Operator ordering in quantum radiative processes

In this work we reexamine quantum electrodynamics of atomic electrons in the Coulomb gauge in the dipole approximation and calculate the shift of atomic energy levels in the context of Dalibard, Dupont-Roc and Cohen-Tannoudji formalism by considering the variation rates of physical observable. We then analyze the physical interpretation of the ordering of operators in the dipole approximation interaction Hamiltonian in terms of field fluctuations and self-reaction of atomic electrons, discussing the arbitrariness in the statistical functions in second-order bound-state perturbation theory. (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Structure formation in the presence of dark energy perturbations

We study non-linear structure formation in the presence of dark energy. The influence of dark energy on the growth of large-scale cosmological structures is exerted both through its background effect on the expansion rate, and through its perturbations. In order to compute the rate of formation of massive objects we employ the spherical collapse formalism, which we generalize to include fluids with pressure. We show that the resulting non-linear evolution equations are identical to the ones obtained in the pseudo-Newtonian approach to cosmological perturbations, in the regime where an equation of state serves to describe both the background pressure relative to density, and the pressure perturbations relative to the density perturbations. We then consider a wide range of constant and time-dependent equations of state (including phantom models) parametrized in a standard way, and study their impact on the non-linear growth of structure. The main effect is the formation of dark energy structure associated with the dark matter halo: non-phantom equations of state induce the formation of a dark energy halo, damping the growth of structures; phantom models, on the other hand, generate dark energy voids, enhancing structure growth. Finally, we employ the Press-Schechter formalism to compute how dark energy affects the number of massive objects as a function of redshift (number counts).

Reply to Comment on 'validity of Feynman's prescription of disregarding the Pauli principle in intermediate states'

In a recent paper, we raised a question on the validity of Feynman's prescription of disregarding the Pauli principle in intermediate states of perturbation theory. In the preceding Comment, Cavalcanti correctly pointed out that Feynman's prescription is consistent with the exact solution of the model that we used. This means that the Pauli principle does not necessarily apply to intermediate states. We discuss implications of this puzzling aspect.

Semiclassical particle spectrum of double sine-Gordon model

We present new theoretical results on the spectrum of the quantum field theory of the double sine-Gordon model. This non-integrable model displays different varieties of kink excitations and bound states thereof. Their mass can be obtained by using a semiclassical expression of the matrix elements of the local fields. In certain regions of the coupling-constants space the semiclassical method provides a picture which is complementary to the one of the form factor perturbation theory, since the two techniques give information about the mass of different types of excitations. In other regions the two methods are comparable, since they describe the same kind of particles. Furthermore, the semiclassical picture is particularly suited to describe the phenomenon of false vacuum decay, and it also accounts in a natural way the presence of resonance states and the occurrence of a phase transition. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Validity of Feynman's prescription of disregarding the Pauli principle in intermediate states

Regarding the Pauli principle in quantum field theory and in many-body quantum mechanics, Feynman advocated that Pauli's exclusion principle can be completely ignored in intermediate states of perturbation theory. He observed that all virtual processes (of the same order) that violate the Pauli principle cancel out. Feynman accordingly introduced a prescription, which is to disregard the Pauli principle in all intermediate processes. This ingenious trick is of crucial importance in the Feynman diagram technique. We show, however, an example in which Feynman's prescription fails. This casts doubts on the general validity of Feynman's prescription. [S1050-2947(99)04604-1].

DM particles: how warm they can be?

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

QCD tests with an infrared finite gluon propagator and coupling constant

Recent progress in the solution of Schwinger-Dyson equations, as well as lattice simulation of pure glue QCD, indicate that the gluon propagator and coupling constant are infrared finite. Such non-perturbative information can be introduced in the QCD perturbative expansion in the scheme named Dynamical Perturbation Theory. We exemplify this procedure with the calculation of some two-body non-leptonic annihilation B meson decays, which show agreement with the experimental data in the case of a gluon propagator characterized by a dynamical gluon mass of 500MeV, compatible with the value found in several processes computed with this method. We give a. preliminary account of the application of this procedure at the loop level in the case of the Bjorken sum rule.

Observing Higgs dark matter at the CERN LHC

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Natural Peccei-Quinn symmetry in the 3-3-1 model with a minimal scalar sector

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Signatures of primordial non-Gaussianities in the matter power-spectrum and bispectrum: the time-RG approach

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

On energy transfer between linear and nonlinear oscillators

In this paper energy transfer in a dissipative mechanical system is analysed. Such system is composed of a linear and a nonlinear oscillator with a nonlinearizable cubic stiffness. Depending on initial conditions, we find energy transfer either from linear to nonlinear oscillator (energy pumping) or from nonlinear to linear. Such results are valid for two different potentials. However, under resonance and absence of external excitation, if the mass of the nonlinear oscillator is adequately small then the linear oscillator always loses energy. Our approach uses rigorous Regular Perturbation Theory. Besides, we have included the case of two linear oscillators under linear or cubic interactions. Comparisons with the earlier case are made. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dark energy parametrizations and their effect on dark halos

There are a plethora of dark energy parametrizations that can fit current supernovae Ia data. However, these data are only sensitive to redshifts up to order one. In fact, many of these parametrizations break down at higher redshifts. In this paper we study the effect of dark energy models on the formation of dark halos. We select a couple of dark energy parametrizations which are sensible at high redshifts and compute their effect on the evolution of density perturbations in the linear and non-linear regimes. Using the Press-Schechter formalism we show that they produce distinguishable signatures in the number counts of dark halos. Therefore, future observations of galaxy clusters can provide complementary constraints on the behaviour of dark energy.

Energy localization in the Peyrard-Bishop DNA model

We study energy localization on the oscillator chain proposed by Peyrard and Bishop to model DNA. We search numerically for conditions with initial energy in a small subgroup of consecutive oscillators of a finite chain and such that the oscillation amplitude is small outside this subgroup on a long time scale. We use a localization criterion based on the information entropy and verify numerically that such localized excitations exist when the nonlinear dynamics of the subgroup oscillates with a frequency inside the reactive band of the linear chain. We predict a mimium value for the Morse parameter (mu>2.25) (the only parameter of our normalized model), in agreement with the numerical calculations (an estimate for the biological value is mu=6.3). For supercritical masses, we use canonical perturbation theory to expand the frequencies of the subgroup and we calculate an energy threshold in agreement with the numerical calculations.

Fold, transcritical and pitchfork singularities for time-reversible systems

This paper deals with a class of singularly perturbed reversible planar vector fields around the origin where the normal hyperbolicity assumption is not assumed. We exhibit conditions for the existence of infinitely many periodic orbits and hetero-clinic cycles converging to singular orbits with respect to the Hausdorf distance. In addition, generic normal forms of such singularities are presented.

STOCHASTIC QUANTIZATION AND 1/N EXPANSION

We study the 1/N expansion of field theories in the stochastic quantization method of Parisi and Wu using the supersymmetric functional approach. This formulation provides a systematic procedure to implement the 1/N expansion which resembles the ones used in the equilibrium. The 1/N perturbation theory for the nonlinear sigma-model in two dimensions is worked out as an example.