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Elizabeth Winstanley

Publications and source records attributed to Elizabeth Winstanley.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2021

Exact solutions in quantum field theory under rotation

We discuss the construction and properties of rigidly-rotating states for free scalar and fermion fields in quantum field theory. On unbounded Minkowski space-time, we explain why such states do not exist for scalars. For the Dirac field, we are able to construct rotating vacuum and thermal states, for which expectation values can be computed exactly in the massless case. We compare these quantum expectation values with the corresponding quantities derived in relativistic kinetic theory.

hep-th↗
arXiv2021

Vacuum polarization on topological black holes with Robin boundary conditions

We compute the renormalized vacuum polarization for a massless, conformally coupled scalar field on asymptotically anti-de Sitter black hole backgrounds. Mixed (Robin) boundary conditions are applied on the spacetime boundary. We consider black holes with nonspherical event horizon topology as well as spherical event horizons. The quantum scalar field is in the Hartle-Hawking state, and we employ Euclidean methods to calculate the renormalized expectation values. Far from the black hole, we find that the vacuum polarization approaches a finite limit, which is the same for all boundary conditions except Dirichlet boundary conditions.

hep-th↗
arXiv2020

Quantum superradiance on static black hole space-times

We study the quantum analogue of the classical process of superradiance for a massless charged scalar field on a static charged black hole space-time. We show that an "in" vacuum state, which is devoid of particles at past null infinity, contains an outgoing flux of particles at future null infinity. This radiation is emitted in the superradiant modes only, and is nonthermal in nature.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2020

Quantum field theory on global anti-de Sitter space-time with Robin boundary conditions

We compute the vacuum polarization for a massless, conformally coupled scalar field on the covering space of global, four-dimensional, anti-de Sitter space-time. Since anti-de Sitter space is not globally hyperbolic, boundary conditions must be applied to the scalar field. We consider general Robin (mixed) boundary conditions for which the classical evolution of the field is well-defined and stable. The vacuum expectation value of the square of the field is not constant unless either Dirichlet or Neumann boundary conditions are applied. We also compute the thermal expectation value of the square of the field. For Dirichlet boundary conditions, both thermal and vacuum expectation values approach the same well-known limit on the space-time boundary conditions. For all other Robin boundary conditions (including Neumann boundary conditions), the vacuum and thermal expectation values have the same limit on the space-time boundary, but this limit does not equal that in the Dirichlet case.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2020

Hadamard parametrix of the Feynman Green's function of a five-dimensional charged scalar field

The Hadamard parametrix is a representation of the short-distance singularity structure of the Feynman Green's function for a quantum field on a curved space-time background. Subtracting these divergent terms regularizes the Feynman Green's function and enables the computation of renormalized expectation values of observables. We study the Hadamard parametrix for a charged, massive, complex scalar field in five space-time dimensions. Even in Minkowski space-time, it is not possible to write the Feynman Green's function for a charged scalar field exactly in closed form. We therefore present covariant Taylor series expansions for the biscalars arising in the Hadamard parametrix. On a general space-time background, we explicitly state the expansion coefficients up to the order required for the computation of the renormalized scalar field current. These coefficients become increasingly lengthy as the order of the expansion increases, so we give the higher-order terms required for the calculation of the renormalized stress-energy tensor in Minkowski space-time only.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2020

Hadamard renormalization for a charged scalar field

The Hadamard representation of the Green's function of a quantum field on a curved space-time is a powerful tool for computations of renormalized expectation values. We study the Hadamard form of the Feynman Green's function for a massive charged complex scalar field in an arbitrary number of space-time dimensions. Explicit expressions for the coefficients in the Hadamard parametrix are given for two, three and four space-time dimensions. We then develop the formalism for the Hadamard renormalization of the expectation values of the scalar field condensate, current and stress-energy tensor. These results will have applications in the computation of renormalized expectation values for a charged quantum scalar field on a charged black hole space-time, and hence in addressing issues such as the quantum stability of the inner horizon.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2018

Vacuum polarization on topological black holes

We investigate quantum effects on topological black hole space-times within the framework of quantum field theory on curved space-times. Considering a quantum scalar field, we extend a recent mode-sum regularization prescription for the computation of the renormalized vacuum polarization to asymptotically anti-de Sitter black holes with nonspherical event horizon topology. In particular, we calculate the vacuum polarization for a massless, conformally-coupled scalar field on a four-dimensional topological Schwarzschild-anti-de Sitter black hole background, comparing our results with those for a spherically-symmetric black hole.

