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T. Heinzl

Publications and source records attributed to T. Heinzl.

34 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2009

Beam-Shape Effects in Nonlinear Compton and Thomson Scattering

We discuss intensity effects in collisions between beams of optical photons from a high-power laser and relativistic electrons. Our main focus are the modifications of the emission spectra due to realistic finite-beam geometries. By carefully analyzing the classical limit we precisely quantify the distinction between strong-field QED Compton scattering and classical Thomson scattering. A purely classical, but fully covariant, calculation of the bremsstrahlung emitted by an electron in a plane wave laser field yields radiation into harmonics, as expected. This result is generalized to pulses of finite duration and explains the appearance of line broadening and harmonic substructure as an interference phenomenon. The ensuing numerical treatment confirms that strong focussing of the laser leads to a broad continuum while higher harmonics become visible only at moderate focussing, hence lower intensity. We present a scaling law for the backscattered photon spectral density which facilitates averaging over electron beam phase space. Finally, we propose a set of realistic parameters such that the observation of intensity induced spectral red-shift, higher harmonics, and their substructure, becomes feasible.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2008

Probing the ground state in gauge theories

We consider two very different models of the flux tube linking two heavy quarks: a string linking the matter fields and a Coulombic description of two separately gauge invariant charges. We compare how close they are to the unknown true ground state in compact U(1) and the SU(2) Higgs model. Simulations in compact U(1) show that the string description is better in the confined phase but the Coulombic description is best in the deconfined phase; the last result is shown to agree with analytical calculations. Surprisingly in the non-abelian theory the Coulombic description is better in both the Higgs and confined phases. This indicates a significant difference in the width of the flux tubes in the two theories.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2006

A novel approach to light-front perturbation theory

We suggest a possible algorithm to calculate one-loop n-point functions within a variant of light-front perturbation theory. The key ingredients are the covariant Passarino-Veltman scheme and a surprising integration formula that localises Feynman integrals at vanishing longitudinal momentum. The resulting expressions are generalisations of Weinberg's infinite-momentum results and are manifestly Lorentz invariant. For n = 2 and 3 we explicitly show how to relate those to light-front integrals with standard energy denominators. All expressions are rendered finite by means of transverse dimensional regularisation.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2006

On the Observation of Vacuum Birefringence

We suggest an experiment to observe vacuum birefringence induced by intense laser fields. A high-intensity laser pulse is focused to ultra-relativistic intensity and polarizes the vacuum which then acts like a birefringent medium. The latter is probed by a linearly polarized x-ray pulse. We calculate the resulting ellipticity signal within strong-field QED assuming Gaussian beams. The laser technology required for detecting the signal will be available within the next three years.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2001

Effective Theories of Confinement

We review some approaches to describe confinement in terms of effective (model) field theories. After a brief discussion of the dual Abelian Higgs model, we concentrate on a lattice analysis of the Faddeev-Niemi effective action conjectured to describe the low-lying excitations of SU(2) gluodynamics. We generalize the effective action such that it contains all operators built from a unit color vector field n with O(3) symmetry and maximally four derivatives. To avoid the presence of Goldstone bosons, we include explicit symmetry breaking terms parametrized by an external field h of mass-dimension two. We find a mass gap of the order of 1.5 GeV.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2001

A lattice study of the Faddeev-Niemi effective action

We perform a lattice analysis of the Faddeev-Niemi effective action conjectured to describe the low energy sector of SU(2) Yang-Mills theory. We generalize the effective action such that it contains all operators built from a unit color vector field n with O(3)-symmetry and maximally four derivatives. To avoid the presence of Goldstone bosons, we include explicit symmetry breaking terms parametrized by an external field h of mass-dimension two. We find a mass gap of the order of 1.5 GeV.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2000

The Light-Cone Wave Function of the Pion

The light-cone wave function of the pion is calculated within the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model. The result is used to derive the pion electromagnetic form factor, charge radius, structure function, pi-gamma transition form factor and distribution amplitude.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2000

Light-Cone Quantization: Foundations and Applications

These lecture notes review the foundations and some applications of light-cone quantization. First I explain how to choose a time in special relativity. Inclusion of Poincare invariance naturally leads to Dirac's forms of relativistic dynamics. Among these, the front form, being the basis for light-cone quantization, is my main focus. I explain a few of its peculiar features such as boost and Galilei invariance or separation of relative and center-of-mass motion. Combining light-cone dynamics and field quantization results in light-cone quantum field theory. As the latter represents a first-order system, quantization is somewhat nonstandard. I address this issue using Schwinger's quantum action principle, the method of Faddeev and Jackiw, and the functional Schroedinger picture. A finite-volume formulation, discretized light-cone quantization, is analysed in detail. I point out some problems with causality, which are absent in infinite volume. Finally, the triviality of the light-cone vacuum is established. Coming to applications, I introduce the notion of light-cone wave functions as the solutions of the light-cone Schroedinger equation. I discuss some examples, among them nonrelativistic Coulomb systems and model field theories in two dimensions. Vacuum properties (like chiral condensates) are reconstructed from the particle spectrum obtained by solving the light-cone Schroedinger equation. In a last application, I make contact with phenomenology by calculating the pion wave function within the Nambu and Jona-Lasinio model. I am thus able to predict a number of observables like the pion charge and core radius, the r.m.s. transverse momentum, the pion structure function and the pion distribution amplitude. The latter turns out to be the asymptotic one.

