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Michael Duetsch

Publications and source records attributed to Michael Duetsch.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2024

The power of the anomaly consistency condition for the Master Ward Identity: Conservation of the non-Abelian gauge current

Extending local gauge tansformations in a suitable way to Faddeev-Popov ghost fields, one obtains a symmetry of the total action, i.e., the Yang-Mills action plus a gauge fixing term (in a lambda-gauge) plus the ghost action. The anomalous Master Ward Identity (for this action and this extended, local gauge transformation) states that the pertinent Noether current -- the interacting ``gauge current'' -- is conserved up to anomalies. It is proved that, apart from terms being easily removable (by finite renormalization), all possible anomalies are excluded by the consistency condition for the anomaly of the Master Ward Identity, recently derived in refenrence [8].

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arXiv2023

Perturbative QFT: off-shell fields, deformation quantization and causal perturbation theory

Perturbative QFT is developed in terms of off-shell fields (that is, functionals on the configuration space not restricted by any field equation), and by quantizing the (underlying) free theory by an $\hbar$-dependent deformation of the classical product (i.e., the pointwise product of functionals). The time-ordered product of local fields is defined axiomatically, and constructed by induction on the number of factors using Stora's version of the Epstein--Glaser construction; in particular, the interaction is adiabatically switched off. The set of solutions of these axioms can be understood as the orbit of the St\"uckelberg--Petermann renormalization group when acting on a particular solution. Interacting fields are defined in terms of the time-ordered product by Bogoliubov's formula; they satisfy the following, physically desired properties: causality, spacelike commutativity, (off-shell) field equation and existence of the classical limit. Local, algebraic properties of the observables can be obtained without performing the adiabatic limit (i.e., the limit removing the adiabatic switching of the interaction).

math-ph↗
arXiv2021

Diphoton decay of the higgs from the Epstein--Glaser viewpoint

We revisit a nearly ten-year old controversy on the diphoton decay of the Higgs particle. To a large extent, the controversy turned around the respective merits of the regularization techniques employed. The novel aspect of our approach is that no regularization techniques are brought to bear: we work within the Bogoliubov--Epstein--Glaser scheme of renormalization by extension of distributions. Solving the problem actually required an expansion of this method's toolkit, furnished in the paper.

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arXiv2015

Massive vector bosons: is the geometrical interpretation as a spontaneously broken gauge theory possible at all scales?

The usual derivation of the Lagrangian of a model for massive vector bosons, by spontaneous symmetry breaking of a gauge theory, implies that the prefactors of the various interaction terms are uniquely determined functions of the coupling constant(s) and the masses. Since, under the renormalization group (RG) flow, different interaction terms get different loop-corrections, it is uncertain, whether these functions remain fixed under this flow. We investigate this question for the $U(1)$-Higgs-model to 1-loop order in the framework of Epstein-Glaser renormalization. Our main result reads: choosing the renormalization mass scale(s) in a way corresponding to the minimal subtraction scheme, the geometrical interpretation as a spontaneously broken gauge theory gets lost under the RG-flow. This holds also for the clearly stronger property of BRST-invariance of the Lagrangian. On the other hand we prove that physical consistency, which is a weak form of BRST-invariance of the time-ordered products, is maintained under the RG-flow.

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arXiv2015

Higgs mechanism and renormalization group flow: are they compatible?

Usually the Lagrangian of a model for massive vector bosons is derived in a geometric way by the Higgs mechanism. We investigate whether this geometric structure is maintained under the renormalization group (RG) flow. Using the framework of Epstein-Glaser renormalization, we find that the answer is 'no', if the renormalization mass scale(s) are chosen in a way corresponding to the minimal subtraction scheme. This result is derived for the $U(1)$-Higgs model to 1-loop order. On the other hand we give a model-independent proof that physical consistency, which is a weak form of BRST-invariance of the time-ordered products, is stable under the RG-flow.

