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arXiv:2608.24448 · Results in Physics

Real-time thermal self-energies: In the variational bases and spaces

M. A. A. Ahmed, Hishamuddin B Zainuddin, Nurisya Mohd Shah

Published Jun 14, 2022• 2 citations
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Abstract

In this work, we introduce a systematic study for studying the scalar propagator and tadpole self-energy by considering an arbitrary parameter σ that allows for a path integral description in real-time formalism (RTF). The closed time path formalism (CTP) and Thermofield Dynamics (TFD) are two popular choices for the parameter σ in the Feynman rules. We have constructed a scalar propagator and a tadpole self-energy in two different bases in the momentum space as well as the mixed space. The results show that the diagonal components of self-energy in both spaces for the 1/2 basis are the same in both approaches within RTF, whereas the other off-diagonal components of self-energy are different because they depend on the path parameter. On the other hand, the diagonal components of self-energy in both spaces for the new basis are not the same in both approaches within RTF, whereas the off-diagonal components of self-energy are vanishing. That means the new basis allows one to reduce the components for the quantities studied, like self-energy or other.

DOI
10.1016/j.rinp.2022.105691

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In this work, we introduce a systematic study for studying the scalar propagator and tadpole self-energy by considering an arbitrary parameter σ that allows for a path integral description in real-time formalism (RTF). The closed time path formalism (CTP) and Thermofield Dynamics (TFD) are two popular choices for the parameter σ in the Feynman rules. We have constructed a scalar propagator and a tadpole self-energy in two different bases in the momentum space as well as the mixed space. The results show that the diagonal components of self-energy in both spaces for the 1/2 basis are the same in both approaches within RTF, whereas the other off-diagonal components of self-energy are different because they depend on the path parameter. On the other hand, the diagonal components of self-energy in both spaces for the new basis are not the same in both approaches within RTF, whereas the off-diagonal components of self-energy are vanishing. That means the new basis allows one to reduce the components for the quantities studied, like self-energy or other.
Thermofield Dynamics (TFD), a real time formalism for thermal quantum field theory, is formulated in terms of a path-integral approach following the Weinberg procedure.In order to assure precise rules for the development, we use a representation of Lie-algebras such that the TFD algebraic ingredients are derived, including the tilde conjugation rules.The association with the canonical formalism is obtained, and for the case of bosons, we introduce the Feynman diagrams and derive the n-point functions.
We develop an operator description, much like thermofield dynamics, for quantum field theories on a real time path with an arbitrary parameter $\ensuremath{\sigma}\text{ }(0\ensuremath{\le}\ensuremath{\sigma}\ensuremath{\le}\ensuremath{\beta})$. We point out new features which arise when $\ensuremath{\sigma}\ensuremath{\ne}\frac{\ensuremath{\beta}}{2}$ in that the Hilbert space develops a natural, modified inner product different from the standard Dirac inner product. We construct the Bogoliubov transformation which connects the doubled vacuum state at zero temperature to the thermal vacuum in this case. We obtain the thermal Green's function (propagator) for the real massive Klein-Gordon theory as an expectation value in this thermal vacuum (with a modified inner product). The factorization of the thermal Green's function follows from this analysis. We also discuss, in the main text as well as in two appendices, various other interesting features which arise in such a description.
We present a comprehensive review of the most fundamental and practical aspects of thermo-field dynamics (TFD), including some of the most recent developments in the field. To make TFD fully consistent, some suitable changes in the structure of the thermal doublets and the Bogoliubov transformation matrices have been made. A close comparison between TFD and the Schwinger-Keldysh closed time path formalism (SKF) is presented. We find that TFD and SKF are in many ways the same in form; in particular, the two approaches are identical in stationary situations. However, TFD and SKF are quite different in time-dependent nonequilibrium situations. The main source of this difference is that the time evolution of the density matrix itself is ignored in SKF while in TFD it is replaced by a time-dependent Bogoliubov transformation. In this sense TFD is a better candidate for time-dependent quantum field theory. Even in equilibrium situations, TFD has some remarkable advantages over the Matsubara approach and SKF, the most notable being the Feynman diagram recipes, which we will present. We will show that the calculations of two-point functions are simplified, instead of being complicated, by the matrix nature of the formalism. We will present some explicit calculations using TFD, including space-time inhomogeneous situations and the vacuum polarization in equilibrium relativistic QED.
