Related papers: An algebraic approach to laying a ghost to rest
In the mathematically rigorous analysis of semiclassical Einstein's equations, the renormalisation of the stress-energy tensor plays a crucial role. We address such a topic in the case of a scalar field with both arbitrary mass and coupling…
Ghosts have been a stumbling block in the development of a UV complete quantum field theory for gravity. We discuss how difficulties associated with ghosts are overcome in the context of 0+1d QFT. Obtaining a probability interpretation is…
We consider a Hamiltonian system of particles, interacting through of a smooth pair potential. We look at the system on a space scale of order {\epsilon}^1, times of order {\epsilon}^2, and mean velocities of order {\epsilon}, with…
Quantum systems governed by non-Hermitian Hamiltonians with $\PT$ symmetry are special in having real energy eigenvalues bounded below and unitary time evolution. We argue that $\PT$ symmetry may also be important and present at the level…
In most introductory courses on quantum mechanics one is taught that the Hamiltonian operator must be Hermitian in order that the energy levels be real and that the theory be unitary (probability conserving). To express the Hermiticity of a…
The role of higher derivative operators in 4D effective field theories is discussed in both non-supersymmetric and supersymmetric contexts. The approach, formulated in the Minkowski space-time, shows that theories with higher derivative…
It is shown that the classical damped harmonic oscillator belongs to the family of fourth-order Pais-Uhlenbeck oscillators. It follows that the solutions to the damped harmonic oscillator equation make the Pais-Uhlenbeck action stationary.…
Gutzwiller's trace formula allows interpreting the density of states of a classically chaotic quantum system in terms of classical periodic orbits. It diverges when periodic orbits undergo bifurcations, and must be replaced with a uniform…
In a recent paper Bender and Mannheim showed that the unequal-frequency fourth-order derivative Pais-Uhlenbeck oscillator model has a realization in which the energy eigenvalues are real and bounded below, the Hilbert-space inner product is…
We formulate a well-posedness and approximation theory for a class of generalised saddle point problems. In this way we develop an approach to a class of fourth order elliptic partial differential equations using the idea of splitting into…
We show that starting from initial conditions with stable perturbations, evolution of a galileon scalar field results in the appearance of a ghost later on. To demonstrate this, we consider a theory with k-essence and cubic galileon…
The formalism of quantum theory in Hilbert space has been applied with success to the modeling and explanation of several cognitive phenomena, whereas traditional cognitive approaches were problematical. However, this 'quantum cognition…
The study of the symmetry of Pais-Uhlenbeck oscillator initiated in [Nucl. Phys. B 885 (2014) 150] is continued with special emphasis put on the Hamiltonian formalism. The symmetry generators within the original Pais and Uhlenbeck…
We study the quantum Pais-Uhlenbeck oscillator at the resonant (equal-frequency) point, where the dynamics becomes non-diagonalisable and the conventional Fock-space construction collapses. At the classical level, the degenerate system…
Due to its great importance for applications, we generalize and extend the approach of our previous papers to study aspects of the quantum and classical dynamics of a $4$-body system with equal masses in {\it $d$}-dimensional space with…
Theories with infinite volume extra dimensions open exciting opportunities for particle physics. We argued recently that along with attractive features there are phenomenological difficulties in this class of models. In fact, there is no…
We provide new insights into the solvability property of an Hamiltonian involving of the fourth Painlev\'e transcendent and its derivatives. This Hamiltonian is third order shape invariant and can also be interpreted within the context of…
A brief review of the physics of systems including higher derivatives in the Lagrangian is given. All such systems involve ghosts, i.e. the spectrum of the Hamiltonian is not bounded from below and the vacuum ground state is absent. Usually…
In the DGP model, the ``self-accelerating'' solution is plagued by a ghost instability, which makes the solution untenable. This fact as well as all interesting departures from GR are fully captured by a four-dimensional effective…
Recovering trajectories of quantum systems whose classical counterparts display chaotic behavior has been a subject that has received a lot of interest over the last decade. However, most of these studies have focused on driven and…