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arXiv2018

Analysis of scalar and fermion quantum field theory on anti-de Sitter space-time

We study vacuum and thermal expectation values of quantum scalar and Dirac fermion fields on anti-de Sitter space-time. Anti-de Sitter space-time is maximally symmetric and this enables expressions for the scalar and fermion vacuum Feynman Green's functions to be derived in closed form. We employ Hadamard renormalization to find the vacuum expectation values. The thermal Feynman Green's functions are constructed from the vacuum Feynman Green's functions using the imaginary time periodicity/anti-periodicity property for scalars/fermions. Focussing on massless fields with either conformal or minimal coupling to the space-time curvature (these two cases being the same for fermions) we compute the differences between the thermal and vacuum expectation values. We compare the resulting energy densities, pressures and pressure deviators with the corresponding classical quantities calculated using relativistic kinetic theory.

hep-th↗
arXiv2017

Quantum corrections in thermal states of fermions on anti-de Sitter space-time

We study the energy density and pressure of a relativistic thermal gas of massless fermions on four-dimensional Minkowski and anti-de Sitter space-times using relativistic kinetic theory. The corresponding quantum field theory quantities are given by components of the renormalized expectation value of the stress-energy tensor operator acting on a thermal state. On Minkowski space-time, the renormalized vacuum expectation value of the stress-energy tensor is by definition zero, while on anti-de Sitter space-time the vacuum contribution to this expectation value is in general nonzero. We compare the properties of the vacuum and thermal expectation values of the energy density and pressure for massless fermions and discuss the circumstances in which the thermal contribution dominates over the vacuum one.

hep-th↗
arXiv2017

Thermal expectation values of fermions on anti-de Sitter space-time

Making use of the symmetries of anti-de Sitter space-time, we derive an analytic expression for the bispinor of parallel transport, from which we construct in closed form the vacuum Feynman Green's function of the Dirac field on this background. Using the imaginary time anti-periodicity property of the thermal Feynman Green's function, we calculate the thermal expectation values of the fermion condensate and stress-energy tensor and highlight the effect of quantum corrections as compared to relativistic kinetic theory results.

hep-th↗
arXiv2017

Black holes with ${\mathfrak {su}}(N)$ gauge field hair and superconducting horizons

We present new planar dyonic black hole solutions of the ${\mathfrak {su}}(N)$ Einstein-Yang-Mills equations in asymptotically anti-de Sitter space-time, focussing on ${\mathfrak {su}}(2)$ and ${\mathfrak {su}}(3)$ gauge groups. The magnetic part of the gauge field forms a condensate close to the planar event horizon. We compare the free energy of a non-Abelian hairy black hole with that of an embedded Reissner-Nordström-anti-de Sitter (RN-AdS) black hole having the same Hawking temperature and electric charge. We find that the hairy black holes have lower free energy. We present evidence that there is a phase transition at a critical temperature, above which the only solutions are embedded RN-AdS black holes. At the critical temperature, an RN-AdS black hole can decay into a hairy black hole, and it is thermodynamically favourable to do so. Working in the probe limit, we compute the frequency-dependent conductivity, and find that enlarging the gauge group from ${\mathfrak {su}}(2)$ to ${\mathfrak {su}}(3)$ eliminates a divergence in the conductivity at nonzero frequency.

hep-th↗
arXiv2016

Effect of scalar field mass on gravitating charged scalar solitons and black holes in a cavity

We study soliton and black hole solutions of Einstein charged scalar field theory in cavity. We examine the effect of introducing a scalar field mass on static, spherically symmetric solutions of the field equations. We focus particularly on the spaces of soliton and black hole solutions, as well as studying their stability under linear, spherically symmetric perturbations of the metric, electromagnetic field, and scalar field.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2016

