arXiv subjects

Fedele Lizzi

Publications and source records attributed to Fedele Lizzi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2018

Localization and Reference Frames in $κ$-Minkowski Spacetime

We study the limits to the localizability of events and reference frames in the $κ$-Minkowski quantum spacetime. Our main tool will be a representation of the $κ$-Minkowski commutation relations between coordinates, and the operator and measurement theory borrowed from ordinary quantum mechanics. Spacetime coordinates are described by operators on a Hilbert space, and a complete set of commuting observables cannot contain the radial coordinate and time at the same time. The transformation between the complete sets turns out to be the Mellin transform, which allows us to discuss the localizability properties of states both in space and time. We then discuss the transformation rules between inertial observers, which are described by the quantum $κ$-Poincaré group. These too are subject to limitations in the localizability of states, which impose further restrictions on the ability of an observer to localize events defined in a different observer's reference frame.

hep-th↗

arXiv2018

Noncommutative field theory from angular twist

We consider a noncommutative field theory with space-time $\star$-commutators based on an angular noncommutativity, namely a solvable Lie algebra: the Euclidean in two dimension. The $\star$-product can be derived from a twist operator and it is shown to be invariant under twisted Poincaré transformations. In momentum space the noncommutativity manifests itself as a noncommutative $\star$-deformed sum for the momenta, which allows for an equivalent definition of the $\star$-product in terms of twisted convolution of plane waves. As an application, we analyze the $λϕ^4$ field theory at one-loop and discuss its UV/IR behaviour. We also analyze the kinematics of particle decay for two different situations: the first one corresponds to a splitting of space-time where only space is deformed, whereas the second one entails a non-trivial $\star$-multiplication for the time variable, while one of the three spatial coordinates stays commutative.

hep-th↗

arXiv2018

Noncommutative Geometry and Particle Physics

We review the noncommutative approach to the standard model. We start with the introduction if the mathematical concepts necessary for the definition of noncommutative spaces, and manifold in particular. This defines the framework of spectral geometry. This is applied to the standard model of particle interaction, discussing the fermionic and bosonic spectral action. The issues relating to the calculation of the mass of the Higgs are discussed, as well as the role of neutrinos and Wick rotations. Finally, we present the possibility of solving the problem of the Higgs mass by considering a pregeometric grand symmetry.

hep-th↗

arXiv2018

Clifford Structures in Noncommutative Geometry and the Extended Scalar Sector

We consider aspects of the noncommutative approach to the standard model based on the spectral action principle. We show that as a consequence of the incorporation of the Clifford structures in the formalism, the spectral action contains an extended scalar sector, with respect to the minimal Standard Model. This may have interesting phenomenological consequences. Some of these new scalar fields carry both weak isospin and colour indexes. We calculate the new terms in spectral action due to the presence of these fields. Our analysis demonstrates that the fermionic doubling in the noncommutative geometry is not just a presence of spurious degrees of freedom, but it is an interesting and peculiar property of the formalism, which leads to physically valuable conclusions. Some of the new fields do not contribute to the physical fermionic action, but they appear in the bosonic spectral action. Their contributions to the Dirac operator correspond to couplings with the spurious fermions, which are projected out.

hep-th↗

arXiv2018

Lorentz signature and twisted spectral triples

We show how twisting the spectral triple of the Standard Model of elementary particles naturally yields the Krein space associated with the Lorentzian signature of spacetime. We discuss the associated spectral action, both for fermions and bosons. What emerges is a tight link between twist and Wick rotation.

hep-th↗

arXiv2017

Dimensional Deception from Noncommutative Tori: An alternative to Horava-Lifschitz

We study the dimensional aspect of the geometry of quantum spaces. Introducing a physically motivated notion of the scaling dimension, we study in detail the model based on a fuzzy torus. We show that for a natural choice of a deformed Laplace operator, this model demonstrates quite non-trivial behaviour: the scaling dimension flows from 2 in IR to 1 in UV. Unlike another model with the similar property, the so-called Horava-Lifshitz model, our construction does not have any preferred direction. The dimension flow is rather achieved by a rearrangement of the degrees of freedom. In this respect the number of dimensions is deceptive. Some physical consequences are discussed.

hep-th↗

arXiv2016

Wick Rotation and Fermion Doubling in Noncommutative Geometry

In this paper, we discuss two features of the noncommmutative geometry and spectral action approach to the Standard Model: the fact that the model is inherently Euclidean, and that it requires a quadrupling of the fermionic degrees of freedom. We show how the two issues are intimately related. We give a precise prescription for the Wick rotation from the Euclidean theory to the Lorentzian one, eliminating the extra degrees of freedom. This requires not only projecting out mirror fermions, as has been done so far, and which leads to the correct Pfaffian, but also the elimination of the remaining extra degrees of freedom. The remaining doubling has to be removed in order to recover the correct Fock space of the physical (Lorentzian) theory. In order to get a Spin(1,3) invariant Lorentzian theory from a Spin(4) invariant Euclidean theory such an elimination must be performed after the Wick rotation. Differences between the Euclidean and Lorentzian case are described in detail, in a pedagogical way.

hep-th↗

arXiv2016

Effective cosmological constant induced by stochastic fluctuations of Newton's constant

We consider implications of the microscopic dynamics of spacetime for the evolution of cosmological models. We argue that quantum geometry effects may lead to stochastic fluctuations of the gravitational constant, which is thus considered as a macroscopic effective dynamical quantity. Consistency with Riemannian geometry entails the presence of a time-dependent dark energy term in the modified field equations, which can be expressed in terms of the dynamical gravitational constant. We suggest that the late-time accelerated expansion of the Universe may be ascribed to quantum fluctuations in the geometry of spacetime rather than the vacuum energy from the matter sector.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2015

