A Theory Of Scattering For Quasifree Particles

In this book, the author presents the theory of quasifree quantum fields and argues that they could provide non-zero scattering for some particles. The free-field representation of the quantised transverse electromagnetic field is not closed in the weak*-topology. Its closure contains soliton–anti-soliton pairs as limits of two-photon states as time goes to infinity, and the overlap probability can be computed using Uhlmann's prescription. There are no free parameters: the probability is determined with no requirement to specify any coupling constant. All cases of the Shale transforms of the free field ϕ of the form ϕ→ϕ+φ, where φ is not in the one-particle space, are treated in the book. There remain the cases of the Shale transforms of the form ϕ → Tϕ, where T is a symplectic map on the one-particle space, not near the identity. Contents: IntroductionHaag–Kastler FieldsRepresentations of the Poincaré GroupThe Maxwell Field Some Theory of RepresentationsEuclidean ElectrodynamicsModelsConclusion Readership: Graduate students and professional in particle and mathematical physics. Key Features:There are no competing titles for this bookKeywords:Relativistic Quasifree Representation of Transverse Electromagnetic Field;Quasi-Free Scattering;Quantum Scattering;Relativistic Quantum Field Theory;Quasi-Free Quantum Field Theory;C*-Algebra;Euclidean Electrodynamics;Haag-Ruelle Theory;Haag-Kastler Axioms;Segal-Bargmann Transform;Shale Transformation

This monograph addresses researchers and students. It is a modern presentation of time-dependent methods for studying problems of scattering theory in the classical and quantum mechanics of N-particle systems. Particular attention is paid to long-range potentials. For a large class of interactions the existence of the asymptotic velocity and the asymptotic completeness of the wave operators is shown. The book is self-contained and explains in detail concepts that deepen the understanding. As a special feature of the book, the beautiful analogy between classical and quantum scattering theory (e.g., for N-body Hamiltonians) is presented with deep insight into the physical and mathematical problems.

Much progress has been made in scattering theory since the publication of the first edition of this book fifteen years ago, and it is time to update it. Needless to say, it was impossible to incorporate all areas of new develop ment. Since among the newer books on scattering theory there are three excellent volumes that treat the subject from a much more abstract mathe matical point of view (Lax and Phillips on electromagnetic scattering, Amrein, Jauch and Sinha, and Reed and Simon on quantum scattering), I have refrained from adding material concerning the abundant new mathe matical results on time-dependent formulations of scattering theory. The only exception is Dollard's beautiful "scattering into cones" method that connects the physically intuitive and mathematically clean wave-packet description to experimentally accessible scattering rates in a much more satisfactory manner than the older procedure. Areas that have been substantially augmented are the analysis of the three-dimensional Schrodinger equation for non central potentials (in Chapter 10), the general approach to multiparticle reaction theory (in Chapter 16), the specific treatment of three-particle scattering (in Chapter 17), and inverse scattering (in Chapter 20). The additions to Chapter 16 include an introduction to the two-Hilbert space approach, as well as a derivation of general scattering-rate formulas. Chapter 17 now contains a survey of various approaches to the solution of three-particle problems, as well as a discussion of the Efimov effect.

Axiomatic and constructive approaches to quantum field theory first aim to establish it on precise, non-perturbative bases: general axioms and rigorous definition of specific theories respectively. From the viewpoint of particle physics, the goal is then to develop a relativistic scattering theory, including particle analysis and the derivation of general properties of collision amplitudes. Taking into account successive improvements, this book provides a modern, self-contained, and coherent presentation of important developments from the last twenty years, most of which have not been treated or discussed in detail in earlier books. These developments include in particular the axiomatic derivation, in massive theories, of general causal and momentum-space analyticity properties of multiparticle collision amplitudes; the constructive definition, initially in the (unphysical) euclidean space, of various models including non-super-renormalizable theories treated in the 1980s via phase-space expansions; and the subsequent constructive approach to scattering theory, which provides information on the mass spectrum, asymptotic completeness, and multiparticle structure in increasingly higher energy regions. Originally published in 1993. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.