arXiv subjects

John F. Dawson

Publications and source records attributed to John F. Dawson.

42 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2002

Dynamics of broken symmetry lambda phi^4 field theory

We study the domain of validity of a Schwinger-Dyson (SD) approach to non-equilibrium dynamics when there is broken symmetry. We perform exact numerical simulations of the one- and two-point functions of lambda phi^4 field theory in 1+1 dimensions in the classical domain for initial conditions where < phi(x) > not equal to 0. We compare these results to two self-consistent truncations of the SD equations which ignore three-point vertex function corrections. The first approximation, which sets the three-point function to one (the bare vertex approximation (BVA)) gives an excellent description for < phi(x) > = phi(t). The second approximation which ignores higher in 1/N corrections to the 2-PI generating functional (2PI -1/N expansion) is not as accurate for phi(t). Both approximations have serious deficiencies in describing the two-point function when phi(0) > .4.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2001

Continuum versus periodic lattice Monte Carlo approach to classical field theory

We compare the momentum space with the standard periodic lattice approach to Monte Carlo calculations in classical $ϕ^4$ field theory. We show that the mismatch in the initial value of $ϕ^2_{\text{cl}}(t)$, results in a shift in the ``thermalized'' value, at large times. The two approaches converge to the same result in the continuum limit.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2001

Resumming the large-N approximation for time evolving quantum systems

In this paper we discuss two methods of resumming the leading and next to leading order in 1/N diagrams for the quartic O(N) model. These two approaches have the property that they preserve both boundedness and positivity for expectation values of operators in our numerical simulations. These approximations can be understood either in terms of a truncation to the infinitely coupled Schwinger-Dyson hierarchy of equations, or by choosing a particular two-particle irreducible vacuum energy graph in the effective action of the Cornwall-Jackiw-Tomboulis formalism. We confine our discussion to the case of quantum mechanics where the Lagrangian is $L(x,\dot{x}) = (1/2) \sum_{i=1}^{N} \dot{x}_i^2 - (g/8N) [ \sum_{i=1}^{N} x_i^2 - r_0^2 ]^{2}$. The key to these approximations is to treat both the $x$ propagator and the $x^2$ propagator on similar footing which leads to a theory whose graphs have the same topology as QED with the $x^2$ propagator playing the role of the photon. The bare vertex approximation is obtained by replacing the exact vertex function by the bare one in the exact Schwinger-Dyson equations for the one and two point functions. The second approximation, which we call the dynamic Debye screening approximation, makes the further approximation of replacing the exact $x^2$ propagator by its value at leading order in the 1/N expansion. These two approximations are compared with exact numerical simulations for the quantum roll problem. The bare vertex approximation captures the physics at large and modest $N$ better than the dynamic Debye screening approximation.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1998

The quantum roll in d-dimensions and the large-d expansion

We investigate the quantum roll for a particle in a $d$-dimensional ``Mexican hat'' potential in quantum mechanics, comparing numerical simulations in $d$-dimensions with the results of a large-$d$ expansion, up to order $1/d$, of the coupled closed time path (CTP) Green's function equations, as well as to a post-Gaussian variational approximation in $d$-dimensions. The quantum roll problem for a set of $N$ coupled oscillators is equivalent to a $(d=N)$-dimensional spherically symmetric quantum mechanics problem. For this problem the large-N expansion is equivalent to an expansion in $1/d$ where $d$ is the number of dimensions. We use the Schwinger-Mahanthappa-Keldysh CTP formalism to determine the causal update equations to order $1/d$. We also study the quantum fluctuations $ $ as a function of time and find that the $1/d$ corrections improve the agreement with numerical simulations at short times (over one or two oscillations) but beyond two oscillations, the approximation fails to correspond to a positive probability function. Using numerical methods, we also study how the long time behavior of the motion changes from its asymptotic ($d \to \infty$) harmonic behavior as we reduce $d$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1997

Order 1/N corrections to the time-dependent Hartree approximation for a system of N+1 oscillators

We solve numerically to order 1/N the time evolution of a quantum dynamical system of N oscillators of mass m coupled quadratically to a massless dynamic variable. We use Schwinger's closed time path (CTP) formalism to derive the equations. We compare two methods which differ by terms of order 1/N^2. The first method is a direct perturbation theory in 1/N using the path integral. The second solves exactly the theory defined by the effective action to order 1/N. We compare the results of both methods as a function of N. At N=1, where we expect the expansion to be quite innacurate, we compare our results to an exact numerical solution of the Schroedinger equation. In this case we find that when the two methods disagree they also diverge from the exact answer. We also find at N=1 that the 1/N corrected evolutions track the exact answer for the expectation values much longer than the mean field (N= \infty) result.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1996

Time evolution of the chiral phase transition during a spherical expansion

We examine the non-equilibrium time evolution of the hadronic plasma produced in a relativistic heavy ion collision, assuming a spherical expansion into the vacuum. We study the $O(4)$ linear sigma model to leading order in a large-$N$ expansion. Starting at a temperature above the phase transition, the system expands and cools, finally settling into the broken symmetry vacuum state. We consider the proper time evolution of the effective pion mass, the order parameter $\langle σ\rangle$, and the particle number distribution. We examine several different initial conditions and look for instabilities (exponentially growing long wavelength modes) which can lead to the formation of disoriented chiral condensates (DCCs). We find that instabilities exist for proper times which are less than 3 fm/c. We also show that an experimental signature of domain growth is an increase in the low momentum spectrum of outgoing pions when compared to an expansion in thermal equilibrium. In comparison to particle production during a longitudinal expansion, we find that in a spherical expansion the system reaches the ``out'' regime much faster and more particles get produced. However the size of the unstable region, which is related to the domain size of DCCs, is not enhanced.

hep-th↗