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arXiv:hep-th/9811227

Nuclearity and split for thermal quantum field theories

Christian D. Jäkel

Published Nov 26, 1998• 3 citations
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Abstract

We review the heuristic arguments suggesting that any thermal quantum field theory, which can be interpreted as a quantum statistical mechanics of (interacting) relativistic particles, obeys certain restrictions on its number of local degrees of freedom. As in the vacuum representation, these restrictions can be expressed by a `nuclearity condition'. If a model satisfies this nuclearity condition, then the net of von Neumann algebras representing the local observables in the thermal representation has the split property.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.hep-th/9811227

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We review the heuristic arguments suggesting that any thermal quantum field theory, which can be interpreted as a quantum statistical mechanics of (interacting) relativistic particles, obeys certain restrictions on its number of local degrees of freedom. As in the vacuum representation, these restrictions can be expressed by a `nuclearity condition'. If a model satisfies this nuclearity condition, then the net of von Neumann algebras representing the local observables in the thermal representation has the split property.
Abstract Philosophical accounts of quantum theory commonly suppose that the observables of a quantum system form a Type-I factor von Neumann algebra. Such algebras always have atoms, which are minimal projection operators in the case of quantum mechanics. However, relativistic quantum field theory and the thermodynamic limit of quantum statistical mechanics make extensive use of von Neumann algebras of more general types. This chapter addresses the question whether interpretations of quantum probability devised in the usual manner continue to apply in the more general setting. Features of non-type I factor von Neumann algebras are cataloged. It is shown that these novel features do not cause the familiar formalism of quantum probability to falter, since Gleason's Theorem and the Lüders Rule can be generalized. However, the features render the problem of the interpretation of quantum probability more intricate.
For any given algebra of local observables in relativistic quantum field theory there exists an associated scaling algebra which permits one to introduce renormalization group transformations and to construct the scaling (short distance) limit of the theory. On the basis of this result it is discussed how the phase space properties of a theory determine the structure of its scaling limit. Bounds on the number of local degrees of freedom appearing in the scaling limit are given which allow one to distinguish between theories with classical and quantum scaling limits. The results can also be used to establish physically significant algebraic properties of the scaling limit theories, such as the split property.
One of von Neumann’s motivations for developing the theory of operator algebras and his and Murray’s 1936 classification of factors was the question of possible decompositions of quantum systems into independent parts. For quantum systems with a finite number of degrees of freedom the simplest possibility, i.e., factors of type I in the terminology of Murray and von Neumann, are perfectly adequate. In relativistic quantum field theory (RQFT), on the other hand, factors of type III occur naturally. The same holds true in quantum statistical mechanics of infinite systems. In this brief review some physical consequences of the type III property of the von Neumann algebras corresponding to localized observables in RQFT and their difference from the type I case will be discussed. The cumulative effort of many people over more than 30 years has established a remarkable uniqueness result: The local algebras in RQFT are generically isomorphic to the unique, hyperfinite type III1 factor in Connes ’ classification of 1973. Specific theories are characterized by the net structure of the collection of these isomorphic algebras for different space-time regions, i.e., the way they are embedded into each other. John von Neumann was the father of the Hilbert space formulation of quantum mechanics [1] that has been the basis of almost all mathematically rigorous investigations of the theory to this day. We start by recalling the main concepts and explaining some notations.
In this paper, I provide a formal set of assumptions and give a natural criterion for a quantum field theory to admit particles. I construct a naïve approach to localization for a free bosonic quantum field theory and show how this localization scheme, as a consequence of the Reeh-Schlieder theorem, fails to satisfy this criterion. I then examine the Newton-Wigner concept of localization and show that it fails to obey strong microcausality and thus is subject to a more general version of the Reeh-Schlieder theorem. I review approaches to quantum field theoretic explanations of particle detection events and explain how particles can be regarded as emergent phenomena of a relativistic field theory. In particular, I show that effective localization of Hilbert space vectors is equivalent to an approximate locality of observable algebras.
The existence of inequivalent representations in quantum field theory with {\it finitely} many degrees of freedom is shown. Their properties are exemplified and analysed for concrete and simple models. In particular the relations to Bogoliubov--Valatin quasi-particles, to thermo field dynamics, and to qqq--deformed quantum theories are put foreward. The thermal properties of the non-trivial vacuum are given and it is shown that the thermodynamic equilibrium state is uniquely obtained by an irreversible vacuum dynamics. Finally, the theory is applied to a realistic model: the BCS--theory of superconductivity. An exact solution in order O(N−1)O(N^{-1})O(N−1) for the full particle number conserving BCS--Hamiltonian with particle number symmetric ground state is given.