massless counterpart, possesses two conserved charges; one is a screened (vanishing) Maxwell charge which is directly associated with the massive vector mesons through the identically conserved Maxwell current. A somewhat peculiar situation arises for couplings of Hermitian matter fields to massive vector potentials; in that case the only current is the screened Maxwell current and the coupling disappears in the massless limit. In case of selfinteracting massive vector mesons the situation becomes even more peculiar in that the usually renormalizability guaranteeing validity of the first order power-counting criterion breaks down in second order and requires the compensatory presence of additional Hermitian H-fields. Some aspect of these observation have already been noticed in the BRST gauge theoretic formulation, but here we use a new setting based on string-local vector mesons which is required by Hilbert space positivity. The coupling to H-fields induces Mexican hat like selfinteractions; they are not imposed and bear no relation with spontaneous symmetry breaking; they are rather consequences of the foundational causal localization properties realized in a Hilbert space setting. In case of selfinteracting massive vectormesons their presence is required in order to maintain the first order power-counting restriction of renormalizability also in second order. The presentation of the new Hilbert space setting for vector mesons which replaces gauge theory and extends on-shell unitarity to its off-shell counterpart is the main motivation for this work. The new Hilbert space setting also shows that the second order Lie-algebra structure of selfinteracting vector mesons is a consequence of the principles of QFT and promises a deeper understanding of the origin of confinement.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2016

Beyond gauge theory: Hilbert space positivity and causal localization in the presence of vector mesons

The Hilbert space formulation of interacting $s=1$ vector-potentials stands in an interesting contrast with the point-local Krein space setting of gauge theory. Already in the absence of interactions the Wilson loop in a Hilbert space setting has a "topological property" which is missing in the gauge theoretic description (Haag duality, Aharonov-Bohm effect); the conceptual differences increase in the presence of interactions. The Hilbert space positivity weakens the causal localization properties if interacting fields which results in the replacement of the gauge-variant point-local matter fields in Krein space by string-local physical fields in Hilbert space. The gauge invariance of the perturbative S-matrix corresponds to its independence of the spacelike string direction of its interpolating.fields. In contrast to gauge theory, whose physical range is limited to gauge invariant perturbative S-matrix and local observables, its Hilbert space string-local counterpart in is a full-fledged quantum field theory. The new setting reveals that the Lie-structure of self-coupled vector mesons results from perturbative implementation of the causal localization principles of QFT.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2016

Rudolf Haag's legacy of Local Quantum Physics and reminiscences about a cherished teacher and friend

After some personal recollectioms about Rudolf Haag and his thoughts which led him to "Local Quantum Physics", the present work recalls his ideas about scattering theory, the relation between local observables and localized fields and his contributions to the physical aspects of modular operator theory which paved the way for an intrisic understanding of quantum causal localization in which fields "coordinatize" the local algebras. The paper ends with the presentation of string-local fields whose construction and use in a new renormalization theory for higher spin fields is part of an ongoing reformulation of gauge theory in the conceptual setting of Haag's LQP.

math-ph↗

arXiv2015

Modular localization and the holistic structure of causal quantum theory, a historical perspective

Recent insights into the conceptual structure of localization in QFT ("modular localization") led to clarifications of old unsolved problems. The oldest one is the Einstein-Jordan conundrum which led Jordan in 1925 to the discovery of quantum field theory. This comparison of fluctuations in subsystems of heat bath systems (Einstein) with those resulting from the restriction of the QFT vacuum state to an open subvolume (Jordan) leads to a perfect analogy; the globally pure vacuum state becomes upon local restriction a strongly impure KMS state. This phenomenon of localization-caused thermal behavior as well as the vacuum-polarization clouds at the causal boundary of the localization region places localization in QFT into a sharp contrast with quantum mechanics and justifies the attribute "holstic". In fact it positions the E-J Gedankenexperiment into the same conceptual category as the cosmological constant problem and the Unruh Gedankenexperiment. The holistic structure of QFT resulting from "modular localization" also leads to a revision of the conceptual origin of the crucial crossing property which entered particle theory at the time of the bootstrap S-matrix approach but suffered from incorrect use in the S-matrix settings of the dual model and string theory. The new holistic point of view, which strengthens the autonomous aspect of QFT, also comes with new messages for gauge theory by exposing the clash between Hilbert space structure and localization and presenting alternative solutions based on the use of stringlocal fields in Hilbert space. Among other things this leads to a radical reformulation of the Englert-Higgs symmetry breaking mechanism.

math-ph↗

arXiv2014

A Hilbert Space setting for higher spin interactions which replaces Gauge Theory

The recently discovered Hilbert space description of renormalizable interactions of higher spin (equal or bigger than 1) fields requires to replace the pointlocal s=1 vectorpotentials of indefinite metric (Krein space) BRST gauge theory by their stringlike counterpart in Hilbert space. It is shown that the Hilbert space positivity leads to new properties outside the conceptual range of the gauge theoretic description: topological aspects of Wilson loops, induced normalization terms (in particular Mexican hat type potentials for massive vectormesons coupled to Hermitian scalar field) and a possible role of string-localization in confinerment.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2014

