arXiv subjects

I. J. R. Aitchison

Publications and source records attributed to I. J. R. Aitchison.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2001

Nontopological Finite Temperature Induced Fermion Number

We show that while the zero temperature induced fermion number in a chiral sigma model background depends only on the asymptotic values of the chiral field, at finite temperature the induced fermion number depends also on the detailed shape of the chiral background. We resum the leading low temperature terms to all orders in the derivative expansion, producing a simple result that can be interpreted physically as the different effect of the chiral background on virtual pairs of the Dirac sea and on the real particles of the thermal plasma. By contrast, for a kink background, not of sigma model form, the finite temperature induced fermion number is temperature dependent but topological.

hep-th↗

arXiv2000

On the chiral and deconfinement phase transitions in parity-conserving QED_3 at finite temperature

We present some results about the interplay between the chiral and deconfinement phase transitions in parity-conserving QED3 (with N flavours of massless 4 component fermions) at finite temperature. Following Grignani et al (Phys. Rev. D53, 7157 (1996), Nucl. Phys. B473, 143 (1996)), confinement is discussed in terms of an effective Sine-Gordon theory for the timelike component of the gauge field A_0. But whereas in the references above the fermion mass m is a Lagrangian parameter, we consider the m=0 case and ask whether an effective S-G theory can again be derived with m replaced by the dynamically generated mass Sigma which appears below T_{ch}, the critical temperature for the chiral phase transition. The fermion and gauge sectors are strongly interdependent, but as a first approximation we decouple them by taking Sigma to be a constant, depending only on the constant part of the gauge field. We argue that the existence of a low-temperature confining phase may be associated with the generation of Sigma; and that, analogously, the vanishing of Sigma for T > T_{ch} drives the system to its deconfining phase. The effect of the gauge field dynamics on mass generation is also indicated. (38kb)

hep-th↗

arXiv1997

Gauge Invariance and Effective Actions in D=3 at Finite Temperature

For background gauge field configurations reducible to the form Amu = (A3, A(x)) where A3 is a constant, we provide an elementary derivation of the recently obtained result for the exact induced Chern-Simons (CS) effective action in QED3 at finite temperature. The method allows us to extend the result in several useful ways: to obtain the analogous result for the `mixed' CS term in the Dorey-Mavromatos model of parity-conserving planar superconductivity, thereby justifying their argument for flux quantization in the model; to the induced CS term for a tau-dependent flux; and to the term of second order in A(x) (and all orders in A3) in the effective action.

hep-th↗

arXiv1997

Inverse Landau-Khalatnikov Transformation and Infrared Critical Exponents of (2+1)-dimensional Quantum Electrodynamics

By applying an inverse Landau-Khalatnikov transformation, connecting (resummed) Schwinger-Dyson treatments in non-local and Landau gauges of $QED_3$, we derive the infrared behaviour of the wave-function renormalization in the Landau gauge, and the associated critical exponents in the normal phase of the theory (no mass generation). The result agrees with the one conjectured in earlier treatments. The analysis involves an approximation, namely an expansion of the non-local gauge in powers of momenta in the infrared. This approximation is tested by reproducing the critical number of flavours necessary for dynamical mass generation in the chiral-symmetry-broken phase of $QED_3$.

hep-th↗

arXiv1997

The SU(2) instanton and the adiabatic evolution of two Kramers doublets

The adiabatic evolution of two doubly-degenerate (Kramers) levels is considered. The general five-parameter Hamiltonian describing the system is obtained and shown to be equivalent to one used in the $Γ_8 \otimes(τ_2\oplusε)$ Jahn-Teller system. It is shown explicitly that the resulting SU(2) non-Abelian geometric vector potential is that of the (SO(5) symmetric) SU(2) instanton. Various forms of the potentials are discussed.

hep-th↗

arXiv1996

Non-trivial Infrared Structure in (2+1)-dimensional Quantum Electrodynamics

We show that the gauge-fermion interaction in multiflavour $(2+1)$-dimensional quantum electrodynamics with a finite infrared cut-off is responsible for non-fermi liquid behaviour in the infrared, in the sense of leading to the existence of a non-trivial fixed point at zero momentum, as well as to a significant slowing down of the running of the coupling at intermediate scales as compared with previous analyses on the subject. Both these features constitute deviations from fermi-liquid theory. Our discussion is based on the leading- $1/N$ resummed solution for the wave-function renormalization of the Schwinger-Dyson equations . The present work completes and confirms the expectations of an earlier work by two of the authors (I.J.R.A. and N.E.M.) on the non-trivial infrared structure of the theory.

