arXiv subjects

Christopher J. Fewster

Publications and source records attributed to Christopher J. Fewster.

79 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2005

Quantum Energy Inequalities and Stability Conditions in Quantum Field Theory

We give a brief review of quantum energy inequalities (QEIs) and then discuss two lines of work which suggest that QEIs are closely related to various natural properties of quantum field theory which may all be regarded as stability conditions. The first is based on joint work with Verch, and draws connections between microscopic stability (microlocal spectrum condition), mesoscopic stability (QEIs) and macroscopic stability (passivity). The second direction considers QEIs for a countable number of massive scalar fields, and links the existence and scaling properties of QEIs to the spectrum of masses. The upshot is that the existence of a suitable QEI with polynomial scaling is a sufficient condition for the model to satisfy the Buchholz--Wichmann nuclearity criterion. We briefly discuss on-going work with Ojima and Porrmann which seeks to gain a deeper understanding of this relationship.

math-ph↗

arXiv2005

Energy Inequalities in Quantum Field Theory

Quantum fields are known to violate all the pointwise energy conditions of classical general relativity. We review the subject of quantum energy inequalities: lower bounds satisfied by weighted averages of the stress-energy tensor, which may be regarded as the vestiges of the classical energy conditions after quantisation. Contact is also made with thermodynamics and related issues in quantum mechanics, where such inequalities find analogues in sharp Gaarding inequalities.

math-ph↗

arXiv2003

Stability of quantum systems at three scales: Passivity, quantum weak energy inequalities and the microlocal spectrum condition

Quantum weak energy inequalities have recently been extensively discussed as a condition on the dynamical stability of quantum field states, particularly on curved spacetimes. We formulate the notion of a quantum weak energy inequality for general dynamical systems on static background spacetimes and establish a connection between quantum weak energy inequalities and thermodynamic stability in the general setting. We show that the free scalar field in representations induced by quasifree Hadamard states provides an example system, and we indicate that (1) the microlocal spectrum condition, (2) quantum weak energy inequalities and (3) the existence of passive states (e.g., mixtures of ground- and thermal equilibrium states) are essentially equivalent, which is significant because each of these conditions becomes effective at a different length scale. [See title page of paper for the full abstract.]

math-ph↗

arXiv2003

Quantum inequalities in quantum mechanics

We study a phenomenon occuring in various areas of quantum physics, in which an observable density (such as an energy density) which is classically pointwise nonnegative may assume arbitrarily negative expectation values after quantisation, even though the spatially integrated density remains nonnegative. Two prominent examples which have previously been studied are the energy density (in quantum field theory) and the probability flux of rightwards-moving particles (in quantum mechanics). However, in the quantum field context, it has been shown that the magnitude and space-time extension of negative energy densities are not arbitrary, but restricted by relations which have come to be known as `quantum inequalities'. In the present work, we explore the extent to which such quantum inequalities hold for typical quantum mechanical systems. We derive quantum inequalities of two types. The first are `kinematical' quantum inequalities where spatially averaged densities are shown to be bounded below. Such quantum inequalities are directly related to Garding inequalities. The second type are `dynamical' quantum inequalities where one obtains bounds from below on temporally averaged densities. We derive such quantum inequalities in the case of the energy density in general quantum mechanical systems having suitable decay properties on the negative spectral axis of the total energy. Furthermore, we obtain explicit numerical values for the quantum inequalities on the one-dimensional current density, using various spatial averaging weight functions. We also improve the numerical value of the related `backflow constant' previously investigated by Bracken and Melloy. In many cases our numerical results are controlled by rigorous error estimates.

math-ph↗

arXiv2003

A Quantum Weak Energy Inequality for Spin-One Fields in Curved Spacetime

Quantum weak energy inequalities (QWEI) provide state-independent lower bounds on averages of the renormalised energy density of a quantum field. We derive QWEIs for the electromagnetic and massive spin-one fields in globally hyperbolic spacetimes whose Cauchy surfaces are compact and have trivial first homology group. These inequalities provide lower bounds on weighted averages of the renormalized energy density as ``measured'' along an arbitrary timelike trajectory, and are valid for arbitrary Hadamard states of the spin-one fields. The QWEI bound takes a particularly simple form for averaging along static trajectories in ultrastatic spacetimes; as specific examples we consider Minkowski space [in which case the topological restrictions may be dispensed with] and the static Einstein universe. A significant part of the paper is devoted to the definition and properties of Hadamard states of spin-one fields in curved spacetimes, particularly with regard to their microlocal behaviour.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2000

Quantum inequalities and `quantum interest' as eigenvalue problems

Quantum inequalities (QI's) provide lower bounds on the averaged energy density of a quantum field. We show how the QI's for massless scalar fields in even dimensional Minkowski space may be reformulated in terms of the positivity of a certain self-adjoint operator - a generalised Schroedinger operator with the energy density as the potential - and hence as an eigenvalue problem. We use this idea to verify that the energy density produced by a moving mirror in two dimensions is compatible with the QI's for a large class of mirror trajectories. In addition, we apply this viewpoint to the `quantum interest conjecture' of Ford and Roman, which asserts that the positive part of an energy density always overcompensates for any negative components. For various simple models in two and four dimensions we obtain the best possible bounds on the `quantum interest rate' and on the maximum delay between a negative pulse and a compensating positive pulse. Perhaps surprisingly, we find that - in four dimensions - it is impossible for a positive delta-function pulse of any magnitude to compensate for a negative delta-function pulse, no matter how close together they occur.

gr-qc↗

arXiv1999

Bounds on negative energy densities in static space-times

Certain exotic phenomena in general relativity, such as backward time travel, appear to require the presence of matter with negative energy. While quantum fields are a possible source of negative energy densities, there are lower bounds - known as quantum inequalities - that constrain their duration and magnitude. In this paper, we derive new quantum inequalities for scalar fields in static space-times, as measured by static observers with a choice of sampling function. Unlike those previously derived by Pfenning and Ford, our results do not assume any specific sampling function. We then calculate these bounds in static three- and four-dimensional Robertson-Walker universes, the de Sitter universe, and the Schwarzschild black hole. In each case, the new inequality is stronger than that of Pfenning and Ford for their particular choice of sampling function.

gr-qc↗