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Pla, S., & Winstanley, E. (2023). Equivalence of the adiabatic expansion and Hadamard renormalization for a charged scalar field. Phys. Rev. D, 107(2), 025004–22pp.
Abstract: We examine the relationship between three approaches (Hadamard, DeWitt-Schwinger, and adiabatic) to the renormalization of expectation values of field operators acting on a charged quantum scalar field. First, we demonstrate that the DeWitt-Schwinger representation of the Feynman Green's function is a particular case of the Hadamard representation. Next, we restrict attention to a spatially flat Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker universe with time-dependent, purely electric, background electromagnetic field, considering two-, three-, and four-dimensional space-times. Working to the order required for the renormalization of the stress-energy tensor, we find the adiabatic and DeWitt-Schwinger expansions of the Green's function when the space-time points are spatially separated. In two and four dimensions, the resulting DeWitt-Schwinger and adiabatic expansions are identical. In three dimensions, the DeWittSchwinger expansion contains terms of adiabatic order 4 that are not necessary for the renormalization of the stress-energy tensor and hence absent in the adiabatic expansion. The equivalence of the DeWittSchwinger and adiabatic approaches to renormalization in the scenario considered is thereby demonstrated in even dimensions. In odd dimensions the situation is less clear and further investigation is required in order to determine whether adiabatic renormalization is a locally covariant renormalization prescription.
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Pla, S., Newsome, I. M., Link, R. S., Anderson, P. R., & Navarro-Salas, J. (2021). Pair production due to an electric field in 1+1 dimensions and the validity of the semiclassical approximation. Phys. Rev. D, 103(10), 105003–23pp.
Abstract: Solutions to the backreaction equation in 1 + 1-dimensional semiclassical electrodynamics are obtained and analyzed when considering a time-varying homogeneous electric field initially generated by a classical electric current, coupled to either a quantized scalar field or a quantized spin-1/2 field. Particle production by way of the Schwinger effect leads to backreaction effects that modulate the electric field strength. Details of the particle production process are investigated along with the transfer of energy between the electric field and the particles. The validity of the semiclassical approximation is also investigated using a criterion previously implemented for chaotic inflation and, in an earlier form, semiclassical gravity. The criterion states that the semiclassical approximation will break down if any linearized gauge-invariant quantity constructed from solutions to the linear response equation, with finite nonsingular data, grows rapidly for some period of time. Approximations to homogeneous solutions of the linear response equation are computed and it is found that the criterion is violated when the maximum value, E-max, obtained by the electric field is of the order of the critical scale for the Schwinger effect, E-max similar to E-crit m(2)/q, where m is the mass of the quantized field and q is its electric charge. For these approximate solutions the criterion appears to be satisfied in the extreme limits qE(max)/m(2) << 1 and qE(max)/m(2) >> 1.
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Navarro-Salas, J., & Pla, S. (2021). (F, G)-summed form of the QED effective action. Phys. Rev. D, 103(8), L081702–7pp.
Abstract: We conjecture that the proper-time series expansion of the one-loop effective Lagrangian of quantum electrodynamics can be summed in all terms containing the field-strength invariants F = 1/4F F-mu nu(mu nu) (x), G = 1/4 (F) over tilde F-mu nu(mu nu) (x), including those also possessing derivatives of the electromagnetic field strength. This partial resummation is exactly encapsulated in a factor with the same form as the Heisenberg-Euler Lagrangian density, except that now the electric and magnetic fields can depend arbitrarily on spacetime coordinates. We provide strong evidence for this conjecture, which is proved to sixth order in the proper time. Furthermore, and as a byproduct, we generate some solvable electromagnetic backgrounds. We also discuss the implications for a generalization of the Schwinger formula for pair production induced by nonconstant electric fields. Finally, we briefly outline the extension of these results in the presence of gravity.
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Navarro-Salas, J., & Pla, S. (2022). Particle Creation and the Schwinger Model. Symmetry-Basel, 14(11), 2435–9pp.
Abstract: We study the particle creation process in the Schwinger model coupled with an external classical source. One can approach the problem by taking advantage of the fact that the full quantized model is solvable and equivalent to a (massive) gauge field with a non-local effective action. Alternatively, one can also face the problem by following the standard semiclassical route. This means quantizing the massless Dirac field and considering the electromagnetic field as a classical background. We evaluate the energy created by a generic, homogeneous, and time-dependent source. The results match exactly in both approaches. This proves in a very direct and economical way the validity of the semiclassical approach for the (massless) Schwinger model, in agreement with a previous analysis based on the linear response equation. Our discussion suggests that a similar analysis for the massive Schwinger model could be used as a non-trivial laboratory to confront a fully quantized solvable model with its semiclassical approximation, therefore mimicking the long-standing confrontation of quantum gravity with quantum field theory in curved spacetime.
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Nadal-Gisbert, S., Navarro-Salas, J., & Pla, S. (2023). Low-energy states and CPT invariance at the big bang. Phys. Rev. D, 107(8), 085018–16pp.
Abstract: In this paper, we analyze the quantum vacuum in a radiation-dominated and CPT -invariant universe by further imposing the quantum states to be ultraviolet regular i.e., satisfying the Hadamard/adiabatic condition. For scalar fields, this is enforced by constructing the vacuum via the states of low-energy proposal. For spin -12 fields, we extend this proposal for a FLRW spacetime and apply it for the radiation-dominated and CPT -invariant universe. We focus on minimizing the smeared energy density around the big bang and give strong evidence that the resulting states satisfy the Hadamard/adiabatic condition. These states are then self -consistent candidates as effective big bang quantum vacuum from the field theory perspective.
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