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arXiv2014

Dimensional Regularization in Position Space, and a Forest Formula for Epstein-Glaser Renormalization

We reformulate dimensional regularization as a regularization method in position space and show that it can be used to give a closed expression for the renormalized time-ordered products as solutions to the induction scheme of Epstein-Glaser. For scalar fields the resulting renormalization method is always applicable, we compute several examples. We also analyze the Hopf algebraic aspects of the combinatorics. Our starting point is the Main Theorem of Renormalization of Stora and Popineau and the arising renormalization group as originally defined by Stueckelberg and Petermann.

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arXiv2014

The scaling and mass expansion

The scaling and mass expansion (shortly 'sm-expansion') is a new axiom for causal perturbation theory, which is a stronger version of a frequently used renormalization condition in terms of Steinmann's scaling degree. If one quantizes the underlying free theory by using a Hadamard function (which is smooth in $m\geq 0$), one can reduce renormalization of a massive model to the extension of a minimal set of mass-independent, almost homogeneously scaling distributions by a Taylor expansion in the mass $m$. The sm-expansion is a generalization of this Taylor expansion, which yields this crucial simplification of the renormalization of massive models also for the case that one quantizes with the Wightman two-point function, which contains a $\log(-(m^2(x^2-ix^0 0))$-term. We construct the general solution of the new system of axioms (i.e. the usual axioms of causal perturbation theory completed by the sm-expansion), and illustrate the method for a divergent diagram which contains a divergent subdiagram.

math-ph↗
arXiv2012

On the assertion that PCT violation implies Lorentz non-invariance

Out of conviction or expediency, some current research programs take for granted that "PCT violation implies violation of Lorentz invariance". We point out that this claim is still on somewhat shaky ground. In fact, for many years there has been no strengthening of the evidence in this direction. However, using causal perturbation theory, we prove here that when starting with a local PCT-invariant interaction, PCT symmetry can be maintained in the process of renormalization.

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arXiv2011

Connection between the renormalization groups of Stückelberg-Petermann and Wilson

The Stueckelberg-Petermann renormalization group is the group of finite renormalizations of the S-matrix in the framework of causal perturbation theory. The renormalization group in the sense of Wilson relies usually on a functional integral formalism, it describes the dependence of the theory on a UV-cutoff $Λ$; a widespread procedure is to construct the theory by solving Polchinski's flow equation for the effective potential. To clarify the connection between these different approaches we proceed as follows: in the framework of causal perturbation theory we introduce an UV-cutoff $Λ$, define an effective potential $V_Λ$, prove a pertinent flow equation and compare with the corresponding terms in the functional integral formalism. The flow of $V_Λ$ is a version of Wilson's renormalization group. The restriction of these operators to local interactions can be approximated by a subfamily of the Stueckelberg-Petermann renormalization group.

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arXiv2011

Protecting the conformal symmetry via bulk renormalization on Anti deSitter space

The problem of perturbative breakdown of conformal symmetry can be avoided, if a conformally covariant quantum field phi on d-dimensional Minkowski spacetime is viewed as the boundary limit of a quantum field Phi on d+1-dimensional anti-deSitter spacetime (AdS). We study the boundary limit in renormalized perturbation theory with polynomial interactions in AdS, and point out the differences as compared to renormalization directly on the boundary. In particular, provided the limit exists, there is no conformal anomaly. We compute explicitly the "fish diagram" on AdS_4 by differential renormalization, and calculate the anomalous dimension of the composite boundary field phi^2 with bulk interaction Phi^4.

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arXiv2010

Quantum gauge models without classical Higgs mechanism

We examine the status of massive gauge theories, such as those usually obtained by spontaneous symmetry breakdown, from the viewpoint of causal (Epstein-Glaser) renormalization. The BRS formulation of gauge invariance in this framework, starting from canonical quantization of massive (as well as massless) vector bosons as fundamental entities, and proceeding perturbatively, allows one to rederive the reductive group symmetry of interactions, the need for scalar fields in gauge theory, and the covariant derivative. Thus the presence of higgs particles is explained without recourse to a Higgs(-Englert-Brout-Guralnik-Hagen-Kibble) mechanism. Along the way, we dispel doubts about the compatibility of causal gauge invariance with grand unified theories.

