arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Massimo Blasone.
We report on the recent result that the non--perturbative vacuum structure associated with neutrino mixing leads to a non--zero contribution to the value of the cosmological constant. Its value is estimated by using the natural cut--off appearing in the quantum field theory formalism for neutrino mixing.
By resorting to recent results on the relativistic currents for mixed (flavor) fields, we calculate a space-time dependent neutrino oscillation formula in Quantum Field Theory. Our formulation provides an alternative to existing approaches for the derivation of space dependent oscillation formulas and it also accounts for the corrections due to the non-trivial nature of the flavor vacuum. By exploring different limits of our formula, we recover already known results. We study in detail the case of one-dimensional propagation with gaussian wavepackets both in the relativistic and in the non-relativistic regions: in the last case, numerical evaluations of our result show significant deviations from the standard formula.
We report on recent results on the Quantum Field Theory of mixed particles. The quantization procedure is discussed in detail, both for fermions and for bosons and the unitary inequivalence of the flavor and mass representations is proved. Oscillation formulas exhibiting corrections with respect to the usual quantum mechanical ones are then derived.
We use previous work on the Hilbert space for mixed fields to derive deformed dispersion relations for neutrino flavor states. We then discuss how these dispersion relations may be incorporated into frameworks encoding the breakdown of Lorentz invariance. We consider non-linear relativity schemes (of which doubly special relativity is an example), and also frameworks allowing for the existence of a preferred frame. In both cases we derive expressions for the spectrum and end-point of beta decay, which may be used as an experimental probe of the peculiar way in which neutrinos experience Lorentz invariance.
We study the mixing of neutral particles in Quantum Field Theory: neutral boson field and Majorana field are treated in the case of mixing among two generations. We derive the orthogonality of flavor and mass representations and show how to consistently calculate oscillation formulas, which agree with previous results for charged fields and exhibit corrections with respect to the usual quantum mechanical expressions.
Starting with the relation between two kinds of neutrino field operators corresponding to definite flavor and mass states, we investigate if the usual evolution relations for neutrino oscillation in matter can be consistently derived, in the case of high energy neutrinos. A negative answer is obtained contrary to an earlier result [P. D. Mannheim, Phys. Rev. D {\bf 37} (1988) 1935]. The reason for such a difference relies essentially on the Bogolyubov transformation between two kinds of momentum-helicity creation- and annihilation-operators with definite flavors and masses, which was not taken into account in previous treatments.
We study in detail the Quantum Field Theory of mixing among three generations of Dirac fermions (neutrinos). We construct the Hilbert space for the flavor fields and determine the generators of the mixing transformations. By use of these generators, we recover all the known parameterizations of the three-flavor mixing matrix and we find a number of new ones. The algebra of the currents associated with the mixing transformations is shown to be a deformed $su(3)$ algebra, when CP violating phases are present. We then derive the exact oscillation formulas, exhibiting new features with respect to the usual ones. CP and T violation are also discussed.
We study topological defects as inhomogeneous (localized) condensates of particles in Quantum Field Theory. In the framework of the Closed-Time-Path formalism, we consider explicitly a $(1+1)$ dimensional $\la ψ^4$ model and construct the Heisenberg picture field operator $ψ$ in the presence of kinks. We show how the classical kink solutions emerge from the vacuum expectation value of such an operator in the Born approximation and/or $\la \to 0$ limit. The presented method is general in the sense that applies also to the case of finite temperature and to non-equilibrium; it also allows for the determination of Green's functions in the presence of topological defects. We discuss the classical kink solutions at $T\neq 0$ in the high temperature limit. We conclude with some speculations on the possible relevance of our method for the description of the defect formation during symmetry-breaking phase transitions.
We comment on the paper ``Remarks on flavor-neutrino propagators and oscillation formulae'' [Phys. Rev. D64, 013011 (2001)]. We show that the conclusions presented in that paper do not apply to the exact field theoretical oscillation formulae obtained in the BV formalism (for three flavors) which are free from the dependence on arbitrary mass parameters, account for CP violation and reduce to the usual quantum mechanical (Pontecorvo) three flavor oscillation formulae in the relativistic limit.
By using the Feynman-Hibbs prescription for the evolution amplitude, we quantize the system of a damped harmonic oscillator coupled to its time-reversed image, known as Bateman's dual system. The time-dependent quantum states of such a system are constructed and discussed entirely in the framework of the classical theory. The corresponding geometric (Pancharatnam) phase is calculated and found to be directly related to the ground-state energy of the 1D linear harmonic oscillator to which the 2D system reduces under appropriate constraint.
We present an analysis of currents and charges for a system of two mixed fields, both for spinless bosons and for Dirac fermions. This allows us to obtain in a straightforward way the exact field theoretical oscillation formulas exhibiting corrections with respect to the usual ones derived in quantum mechanics.
We show that the dissipation term in the Hamiltonian for a couple of classical damped-amplified oscillators manifests itself as a geometric phase and is actually responsible for the appearance of the zero point energy in the quantum spectrum of the 1D linear harmonic oscillator. We also discuss the thermodynamical features of the system. Our work has been inspired by 't Hooft proposal according to which information loss in certain classical systems may lead to ``an apparent quantization of the orbits which resembles the quantum structure seen in the real world".
We consider the quantum field theoretical formulation of boson field mixing and obtain the exact oscillation formula. This formula does not depend on arbitrary mass parameters. We show that the space for the mixed field states is unitarily inequivalent to the state space where the unmixed field operators are defined. We also study the structure of the currents and charges for the mixed fields.
In the framework of the Closed-Time-Path formalism, we show how topological defects may arise in Quantum Field Theory as result of a localized (inhomogeneous) condensation of particles. We demonstrate our approach on two examples; kinks in the $2D λψ^{4}$ theory (both at zero and finite temperature) and vortices in the complex $4D λψ^{4} $ theory.
We show that the neutrino oscillation formula recently derived in the quantum field theory framework holds true despite the arbitrariness in the mass parameter for the flavor fields. This formula is exact and exhibits new features with respect to the usual Pontecorvo formula, which is however valid in the relativistic limit.
We study a new spacetime which is shown to be the general geometrical background for Thermal Field Theories at equilibrium. The different formalisms of Thermal Field Theory are unified in a simple way in this spacetime. The set of time-paths used in the Path Ordered Method is interpreted in geometrical terms.
We show the presence of a topological (Berry) phase in the time evolution of a mixed state. For the case of mixed neutrinos, the Berry phase is a function of the mixing angle only.
I report on recent theoretical results about neutrino mixing and oscillations. I show that in Quantum Field Theory, mixing transformations are not trivial and the vacuum for the mixed fields has a condensate structure. This fact has phenomenological consequences on neutrino oscillations: the oscillation formula turns out to have an additional oscillating piece and energy dependent amplitudes. The usual Pontecorvo formula is recovered in the relativistic limit. I report also about preliminary results on the presence of a topological (Berry) phase for oscillating neutrinos.