hep-th↗

arXiv1996

Effective Theory for Parity Conserving $QED_3$

We consider a higher derivative effective theory for an Abelian gauge field in three dimensions, which represents the result of integrating out heavy matter fields interacting with a classical gauge field in a parity-conserving way. We retain terms containing up to two derivatives of $F_{μν}$, but make no assumption about the strength of this field. We then quantize the gauge field, and compute the one-loop effective action for a constant $\fmn$. The result is explicitly evaluated for the case of a constant magnetic field.

hep-th↗

arXiv1996

Evidence for Deviations from Fermi-Liquid Behaviour in (2+1)-Dimensional Quantum Electrodynamics and the Normal Phase of High-$T_c$ Superconductors

We provide evidence that the gauge-fermion interaction in multiflavour quantum electrodynamics in $(2 + 1)$-dimensions is responsible for non-fermi liquid behaviour in the infrared, in the sense of leading to the existence of a non-trivial (quasi) fixed point (cross-over) that lies between the trivial fixed point (at infinite momenta) and the region where dynamical symmetry breaking and mass generation occurs. This quasi-fixed point structure implies slowly varying, rather than fixed, couplings in the intermediate regime of momenta, a situation which resembles that of (four-dimensional) `walking technicolour' models of particle physics. Connection with the anomalous normal-state properties of certain condensed matter systems relevant for high-temperature superconductivity is briefly discussed. The relevance of the large (flavour) N expansion to the fermi-liquid problem is emphasized.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1995

Deviations from Fermi-Liquid behaviour in (2+1)-dimensional Quantum Electrodynamics and the normal phase of high-$T_c$ Superconductors

We argue that the gauge-fermion interaction in multiflavour quantum electrodynamics in $(2 + 1)$-dimensions is responsible for non-fermi liquid behaviour in the infrared, in the sense of leading to the existence of a non-trivial (quasi) fixed point that lies between the trivial fixed point (at infinite momenta) and the region where dynamical symmetry breaking and mass generation occurs. This quasi-fixed point structure implies slowly varying, rather than fixed, couplings in the intermediate regime of momenta, a situation which resembles that of (four-dimensional) `walking technicolour' models of particle physics. The inclusion of wave-function renormalization yields marginal $O(1/N)$-corrections to the `bulk' non-fermi liquid behaviour caused by the gauge interaction in the limit of infinite flavour number. Such corrections lead to the appearance of modified critical exponents. In particular, at low temperatures there appear to be logarithmic scaling violations of the linear resistivity of the system of order $O(1/N)$. Connection with the anomalous normal-state properties of certain condensed matter systems relevant for high-temperature superconductivity is briefly discussed. The relevance of the large (flavour) $N$ expansion to the fermi-liquid problem is emphasized. As a partial result of our analysis, we point out the absence of Charge-Density-Wave Instabilities from the effective low-energy theory, as a consequence of gauge invariance.

hep-th↗

arXiv1994

Effect of Wavefunction Renormalisation in N-Flavour Qed3 at Finite Temperature

A recent study of dynamical chiral symmetry breaking in N-flavour QED$_3$ at finite temperature is extended to include the effect of fermion wavefunction renormalisation in the Schwinger-Dyson equations. The simple ``zero-frequency'' truncation previously used is found to lead to unphysical results, especially as $T \to 0$. A modified set of equations is proposed, whose solutions behave in a way which is qualitatively similar to the $T=0$ solutions of Pennington et al. [5-8] who have made extensive studies of the effect of wavefunction renormalisation in this context, and who concluded that there was no critical $N_c$ (at T=0) above which chiral symmetry was restored. In contrast, we find that our modified equations predict a critical $N_c$ at $T \not= 0$, and an $N-T$ phase diagram very similar to the earlier study neglecting wavefunction renormalisation. The reason for the difference is traced to the different infrared behaviour of the vacuum polarisation at $T=0$ and at $T \not= 0$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1992

Phase Structure of QED3 at Finite Temperature

Dynamical symmetry breaking in three-dimensional QED with N fermion flavours is considered at finite temperature, in the large $N$ approximation. Using an approximate treatment of the Schwinger-Dyson equation for the fermion self-energy, we find that chiral symmetry is restored above a certain critical temperature which depends itself on $N$. We find that the ratio of the zero-momentum zero-temperature fermion mass to the critical temperature has a large value compared with four-fermion theories, as had been suggested in a previous work with a momentum-independent self-energy. Evidence of a temperature- dependent critical $N$ is shown to appear in this approximation. The phase diagram for spontaneous mass generation in the theory is presented in $T-N$ space.

hep-ph↗