arXiv subjects

Jürg Fröhlich

Publications and source records attributed to Jürg Fröhlich.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Towards a Dark Sector Model from String Theory

An embedding of a unified dark sector model into string theory with the following features is proposed: The model-independent axion descending from the Kalb-Ramond 2-form field is identified with the dark-matter field, and the real part of a Kähler modulus field -- the ``radius'' of one of the extra spatial dimensions -- accounts for dark energy. The expectation value of the dilaton field is stabilized by a gaugino condensation mechanism. A dark-energy potential corresponding to a realistic low energy scale results from some gentle tuning of the stabilized expectation value of the dilaton. The resulting potential reproduces the one in a previous dark-sector model proposed by two of us.

hep-th↗

arXiv2021

The mean-field limit of quantum Bose gases at positive temperature

We prove that the grand canonical Gibbs state of an interacting quantum Bose gas converges to the Gibbs measure of a nonlinear Schrödinger equation in the mean-field limit, where the density of the gas becomes large and the interaction strength is proportional to the inverse density. Our results hold in dimensions $d \leq 3$. For $d > 1$ the Gibbs measure is supported on distributions of negative regularity and we have to renormalize the interaction. More precisely, we prove the convergence of the relative partition function and of the reduced density matrices in the $L^r$-norm with optimal exponent $r$. Moreover, we prove the convergence in the $L^\infty$-norm of Wick-ordered reduced density matrices, which allows us to control correlations of Wick-ordered particle densities as well as the asymptotic distribution of the particle number. Our proof is based on a functional integral representation of the grand canonical Gibbs state, in which convergence to the mean-field limit follows formally from an infinite-dimensional stationary phase argument for ill-defined non-Gaussian measures. We make this argument rigorous by introducing a white-noise-type auxiliary field, through which the functional integral is expressed in terms of propagators of heat equations driven by time-dependent periodic random potentials and can, in turn, be expressed as a gas of interacting Brownian loops and paths. When the gas is confined by an external trapping potential, we control the decay of the reduced density matrices using excursion probabilities of Brownian bridges.

math-ph↗

arXiv2021

The Time-Evolution of States in Quantum Mechanics

It is argued that the Schrödinger equation does not yield a correct description of the quantum-mechanical time evolution of states of isolated (open) systems featuring events. A precise general law for the time evolution of states replacing the Schrödinger equation is formulated within the so-called ETH-Approach to Quantum Mechanics. This law eliminates the infamous "measurement problem." Our general results are illustrated by an analysis of simple models describing a very heavy atom coupled to the quantized radiation field in a limit where the speed of light tends to infinity. The discussion of these models is the main subject of our paper.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2020

Causal Fermion Systems and the ETH Approach to Quantum Theory

After reviewing the theory of "causal fermion systems" (CFS theory) and the "Events, Trees, and Histories Approach" to quantum theory (ETH approach), we compare some of the mathematical structures underlying these two general frameworks and discuss similarities and differences. For causal fermion systems, we introduce future algebras based on causal relations inherent to a causal fermion system. These algebras are analogous to the algebras previously introduced in the ETH approach. We then show that the spacetime points of a causal fermion system have properties similar to those of "events", as defined in the ETH approach. Our discussion is underpinned by a survey of results on causal fermion systems describing Minkowski space that show that an operator representing a spacetime point commutes with the algebra in its causal future, up to tiny corrections that depend on a regularization length.

math-ph↗

arXiv2020

The appearance of particle tracks in detectors

The phenomenon that a quantum particle propagating in a detector, such as a Wilson cloud chamber, leaves a track close to a classical trajectory is analyzed. We introduce an idealized quantum-mechanical model of a charged particle that is periodically illuminated by pulses of laser light resulting in repeated indirect measurements of the approximate position of the particle. For this model we present a mathematically rigorous analysis of the appearance of particle tracks, assuming that the Hamiltonian of the particle is quadratic in the position- and momentum operators, as for a freely moving particle or a harmonic oscillator.

math-ph↗

arXiv2020

Dark Energy, Dark Matter and Baryogenesis from a Model of a Complex Axion Field

We introduce and study a model designed to simultaneously shed light on the mysteries connected with Baryogenesis, Dark Matter and Dark Energy. The model describes a self-interacting complex axion field whose imaginary part, a pseudo-scalar axion, couples to the instanton density of gauge fields including the hypermagnetic field. This coupling may give rise to baryogenesis in the early universe. After tracing out the gauge and matter degrees of freedom, a non-trivial effective potential for the angular component of the axion field is obtained. It is proposed that oscillations of this component around a minimum of its effective potential can be interpreted as Dark Matter. The absolute value of the axion field rolls slowly towards $0$. At late times, it can give rise to Dark Energy.

