Related papers: Fundamental constants in effective theory
We review our recent work on the algebraic characterization of quantum Hall fluids. Specifically, we explain how the incompressible quantum fluid ground states can be classified by effective edge field theories with the W-infinity dynamical…
Any canonical quantum theory can be understood to arise from the compatibility of the statistical geometry of distinguishable observations with the canonical Poisson structure of Hamiltonian dynamics. This geometric perspective offers a…
Recently, it has been observed that a quantum field theory need not be Hermitian to have a real, positive spectrum. What seems to be required is symmetry under combined parity and time-reversal transformations. This idea is extended to…
A theoretical study is made of conformal factors in certain types of physical theories based on classical differential geometry. Analysis of quantum versions of Weyl's theory suggest that similar field equations should be available in four,…
This TASI lecture covers the material in hep-th/9205026. It reviewed the theory of effective strings, with particular emphasis on the manner in which Lorentz invariance is represented. The quantum properties of an example of an effective…
Physical quantities and physical dimensions are among the first concepts encountered by students in their undergraduate career. In this pedagogical review, I will start from these concepts and, using the powerful tool of dimensional…
Many physical theories beyond the Standard Model predict time variations of basic physics parameters. Direct measurement of the time variations of these parameters is very difficult or impossible to achieve. By contrast, measurements of…
We give a pedagogical introduction to quantum anomalies, how they are calculated using various methods, and why they are important in condensed matter theory. We discuss axial, chiral, and gravitational anomalies as well as global…
In these lecture notes, I review how to use large N techniques to solve quantum field theories in various dimensions. In particular, the case of N-dimensional quantum mechanics, non-relativistic cold and dense neutron matter, and scalar…
We present a conformal theory of a dissipationless relativistic fluid in 2 space-time dimensions. The theory carries with it a representation of the algebra of 2-$D$ area-preserving diffeomorphisms in the target space of the complex scalar…
A gas of electrons confined to a plane is examined in both the relativistic and nonrelativistic case. Using a (0+1)-dimensional effective theory, a remarkably simple method is proposed to calculate the spin density induced by an uniform…
The renormalization group in effective quantum gravity can be consistently formulated using the Vilkovisky and DeWitt version of effective action and assuming a non-zero cosmological constant. Taking into account that the vacuum counterpart…
A brief history is given of the factor 2, starting in the most elementary considerations of geometry and kinematics of uniform acceleration, and moving to relativity, quantum mechanics and particle physics. The basic argument is that in all…
There are two very important subjects in physics: Symmetry of dynamical models and nonlinearity. All really fundamental models are invariant under some particular symmetry groups. There is also no true physics, no our Universe and life at…
The standard model of elementary particle physics and the theory of general relativity can be extended by the introduction of a vacuum variable which is responsible for the near vanishing of the present cosmological constant (vacuum energy…
In this year, in which we celebrate 100 years of the cosmological term, $\Lambda$, in Einstein's gravitational field equations, we are still facing the crucial question whether $\Lambda$ is truly a fundamental constant or a mildly evolving…
This paper analyzes the effective field theory perspective on modern physics through the lens of the quantum theory of gravitational interaction. The historical part argues that the search for a theory of quantum gravity stimulated the…
Under the assumption that the cosmological constant vanishes in the true ground state with lowest possible energy density, we argue that the observed small but finite vacuum-like energy density can be explained if we consider a theory with…
In condensed matter theory many invaluable models rely on the possibility of subsuming fundamental particle interactions in constitutive relations for macroscopic fields in near equilibrium assemblies of particles. Should one wish to…
This letter explores how a reinterpretation of the generalized uncertainty principle as an effective variation of Planck's constant provides a physical explanation for a number of fundamental quantities and couplings. In this context, a…