hep-th↗
arXiv2000

Magnetic monopoles vs. Hopf defects in the Laplacian (Abelian) gauge

We investigate the Laplacian Abelian gauge on the sphere S^4 in the background of a single `t Hooft instanton. To this end we solve the eigenvalue problem of the covariant Laplace operator in the adjoint representation. The ground state wave function serves as an auxiliary Higgs field. We find that the ground state is always degenerate and has nodes. Upon diagonalisation, these zeros induce toplogical defects in the gauge potentials. The nature of the defects crucially depends on the order of the zeros. For first-order zeros one obtains magnetic monopoles. The generic defects, however, arise from zeros of second order and are pointlike. Their topological invariant is the Hopf index S^3 -> S^2. These findings are corroborated by an analysis of the Laplacian gauge in the fundamental representation where similar defects occur. Possible implications for the confinement scenario are discussed.

hep-th↗
arXiv2000

Instantons and Gribov Copies in the Maximally Abelian Gauge

We calculate the Faddeev-Popov operator corresponding to the maximally Abelian gauge for gauge group SU(N). Specializing to SU(2) we look for explicit zero modes of this operator. Within an illuminating toy model (Yang-Mills mechanics) the problem can be completely solved and understood. In the field theory case we are able to find an analytic expression for a normalizable zero mode in the background of a single `t Hooft instanton. Accordingly, such an instanton corresponds to a horizon configuration in the maximally Abelian gauge. Possible physical implications are discussed.

hep-th↗
arXiv1998

The Configuration Space of Low-dimensional Yang-Mills Theories

We discuss the construction of the physical configuration space for Yang-Mills quantum mechanics and Yang-Mills theory on a cylinder. We explicitly eliminate the redundant degrees of freedom by either fixing a gauge or introducing gauge invariant variables. Both methods are shown to be equivalent if the Gribov problem is treated properly and the necessary boundary identifications on the Gribov horizon are performed. In addition, we analyze the significance of non-generic configurations and clarify the relation between the Gribov problem and coordinate singularities.

hep-th↗
arXiv1996

Hamiltonian Approach to the Gribov Problem

We study the Gribov problem within a Hamiltonian formulation of pure Yang-Mills theory. For a particular gauge fixing, a finite volume modification of the axial gauge, we find an exact characterization of the space of gauge-inequivalent gauge configurations.

hep-th↗
arXiv1996

Fermion Condensates and the Trivial Vacuum of Light-Cone Quantum Field Theory

We discuss the definition of condensates within light-cone quantum field theory. As the vacuum state in this formulation is trivial, we suggest to abstract vacuum properties from the particle spectrum. The latter can in principle be calculated by solving the eigenvalue problem of the light-cone Hamiltonian. We focus on fermionic condensates which are order parameters of chiral symmetry breaking. As a paradigm identity we use the Gell-Mann-Oakes-Renner relation between the quark condensate and the observable pion mass. We examine the analogues of this relation in the `t~Hooft and Schwinger model, respectively. A brief discussion of the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model is added.

hep-th↗
arXiv1995

The Vacuum Structure of Light-Front $ϕ^4_{1+1}$-Theory

We discuss the vacuum structure of $ϕ^4$-theory in 1+1 dimensions quantised on the light-front $x^+ =0$. To this end, one has to solve a non-linear, operator-valued constraint equation. It expresses that mode of the field operator having longitudinal light-front momentum equal to zero, as a function of all the other modes in the theory. We analyse whether this zero mode can lead to a non-vanishing vacuum expectation value of the field $ϕ$ and thus to spontaneous symmetry breaking. In perturbation theory, we get no symmetry breaking. If we solve the constraint, however, non-perturbatively, within a mean-field type Fock ansatz, the situation changes: while the vacuum state itself remains trivial, we find a non-vanishing vacuum expectation value above a critical coupling. Exactly the same result is obtained within a light-front Tamm-Dancoff approximation, if the renormalisation is done in the correct way.

hep-th↗
arXiv1993

Light-Front Quantisation as an Initial-Boundary Value Problem

In the light front quantisation scheme initial conditions are usually provided on a single lightlike hyperplane. This, however, is insufficient to yield a unique solution of the field equations. We investigate under which additional conditions the problem of solving the field equations becomes well posed. The consequences for quantisation are studied within a Hamiltonian formulation by using the method of Faddeev and Jackiw for dealing with first-order Lagrangians. For the prototype field theory of massive scalar fields in 1+1 dimensions, we find that initial conditions for fixed light cone time {\sl and} boundary conditions in the spatial variable are sufficient to yield a consistent commutator algebra. Data on a second lightlike hyperplane are not necessary. Hamiltonian and Euler-Lagrange equations of motion become equivalent; the description of the dynamics remains canonical and simple. In this way we justify the approach of discretised light cone quantisation.

hep-th↗