Related papers: To boost or not to boost, that's the question
We present two examples of non-trivial field theories which are scale invariant, but not conformally invariant. This is done by placing certain field theories, which are conformally invariant in flat space, onto curved backgrounds of a…
In this review article, we discuss the distinction and possible equivalence between scale invariance and conformal invariance in relativistic quantum field theories. Under some technical assumptions, we can prove that scale invariant…
Recently a scale invariant theory of gravity was constructed by imposing a conformal symmetry on general relativity. The imposition of this symmetry changed the configuration space from superspace - the space of all Riemannian 3-metrics…
General Relativity receives quantum corrections relevant at cosmological distance scales from the conformal scalar degrees of freedom required by the trace anomaly of the quantum stress tensor in curved space. In the theory including the…
We generalize the scale invariant gravity by allowing a negative kinetic energy term for the classical scalar field. This gives birth to a new scalar-tensor theory of gravity, in which the scalar field is in fact an auxiliary field. For a…
The source of the acceleration of the expansion of the Universe is still unknown. We examine some consequences of the possible scale invariance of the empty space at large scales. The central hypothesis of this work is that, at macroscopic…
We give a non-perturbative proof that any 4D unitary and Lorentz-invariant quantum field theory with a conserved scale current is in fact conformally invariant. We show that any scale invariant theory (unitary or not) must have either a…
In holographic models of cosmology based on the (A)dS/CFT correspondence, conformal symmetry is implicit in the dual description of the Universe. Generically, however, one cannot expect the (broken) conformal invariance in the cosmic…
We examine the question of scale versus conformal invariance on maximally symmetric curved backgrounds and study general 2-derivative conformally invariant free theories of vectors and tensors. For spacetime dimension $D>4$, these conformal…
For a generic conformal field theory (CFT) in four dimensions, the scale anomaly dictates that the universal part of entanglement entropy across a sphere ($\mathcal{C}_{\text{univ}}(S^{2})$) is positive. Based on this fact, we explore the…
We revisit the long-standing conjecture that in unitary field theories, scale invariance implies conformality. We explain why the Zamolodchikov-Polchinski proof in D=2 does not work in higher dimensions. We speculate which new ideas might…
We present a novel theory of the very early universe which addresses the traditional horizon and flatness problems of big bang cosmology and predicts a scale invariant spectrum of perturbations. Unlike inflation, this scenario requires no…
In absence of matter Einstein gravity with a cosmological constant $\La$ can be formulated as a scale-free theory depending only on the dimensionless coupling constant G \Lambda where G is Newton constant. We derive the conformal field…
We show that scale invariance provides a solution to the fine tuning problem of the cosmological constant. We construct a generalization of the standard model of particle physics which displays exact quantum scale invariance. The matter…
Our conventional system of physical units is based on local or microscopic {\it dimensional} quantities which are {\it defined}, for convenience or otherwise aesthetic reasons, to be spacetime-independent. A more general choice of units may…
A field of random space-time events exhibiting complete spatial-temporal randomness appears statistically identical to all observers. Boost invariant lengths naturally emerge when we examine fluctuation scales of this field such as the…
Known examples of unitary relativistic scale but not conformal-invariant field theories (SFTs) can be embedded into conventional conformal field theories (CFTs). We show that any SFT which is a subsector of a unitary CFT is a free theory.…
We consider the cosmological evolution in a recently suggested new model of quantum initial conditions for the Universe. The effective Friedmann equation incorporates the effect of the conformal anomaly of quantum fields and, interestingly,…
The space of inflationary models is vast, containing wide varieties of mechanisms, symmetries, and spectra of particles. Consequently, the space of observational signatures is similarly complex. Hence, it is natural to look for boundaries…
We highlight the fact that the lack of scale invariance in the gravitational field equations of General Relativity results from the underlying assumption that the appropriate scale for the gravitational force should be linked to the atomic…