Wigner functions and density matrices in curved spaces as computational tools

DOI10.1016/0003-4916(89)90321-7MaRDI QIDQ1120841zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Salman Habib, Henry E. Kandrup

Publication date 1989

Published in Annals of Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-4916(89)90321-7

zbMATH Keywords

density matrixfunctionHadamardstatistical quantum field theoryWigner function

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Applications of local differential geometry to the sciences (53B50) Methods of quantum field theory in general relativity and gravitational theory (83C47)

Review text

This paper contrasts two alternative approaches to statistical quantum field theory in curved spacetimes, namely (1) a canonical Hamiltonian approach, in which the basic object is a density matrix \(\rho\) characterizing the noncovariant, but globally defined, modes of the field; and (2) a Wigner function approach, in which the basic object is a Wigner function f defined quasilocally from the Hadamard, or correlation, function \(G_ 1(x_ 1,x_ 2)\). The key object is to isolate the conceptual biases underlying each of these approaches and then to assess their utility and limitations in effecting concrete calculations. The following questions are therefore addressed and largely answered. What sorts of spacetimes (e.g., de Sitter or Friedmann-Robertson-Walker) are comparatively easy to consider? What sorts of objects (e.g., average fields or renormalized stress energies) are easy to compute approximately? What, if anything, can be computed exactly? What approximations are intrinsic to each approach or convenient as computational tools? What sorts of ``field entropies are natural to define?

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Cites work

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Cited in

(4)

• Wigner function and quantum kinetic theory in curved space–time and external fields
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 2074364 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 2144854 (Why is no real title available?)
• Strict deformation quantization of a particle in external gravitational and Yang-Mills fields

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