Inconstant Planck's constant

Motivated by the Dirac idea that fundamental constant are dynamical variables and by conjectures on quantum structure of spacetime at small distances, we consider the possibility that Planck constant $\hbar$ is a time depending quantity, undergoing random gaussian fluctuations around its measured constant mean value, with variance $σ^2$ and a typical correlation timescale $Δt$. We consider the case of propagation of a free particle and a one--dimensional harmonic oscillator coherent state, and show that the time evolution in both cases is different from the standard behaviour. Finally, we discuss how interferometric experiments or exploiting coherent electromagnetic fields in a cavity may put effective bounds on the value of $τ= σ^2 Δt$.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2015

Green's Functions for Translation Invariant Star Products

We calculate the Green functions for a scalar field theory with quartic interactions for which the fields are multiplied with a generic translation invariant star product. Our analysis involves both noncommutative products, for which there is the canonical commutation relation among coordinates, and nonlocal commutative products. We give explicit expressions for the one-loop corrections to the two and four point functions. We find that the phenomenon of ultraviolet/infrared mixing is always a consequence of the presence of noncommuting variables. The commutative part of the product does not have the mixing.

hep-th↗

arXiv2015

Spectral action with zeta function regularization

In this paper we propose a novel definition of the bosonic spectral action using zeta function regularization, in order to address the issues of renormalizability and spectral dimensions. We compare the zeta spectral action with the usual (cutoff based) spectral action and discuss its origin, predictive power, stressing the importance of the issue of the three dimensionful fundamental constants, namely the cosmological constant, the Higgs vacuum expectation value, and the gravitational constant. We emphasize the fundamental role of the neutrino Majorana mass term for the structure of the bosonic action.

hep-th↗

arXiv2014

Unification of Coupling Constants, Dimension six Operators and the Spectral Action

We investigate whether inclusion of dimension six terms in the Standard Model lagrangean may cause the unification of the coupling constants at a scale comprised between 10^14 and 10^17 GeV. Particular choice of the dimension 6 couplings is motivated by the spectral action. Given the theoretical and phenomenological constraints, as well as recent data on the Higgs mass, we find that the unification is indeed possible, with a lower unification scale slightly favoured.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Matrix Geometries Emergent from a Point

We describe a categorical approach to finite noncommutative geometries. Objects in the category are spectral triples, rather than unitary equivalence classes as in other approaches. This enables to treat fluctuations of the metric and unitary equivalences on the same footing, as representatives of particular morphisms in this category. We then show how a matrix geometry (Moyal plane) emerges as a fluctuation from one point, and discuss some geometric aspects of this space.

math-ph↗

arXiv2014

Matrix Bases for Star Products: a Review

We review the matrix bases for a family of noncommutative $\star$ products based on a Weyl map. These products include the Moyal product, as well as the Wick-Voros products and other translation invariant ones. We also review the derivation of Lie algebra type star products, with adapted matrix bases. We discuss the uses of these matrix bases for field theory, fuzzy spaces and emergent gravity.

hep-th↗

arXiv2014

Deformations of the Canonical Commutation Relations and Metric Structures

Using Connes distance formula in noncommutative geometry, it is possible to retrieve the Euclidean distance from the canonical commutation relations of quantum mechanics. In this note, we study modifications of the distance induced by a deformation of the position-momentum commutation relations. We first consider the deformation coming from a cut-off in momentum space, then the one obtained by replacing the usual derivative on the real line with the h- and q-derivatives, respectively. In these various examples, some points turn out to be at infinite distance. We then show (on both the real line and the circle) how to approximate points by extended distributions that remain at finite distance. On the circle, this provides an explicit example of computation of the Wasserstein distance.

math-ph↗

arXiv2014

Spectral geometry with a cut-off: topological and metric aspects

Inspired by regularization in quantum field theory, we study topological and metric properties of spaces in which a cut-off is introduced. We work in the framework of noncommutative geometry, and focus on Connes distance associated to a spectral triple (A, H, D). A high momentum (short distance) cut-off is implemented by the action of a projection P on the Dirac operator D and/or on the algebra A. This action induces two new distances. We individuate conditions making them equivalent to the original distance. We also study the Gromov-Hausdorff limit of the set of truncated states, first for compact quantum metric spaces in the sense of Rieffel, then for arbitrary spectral triples. To this aim, we introduce a notion of "state with finite moment of order 1" for noncommutative algebras. We then focus on the commutative case, and show that the cut-off induces a minimal length between points, which is infinite if P has finite rank. When P is a spectral projection of $D$, we work out an approximation of points by non-pure states that are at finite distance from each other. On the circle, such approximations are given by Fejer probability distributions. Finally we apply the results to Moyal plane and the fuzzy sphere, obtained as Berezin quantization of the plane and the sphere respectively.

math-ph↗

arXiv2014

Higgs mass in Noncommutative Geometry

In the noncommutative geometry approach to the standard model, an extra scalar field - initially suggested by particle physicist to stabilize the electroweak vacuum - makes the computation of the Higgs mass compatible with the 126 GeV experimental value. We give a brief account on how to generate this field from the Majorana mass of the neutrino, following the principles of noncommutative geometry.

hep-th↗

arXiv2013

Grand Symmetry, Spectral Action, and the Higgs mass

In the context of the spectral action and the noncommutative geometry approach to the standard model, we build a model based on a larger symmetry. With this "grand symmetry" it is natural to have the scalar field necessary to obtain the Higgs mass in the vicinity of 126 GeV. This larger symmetry mixes gauge and spin degrees of freedom without introducing extra fermions. Requiring the noncommutative space to be an almost commutative geometry (i.e. the product of manifold by a finite dimensional internal space) gives conditions for the breaking of this grand symmetry to the standard model.

hep-th↗