Dark matter and Wigner's third positive-energy representation class

The almost 7 decades lasting futile attempts to understand the possible physical content of the third Wigner representation class (the infinite spin class) came to a partial solution with the 2006 discovery of existence of string-localized spacetime covariantizations . This has led to a still ongoing vast generalization of renormalizability to fields with arbitrary high spin and a better understanding of the origin of partial invisibility as observed in the confinement of gluons and quarks. The present note explains the total (non-gravitational) invisibility of fields associated to the third Wigner representation class. The last section presents a critical look at the possibility that third class Wigner matter may play a role in dark matter formation.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2014

Interactions with quadratic dependence on string-localized massive vectormesons: massive scalar quantum electrodynamics

Wigner's famous 1939 classification of positive energy representations, combined with the more recent modular localization principle, has led to a significant conceptual and computational extension of renormalized perturbation theory to interactions involving fields of higher spin s>1/2. The starting observation was that the well-known clash between point-localized gauge theories and the Hilbert space, which hitherto has been solved by using a Krein space setting, can also be solved by preserving the Hilbert space setting; in this case the theory selects the tightest covariant localization which is consistent with the Hilbert space positivity. The resulting semiinfinite spacelike string-localization for all (m=0,s>1/2) representations does not only lead to a new insight into the origin of infrared problems (including confinement), but also improves the short-distance behavior of massive s>1/2 fields to the extend that the power-counting criterion admits candidates for renormalizable interactions for arbitrary high spins. In this work the new situation is exemplified for the interaction of massive vectormesons with scalar charged- and neutral- (Higgs) matter, for which the new "adiabatic equivalence principle" leads to a local relation between a renormalizable stringlike and a nonrenormalizable (but nevertheless finite-parametric) pointlike interaction.

hep-th↗

arXiv2014

A Hilbert space setting for interacting higher spin fields and the Higgs issue

Wigner's famous 1939 classification of positive energy representations, combined with the more recent modular localization principle, has led to a significant conceptual and computational extension of renormalized perturbation theory to interactions involving fields of higher spin. Traditionally the clash between pointlike localization and the the Hilbert space was resolved by passing to a Krein space setting which resulted in the well-known BRST gauge formulation. Recently it turned out that maintaining a Hilbert space formulation for interacting higher spin fields requires a weakening of localization from point- to string-like fields for which the d=s+1 short distance scaling dimension for integer spins is reduced to d=1 and and renormalizable couplings in the sense of power-counting exist for any spin. This new setting leads to a significant conceptual change of the relation of massless couplings with their massless counterpart. Whereas e.g. the renormalizable interactions of s=1 massive vectormesons with s<1 matter falls within the standard field-particle setting, their zero mass limits lead to much less understood phenomena as "infraparticles" and gluon/quark confinement. It is not surprising that such drastic conceptual changes in the area of gauge theories also lead to a radical change concerning the Higgs issue.

hep-th↗

arXiv2014

The Ongoing Impact of Modular Localization on Particle Theory

Modular localization is the concise conceptual formulation of causal localization in the setting of local quantum physics. Unlike QM it does not refer to individual operators but rather to ensembles of observables which share the same localization region, as a result it explains the probabilistic aspects of QFT in terms of the impure KMS nature arising from the local restriction of the pure vacuum. Whereas it played no important role in the perturbation theory of low spin particles, it becomes indispensible for interactions which involve higher spin $s\geq1$ fields, where is leads to the replacement of the operator (BRST) gauge theory setting in Krein space by a new formulation in terms of stringlocal fields in Hilbert space. The main purpose of this paper is to present new results which lead to a rethinking of important issues of the Standard Model concerning massive gauge theories and the Higgs mechanism. We place these new findings into the broader context of ongoing conceptual changes within QFT which already led to new nonperturbative constructions of models of integrable QFTs. It is also pointed out that modular localization does not support ideas coming from string theory, as extra dimensions and Kaluza-Klein dimensional reductions outside quasiclassical approximations. Apart from hologarphic projections on null-surfaces, holograhic relations between QFT in different spacetime dimensions violate the causal completeness property, this includes in particular the Maldacena conjecture. Last not least, modular localization sheds light onto unsolved problems from QFT's distant past since it reveals that the Einstein-Jordan conundrum is really an early harbinger of the Unruh effect.

math-ph↗

arXiv2012

Placing hidden properties of quantum field theory into the forefront: wedge localization and a new constructive on-shell setting

Recent progress about "modular localization" reveals that, as a result of the S-Matrix in its role of a "relative modular invariant of wedge-localization, one obtains a new non-perturbative constructive setting of local quantum physicis which only uses intrinsic (independent of quantization) properties. The main point is a derivation of the particle crossing property from the KMS identity of wedge-localized subalgebras in which the connection of incoming/outgoing particles with interacting fields is achieved by "emulation" of free wedge-localized fields within the wedge-localized interacting algebra. The suspicion that the duality of the meromorphic functions, which appear in the dual model, are not related with particle physics, but are rather the result of Mellin-transforms of global operator-product expansions in conformal QFT is thus confirmed. The connection of the wedge-localization setting with the Zamolodchikov-Faddeev algebraic structure is pointed out and an Ansatz for an extension to non-integrable models is presented. Modular localization leads also to a widening of the renormalized perturbation setting by allowing couplings of string-localized higher spin fields which stay within the power-counting limit. This holds the promise of a Hilbert space formulation which avoids the use of BRST Krein-spaces. .

math-ph↗