hep-th↗

arXiv2020

A path-integral analysis of interacting Bose gases and loop gases

We review some recent results on interacting Bose gases in thermal equilibrium. In particular, we study the convergence of the grand-canonical equilibrium states of such gases to their mean-field limits, which are given by the Gibbs measures of classical field theories with quartic Hartree-type self-interaction, and to the Gibbs states of classical gases of point particles. We discuss various open problems and conjectures concerning, e.g., Bose-Einstein condensation, polymers and $\vert \boldsymbolϕ \vert^{4}$-theory.

math-ph↗

arXiv2019

Quantum spins and random loops on the complete graph

We present a systematic analysis of quantum Heisenberg-, XY- and interchange models on the complete graph. These models exhibit phase transitions accompanied by spontaneous symmetry breaking, which we study by calculating the generating function of expectations of powers of the averaged spin density. Various critical exponents are determined. Certain objects of the associated loop models are shown to have properties of Poisson--Dirichlet distributions.

math-ph↗

arXiv2019

New Scalar Field Quartessence

We propose a cosmological scenario involving a scalar field, $φ$, that is a source of Dark Matter as well as of Dark Energy. Besides $φ$, the Lagrangian of the field theory envisaged in our scenario contains a second field $χ$, for simplicity assumed to be a scalar, too. For fixed values of $χ$, the potential term decays exponentially at large positive values of $φ$. While $φ$ is not coupled to Standard Model fields, $χ$ is assumed to be coupled to them, and the Green functions of $χ$ depend on the cosmological redshift in the expanding universe. We assume that the term in the Lagrangian coupling $χ$ to $φ$ is such that, at redshifts $z$ larger than some critical redshift $z_c$, $φ$ is trapped near $φ=0$, and oscillations of $φ$ about $φ=0$ describing massive scalar particles give rise to Dark Matter. At redshifts below $z_c$, the field $φ$ is no longer trapped near the origin and starts to `roll' towards large field values. A homogenous component of $φ$ emerges that acts as Dark Energy. Within over-dense regions, such as galaxies and galaxy clusters, the redshifting of $χ$ stops, and $φ$ therefore remains trapped near $φ=0$ as long as $z_c$ is smaller than the redshift when structures on galactic scales decouple from the Hubble flow. Thus, at the present time, $φ$ describes both Dark Energy and Dark Matter.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

Gibbs measures of nonlinear Schrödinger equations as limits of many-body quantum states in dimensions $d \leq 3$

We prove that Gibbs measures of nonlinear Schrödinger equations arise as high-temperature limits of thermal states in many-body quantum mechanics. Our results hold for defocusing interactions in dimensions $d =1,2,3$. The many-body quantum thermal states that we consider are the grand canonical ensemble for $d = 1$ and an appropriate modification of the grand canonical ensemble for $d =2,3$. In dimensions $d =2,3$, the Gibbs measures are supported on singular distributions, and a renormalization of the chemical potential is necessary. On the many-body quantum side, the need for renormalization is manifested by a rapid growth of the number of particles. We relate the original many-body quantum problem to a renormalized version obtained by solving a counterterm problem. Our proof is based on ideas from field theory, using a perturbative expansion in the interaction, organized by using a diagrammatic representation, and on Borel resummation of the resulting series.

math-ph↗

arXiv2018

The time-dependent Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov equations for Bosons

In this article, we use quasifree reduction to derive the time-dependent Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) equations describing the dynamics of quantum fluctuations around a Bose-Einstein condensate in $\mathbb R^d$. We prove global well-posedness for the HFB equations for sufficiently regular pair interaction potentials, and establish key conservation laws. Moreover, we show that the solutions to the HFB equations exhibit a symplectic structure, and have a form reminiscent of a Hamiltonian system. In particular, this is used to relate the HFB equations to the HFB eigenvalue equations encountered in the physics literature. Furthermore, we construct the Gibbs states at positive temperature associated with the HFB equations, and establish criteria for the emergence of Bose-Einstein condensation.

