Henning Bostelmann

Phase space properties and the short distance structure in quantum field theory

The paper investigates relations between the phase space structure of a quantum field theory (“nuclearity”) and the concept of pointlike localized fields. Given a net of local observable algebras, a phase space condition is introduced that allows a very detailed description of the theory’s field content. An appendix discusses noninteracting models as examples.

Operator product expansions as a consequence of phase space properties

The paper presents a model-independent, nonperturbative proof of operator product expansions in quantum field theory. As an input, a recently proposed phase space condition is used that allows a precise description of point field structures. Based on the product expansions, we also define and analyze normal products (in the sense of Zimmermann).

Quantum Inequalities from Operator Product Expansions

Quantum inequalities are lower bounds for local averages of quantum observables that have positive classical counterparts, such as the energy density or the Wick square. We establish such inequalities in general (possibly interacting) quantum field theories on Minkowski space, using nonperturbative techniques. Our main tool is a rigorous version of the operator product expansion.

Characterization of Local Observables in Integrable Quantum Field Theories

Integrable quantum field theories in 1+1 dimensions have recently become amenable to a rigorous construction, but many questions about the structure of their local observables remain open. Our goal is to characterize these local observables in terms of their expansion coefficients in a series expansion by interacting annihilators and creators, similar to form factors. We establish a rigorous one-to-one characterization, where locality of an observable is reflected in analyticity properties of its expansion coefficients; this includes detailed information about the high-energy behaviour of the observable and the growth properties of the analytic functions. Our results hold for generic observables, not only smeared pointlike fields, and the characterizing conditions depend only on the localization region—we consider wedges and double cones—and on the permissible high energy behaviour.

SCALING LIMITS OF INTEGRABLE QUANTUM FIELD THEORIES

Short distance scaling limits of a class of integrable models on two-dimensional Minkowski space are considered in the algebraic framework of quantum field theory. Making use of the wedge-local quantum fields generating these models, it is shown that massless scaling limit theories exist, and decompose into (twisted) tensor products of chiral, translation-dilation covariant field theories. On the subspace which is generated from the vacuum by the observables localized in finite light ray intervals, this symmetry can be extended to the Mobius group. The structure of the interval-localized algebras in the chiral models is discussed in two explicit examples.

Quantum Energy Inequality for the Massive Ising Model

A quantum energy inequality is derived for the massive Ising model, giving a state-independent lower bound on suitable averages of the energy density, the first quantum energy inequality to be established for an interacting quantum field theory with nontrivial

Scaling algebras and pointlike fields: A Nonperturbative approach to renormalization

S

On Dilation Symmetries Arising from Scaling Limits

-matrix. It is shown that the Ising model has one-particle states with locally negative energy densities and that the energy density operator is not additive with respect to the combination of one-particle states into multiparticle configurations.

Negative energy densities in integrable quantum field theories at one-particle level

We present a method of short-distance analysis in quantum field theory that does not require choosing a renormalization prescription a priori. We set out from a local net of algebras with associated pointlike quantum fields. The net has a naturally defined scaling limit in the sense of Buchholz and Verch; we investigate the effect of this limit on the pointlike fields. Both for the fields and their operator product expansions, a well-defined limit procedure can be established. This can always be interpreted in the usual sense of multiplicative renormalization, where the renormalization factors are determined by our analysis. We also consider the limits of symmetry actions. In particular, for suitable limit states, the group of scaling transformations induces a dilation symmetry in the limit theory.

Quantum backflow and scattering

Quantum field theories, at short scales, can be approximated by a scaling limit theory. In this approximation, an additional symmetry is gained, namely dilation covariance. To understand the structure of this dilation symmetry, we investigate it in a nonperturbative, model independent context. To that end, it turns out to be necessary to consider non-pure vacuum states in the limit. These can be decomposed into an integral of pure states; we investigate how the symmetries and observables of the theory behave under this decomposition. In particular, we consider several natural conditions of increasing strength that yield restrictions on the decomposed dilation symmetry.