Solitons and hairy black holes in Einstein-non-Abelian-Proca theory in anti-de Sitter space-time

We present new soliton and hairy black hole solutions of Einstein-non-Abelian-Proca theory in asymptotically anti-de Sitter space-time with gauge group ${\mathfrak {su}}(2)$. For static, spherically symmetric configurations, we show that the gauge field must be purely magnetic, and solve the resulting field equations numerically. The equilibrium gauge field is described by a single function $ω(r)$, which must have at least one zero. The solitons and hairy black holes share many properties with the corresponding solutions in asymptotically flat space-time. In particular, all the solutions we study are unstable under linear, spherically symmetric, perturbations of the metric and gauge field.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2016

Vacuum for a massless quantum scalar field outside a collapsing shell in anti-de Sitter space-time

We consider a massless quantum scalar field on a two-dimensional space-time describing a thin shell of matter collapsing to form a Schwarzschild-anti-de Sitter black hole. At early times, before the shell starts to collapse, the quantum field is in the vacuum state, corresponding to the Boulware vacuum on an eternal black hole space-time. The scalar field satisfies reflecting boundary conditions on the anti-de Sitter boundary. Using the Davies-Fulling-Unruh prescription for computing the renormalized expectation value of the stress-energy tensor, we find that at late times the black hole is in thermal equilibrium with a heat bath at the Hawking temperature, so the quantum field is in a state analogous to the Hartle-Hawking vacuum on an eternal black hole space-time.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2016

Stability of gravitating charged-scalar solitons in a cavity

We present new regular solutions of Einstein-charged scalar field theory in a cavity. The system is enclosed inside a reflecting mirror-like boundary, on which the scalar field vanishes. The mirror is placed at the zero of the scalar field closest to the origin, and inside this boundary our solutions are regular. We study the stability of these solitons under linear, spherically symmetric perturbations of the metric, scalar and electromagnetic fields. If the radius of the mirror is sufficiently large, we present numerical evidence for the stability of the solitons. For small mirror radius, some of the solitons are unstable. We discuss the physical interpretation of this instability.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2016

Rotating fermions inside a cylindrical boundary

We study a quantum fermion field inside a cylinder in Minkowski space-time. On the surface of the cylinder, the fermion field satisfies either spectral or MIT bag boundary conditions. We define rigidly-rotating quantum states in both cases, assuming that the radius of the cylinder is sufficiently small that the speed-of-light surface is excluded from the space-time. With this assumption, we calculate rigidly-rotating thermal expectation values of the fermion condensate, neutrino charge current and stress-energy tensor relative to the bounded vacuum state. These rigidly-rotating thermal expectation values are finite everywhere inside and on the surface of the cylinder and their detailed properties depend on the choice of boundary conditions. We also compute the Casimir divergence of the expectation values of these quantities in the bounded vacuum state relative to the unbounded Minkowski vacuum. We find that the rate of divergence of the Casimir expectation values depends on the conditions imposed on the boundary.

hep-th↗
arXiv2016

Dyons and dyonic black holes in ${\mathfrak {su}}(N)$ Einstein-Yang-Mills theory in anti-de Sitter space-time

We present new spherically symmetric, dyonic soliton and black hole solutions of the ${\mathfrak {su}}(N)$ Einstein-Yang-Mills equations in four-dimensional asymptotically anti-de Sitter space-time. The gauge field has nontrivial electric and magnetic components and is described by $N-1$ magnetic gauge field functions and $N-1$ electric gauge field functions. We explore the phase space of solutions in detail for ${\mathfrak {su}}(2)$ and ${\mathfrak {su}}(3)$ gauge groups. Combinations of the electric gauge field functions are monotonic and have no zeros; in general the magnetic gauge field functions may have zeros. The phase space of solutions is extremely rich, and we find solutions in which the magnetic gauge field functions have more than fifty zeros. Of particular interest are solutions for which the magnetic gauge field functions have no zeros, which exist when the negative cosmological constant has sufficiently large magnitude. We conjecture that at least some of these nodeless solutions may be stable under linear, spherically symmetric, perturbations.

gr-qc↗