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arXiv2009

Perturbative Algebraic Quantum Field Theory and the Renormalization Groups

A new formalism for the perturbative construction of algebraic quantum field theory is developed. The formalism allows the treatment of low dimensional theories and of non-polynomial interactions. We discuss the connection between the Stueckelberg-Petermann renormalization group which describes the freedom in the perturbative construction with the Wilsonian idea of theories at different scales . In particular we relate the approach to renormalization in terms of Polchinski's Flow Equation to the Epstein-Glaser method. We also show that the renormalization group in the sense of Gell-Mann-Low (which characterizes the behaviour of the theory under the change of all scales) is a 1-parametric subfamily of the Stueckelberg-Petermann group and that this subfamily is in general only a cocycle. Since the algebraic structure of the Stueckelberg-Petermann group does not depend on global quantities, this group can be formulated in the (algebraic) adiabatic limit without meeting any infrared divergencies. In particular we derive an algebraic version of the Callan-Symanzik equation and define the beta-function in a state independent way.

math-ph↗
arXiv2008

Relating on-shell and off-shell formalism in perturbative quantum field theory

In the on-shell formalism (mostly used in perturbative quantum field theory) the entries of the time ordered product T are on-shell fields (i.e. the basic fields satisfy the free field equations). With that, (multi)linearity of T is incompatible with the Action Ward identity. This can be circumvented by using the off-shell formalism in which the entries of T are off-shell fields. To relate on- and off-shell formalism correctly, a map sigma from on-shell fields to off-shell fields was introduced axiomatically by Duetsch and Fredenhagen. In that paper it was shown that, in the case of one real scalar field in N=4 dimensional Minkowski space, these axioms have a unique solution. However, this solution was given there only recursively. We solve this recurrence relation and give a fully explicit expression for sigma in the cases of the scalar, Dirac and gauge fields for arbitrary values of the dimension N.

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arXiv2008

Removal of violations of the Master Ward Identity in perturbative QFT

We study the appearance of anomalies of the Master Ward Identity, which is a universal renormalization condition in perturbative QFT. The main insight of the present paper is that any violation of the Master Ward Identity can be expressed as a LOCAL interacting field; this is a version of the well-known Quantum Action Principle of Lowenstein and Lam. Proceeding in a proper field formalism by induction on the order in $\hbar$, this knowledge about the structure of possible anomalies as well as techniques of algebraic renormalization are used to remove possible anomalies by finite renormalizations. As an example the method is applied to prove the Ward identities of the O(N) scalar field model.

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arXiv2008

The Quantum Action Principle in the framework of Causal Perturbation Theory

In perturbative quantum field theory the maintenance of classical symmetries is quite often investigated by means of algebraic renormalization, which is based on the Quantum Action Principle. We formulate and prove this principle in a new framework, in causal perturbation theory with localized interactions. Throughout this work a universal formulation of symmetries is used: the Master Ward Identity.

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arXiv2005

Action Ward Identity and the Stueckelberg-Petermann renormalization group

A fresh look at the renormalization group (in the sense of Stueckelberg-Petermann) from the point of view of algebraic quantum field theory is given, and it is shown that a consistent definition of local algebras of observables and of interacting fields in renormalized perturbative quantum field theory can be given in terms of retarded products. The dependence on the Lagrangian enters this construction only through the classical action. This amounts to the commutativity of retarded products with derivatives, a property named Action Ward Identity by Stora.

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arXiv2004

Causal perturbation theory in terms of retarded products, and a proof of the Action Ward Identity

In the framework of perturbative algebraic quantum field theory a local construction of interacting fields in terms of retarded products is performed, based on earlier work of Steinmann. In our formalism the entries of the retarded products are local functionals of the off shell classical fields, and we prove that the interacting fields depend only on the action and not on terms in the Lagrangian which are total derivatives, thus providing a proof of Stora's 'Action Ward Identity'. The theory depends on free parameters which flow under the renormalization group. This flow can be derived in our local framework independently of the infrared behavior, as was first established by Hollands and Wald. We explicitly compute non-trivial examples for the renormalization of the interaction and the field.

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