The self-energy functional theory (SFT) is generalized to describe the real-time dynamics of correlated lattice-fermion models far from thermal equilibrium. This is achieved by starting from a reformulation of the original equilibrium theory in terms of double-time Green's functions on the Keldysh-Matsubara contour. With the help of a generalized Luttinger-Ward functional, we construct a functional $\stackrel{\ifmmode \hat{}\else \^{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\Omega}}[\ensuremath{\Sigma}]$ which is stationary at the physical (nonequilibrium) self-energy $\ensuremath{\Sigma}$ and which yields the grand potential of the initial thermal state $\ensuremath{\Omega}$ at the physical point. Nonperturbative approximations can be defined by specifying a reference system that serves to generate trial self-energies. These self-energies are varied by varying the reference system's one-particle parameters on the Keldysh-Matsubara contour. In the case of thermal equilibrium, this approach reduces to the conventional SFT. Contrary to the equilibrium theory, however, ``unphysical'' variations, i.e., variations that are different on the upper and the lower branches of the Keldysh contour, must be considered to fix the time dependence of the optimal physical parameters via the variational principle. Functional derivatives in the nonequilibrium SFT Euler equation are carried out analytically to derive conditional equations for the variational parameters that are accessible to a numerical evaluation via a time-propagation scheme. Approximations constructed by means of the nonequilibrium SFT are shown to be inherently causal, internally consistent, and to respect macroscopic conservation laws resulting from gauge symmetries of the Hamiltonian. This comprises the nonequilibrium dynamical mean-field theory but also dynamical-impurity and variational-cluster approximations that are specified by reference systems with a finite number of degrees of freedom. In this way, nonperturbative and consistent approximations can be set up, the numerical evaluation of which is accessible to an exact-diagonalization approach.
This is the first of a series of papers which describe the functional-integral approach to the study of the statistical and kinetic properties of nonequilibrium quantum fields in flat and curved spacetimes. In this paper we treat a system of self-interacting bosons described by \ensuremath{\lambda}${\ensuremath{\varphi}}^{4}$ scalar fields in flat space. We adopt the closed-time-path (CTP or ``in-in'') functional formalism and use a two-particle irreducible (2PI) representation for the effective action. These formalisms allow for a full account of the dynamics of quantum fields, and put the correlation functions on an equal footing with the mean fields. By assuming a thermal distribution we recover the real-time finite-temperature theory as a special case. By requiring the CTP effective action to be stationary with respect to variations of the correlation functions we obtain an infinite set of coupled equations which is the quantum-field-theoretical generalization of the Bogoliubov-Born-Green-Kirkwood-Yvon (BBGKY) hierarchy. Truncation of this series leads to dissipative characteristics in the subsystem. In this context we discuss the nature of dissipation in interacting quantum fields.To one-loop order in a perturbative expansion of the CTP effective action, the 2PI formalism yields results equivalent to the leading 1/N expansion for an O(N)-symmetric scalar field. To higher-loop order we introduce a two-time approximation to separate the quantum-field effects of radiative correction and renormalization from the statistical-kinetic effects of collisions and relaxation. In the weak-coupling quasiuniform limit, the system of nonequilibrium quantum fields can subscribe to a kinetic theory description wherein the propagators are represented in terms of relativistic Wigner distribution functions. From a two-loop calculation we derive the Boltzmann equation for the distribution function and the gap equation for the effective mass of the quasiparticles. One can define an entropy function for the quantum gas of quasiparticles which satisfies the H theorem. We also calculate the limits to the validity of the binary collision approximation from a three-loop analysis. The theoretical framework established here can be generalized to nonconstant background fields and for curved spacetimes.
The renormalization scheme in nonequilibrium thermal quantum field theories is reexamined. Instead of the self-energy diagonalization scheme, we propose to diagonalize Green’s function at equal time. This eliminates the problem of on-shell definition related to time-dependent energies and spatially inhomogeneous situations, and yields a Boltzmann equation that contains memory effect. The new diagonalization scheme and the derivation of the Boltzmann equation from it can be applied to any thermal situation. It allows the treatment of a nonequilibrium problem beyond perturbational calculations in a self-consistent manner. The results are applicable to both thermo field dynamics and the closed time path formalism.