Modified weak energy condition for the energy momentum tensor in quantum field theory

DOI10.1016/S0550-3213(97)00667-6zbMATH Open0947.81532arXivhep-th/9703196MaRDI QIDQ1569670FDOQ1569670

Authors: José I. Latorre, H. Osborn 

Publication date: 3 July 2000

Published in: Nuclear Physics B (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: The weak energy condition is known to fail in general when applied to expectation values of the the energy momentum tensor in flat space quantum field theory. It is shown how the usual counter arguments against its validity are no longer applicable if the states $|psi$ for which the expectation value is considered are restricted to a suitably defined subspace. A possible natural restriction on $|psi$ is suggested and illustrated by two quantum mechanical examples based on a simple perturbed harmonic oscillator Hamiltonian. The proposed alternative quantum weak energy condition is applied to states formed by the action of scalar, vector and the energy momentum tensor operators on the vacuum. We assume conformal invariance in order to determine almost uniquely three-point functions involving the energy momentum tensor in terms of a few parameters. The positivity conditions lead to non trivial inequalities for these parameters. They are satisfied in free field theories, except in one case for dimensions close to two. Further restrictions on $|psi$ are suggested which remove this problem. The inequalities which follow from considering the state formed by applying the energy momentum tensor to the vacuum are shown to imply that the coefficient of the topological term in the expectation value of the trace of the energy momentum tensor in an arbitrary curved space background is positive, in accord with calculations in free field theories.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/9703196

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Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Quantum field theory on curved space or space-time backgrounds (81T20) Methods of quantum field theory in general relativity and gravitational theory (83C47)

Cites Work

• The Large Scale Structure of Space-Time
• Conserved currents and the energy-momentum tensor in conformally invariant theories for general dimensions

Cited In (6)

• State of matter for effective Yang-Mills fields and energy conditions
• Exact consequences of the trace anomaly in four dimensions
• Positive energy conditions in 4D conformal field theory
• Non-perturbative formulas for central functions of supersymmetric gauge theories
• Correlation functions of the energy-momentum tensor on spaces of constant curvature
• Holographic studies of quasi-topological gravity

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