math-ph↗

arXiv2018

On the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov equations

We review some results of our paper arXiv:1602.05171v2 on the "nonlinear quasifree approximation" to the many-body Schrödinger dynamics of Bose gases. In that paper, we derive, with the help of this approximation, the time-dependent Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) equations, providing an approximate description of the dynamics of quantum fluctuations around a Bose-Einstein condensate and study properties of these equations.

math-ph↗

arXiv2017

Quantitative Bounds on the Rate of Approach to Equilibrium for some One-Dimensional Stochastic Non-Linear Schrödinger Equations

We establish quantitative bounds on the rate of approach to equilibrium for a system with infinitely many degrees of freedom evolving according to a one-dimensional focusing nonlinear Schrödinger equation with diffusive forcing. Equilibrium is described by a generalized grand canonical ensemble. Our analysis also applies to the easier case of defocusing nonlinearities

math-ph↗

arXiv2017

A microscopic derivation of time-dependent correlation functions of the $1D$ cubic nonlinear Schrödinger equation

We give a microscopic derivation of time-dependent correlation functions of the $1D$ cubic nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLS) from many-body quantum theory. The starting point of our proof is our previous work on the time-independent problem and work of the second author on the corresponding problem on a finite lattice. An important new obstacle in our analysis is the need to work with a cutoff in the number of particles, which breaks the Gaussian structure of the free quantum field and prevents the use of the Wick theorem. We overcome it by the means of complex analytic methods. Our methods apply to the nonlocal NLS with bounded convolution potential. In the periodic setting, we also consider the local NLS, arising from short-range interactions in the many-body setting. To that end, we need the dispersion of the NLS in the form of periodic Strichartz estimates in $X^{s,b}$ spaces.

math-ph↗

arXiv2017

Asymptotic completeness in dissipative scattering theory

We consider an abstract pseudo-Hamiltonian for the nuclear optical model, given by a dissipative operator of the form $H = H_V - i C^* C$, where $H_V = H_0 + V$ is self-adjoint and $C$ is a bounded operator. We study the wave operators associated to $H$ and $H_0$. We prove that they are asymptotically complete if and only if $H$ does not have spectral singularities on the real axis. For Schrödinger operators, the spectral singularities correspond to real resonances.

math-ph↗

arXiv2016

Scattering theory for Lindblad master equations

We study scattering theory for a quantum-mechanical system consisting of a particle scattered off a dynamical target that occupies a compact region in position space. After taking a trace over the degrees of freedom of the target, the dynamics of the particle is generated by a Lindbladian acting on the space of trace-class operators. We study scattering theory for a general class of Lindbladians with bounded interaction terms. First, we consider models where a particle approaching the target is always re-emitted by the target. Then we study models where the particle may be captured by the target. An important ingredient of our analysis is a scattering theory for dissipative operators on Hilbert space.

math-ph↗

arXiv2015

On cluster properties of classical ferromagnets in an external magnetic field

Correlation functions of ferromagnetic spin systems satisfying a Lee-Yang property are studied. It is shown that, for classical systems in a non-vanishing uniform external magnetic field $h$, the connected correlation functions decay exponentially in the distances between the spins, i.e., the inverse correlation length ("mass gap"), $m(h)$, is strictly positive. Our proof is very short and transparent and is valid for complex values of the external magnetic field $h$, provided that $\text{Re} \, h \not= 0$. It implies a mean-field lower bound on $m(h)$, as $h \searrow 0$, first established by Lebowitz and Penrose for the Ising model. Our arguments also apply to some quantum spin systems.

math-ph↗

arXiv2015

Quantum Brownian motion induced by thermal noise in the presence of disorder

The motion of a quantum particle hopping on a simple cubic lattice under the influence of thermal noise and of a static random potential is expected to be diffusive, i.e., the particle is expected to exhibit `quantum Brownian motion', no matter how weak the thermal noise is. This is shown to be true in a model where the dynamics of the particle is governed by a Lindblad equation for a one-particle density matrix. The generator appearing in this equation is the sum of two terms: a Liouvillian corresponding to a random Schrödinger operator and a Lindbladian describing the effect of thermal noise in the kinetic limit. Under suitable but rather general assumptions on the Lindbladian, the diffusion constant characterizing the asymptotics of the motion of the particle is proven to be strictly positive and finite. If the disorder in the random potential is so large that transport is completely suppressed in the limit where the thermal noise is turned off, then the diffusion constant tends to $0$ proportional to the coupling of the particle to the heat bath.

math-ph↗