arXiv subjects

Leslaw Rachwal

Publications and source records attributed to Leslaw Rachwal.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

Computing the Effective Action with the Functional Renormalization Group

The "exact" or "functional" renormalization group equation describes the renormalization group flow of the effective average action $Γ_k$. The ordinary effective action $Γ_0$ can be obtained by integrating the flow equation from an ultraviolet scale $k=Λ$ down to $k=0$. We give several examples of such calculations at one-loop, both in renormalizable and in effective field theories. We use the results of Barvinsky, Vilkovisky and Avramidi on the non-local heat kernel coefficients to reproduce the four point scattering amplitude in the case of a real scalar field theory with quartic potential and in the case of the pion chiral lagrangian. In the case of gauge theories, we reproduce the vacuum polarization of QED and of Yang-Mills theory. We also compute the two point functions for scalars and gravitons in the effective field theory of scalar fields minimally coupled to gravity.

hep-th↗

arXiv2015

Universally Finite Gravitational & Gauge Theories

It is well known that standard gauge theories are renormalizable in D=4 while Einstein gravity is renormalizable in D=2. This is where the research in the field of two derivatives theories is currently standing. We hereby present a class of weakly non-local higher derivative gravitational and gauge theories universally consistent at quantum level in any spacetime dimension. These theories are unitary (ghost-free) and perturbatively renormalizable. Moreover, we can always find a simple extension of these theories that is super-renormalizable or finite at quantum level in even and odd spacetime dimensions. Finally, we propose a super-renormalizable or finite theory for gravity coupled to matter laying the groundwork for a "finite standard model of particle physics" and/or a grand unified theory of all fundamental interactions.

hep-th↗

arXiv2014

Super-renormalizable & Finite Gravitational Theories

We hereby introduce and extensively study a class of non-polynomial higher derivative theories of gravity that realize a ultraviolet (UV) completion of Einstein general relativity. These theories are unitary (ghost free) and at most only one-loop divergences survive. The outcome is a class of theories super-renormalizable in even dimension and finite in odd dimension. Moreover, we explicitly prove in D=4 that there exists an extension of the theory that is completely finite and all the beta functions vanish even at one-loop. These results can be easily extended in extra dimensions and it is likely that the higher dimensional theory can be made finite too. Therefore we have the possibility for "finite quantum gravity" in any dimension.

hep-th↗

arXiv2012

On classicalization in nonlinear sigma models

We consider the phenomenon of classicalization in nonlinear sigma models with both positive and negative target space curvature and with any number of derivatives. We find that the theories with only two derivatives exhibit a weak form of classicalization, and that the quantitative results depend on the sign of the curvature. Nonlinear sigma models with higher derivatives show a strong form of the phenomenon which is independent of the sign of curvature. We argue that weak classicalization may actually be equivalent to asymptotic safety, whereas strong classicalization seems to be a genuinely different phenomenon. We also discuss possible ambiguities in the definition of the classical limit.

hep-th↗

arXiv2011

Scale-dependent Planck mass and Higgs VEV from holography and functional renormalization

We compute the scale-dependence of the Planck mass and of the vacuum expectation value of the Higgs field using two very different renormalization group methods: a "holographic" procedure based on Einstein's equations in five dimensions with matter confined to a 3-brane, and a "functional" procedure in four dimensions based on a Wilsonian momentum cutoff. Both calculations lead to very similar results, suggesting that the coupled theory approaches a non-trivial fixed point in the ultraviolet.

hep-th↗