English

Phase-space Quantization of Field Theory

High Energy Physics - Theory 2008-11-26 v2 Quantum Physics

Abstract

In this lecture, a limited introduction of gauge invariance in phase-space is provided, predicated on canonical transformations in quantum phase-space. Exact characteristic trajectories are also specified for the time-propagating Wigner phase-space distribution function: they are especially simple - indeed, classical - for the quantized simple harmonic oscillator. This serves as the underpinning of the field theoretic Wigner functional formulation introduced. Scalar field theory is thus reformulated in terms of distributions in field phase-space. This is a pedagogical selection from work published in J Phys A32 (1999) 771 and Phys Rev D58 (1998) 025002, reported at the Yukawa Institute Workshop "Gauge Theory and Integrable Models", 26-29 January, 1999.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.hep-th/9903254,
  title  = {Phase-space Quantization of Field Theory},
  author = {Cosmas Zachos and Thomas Curtright},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:hep-th/9903254},
  year   = {2008}
}

Comments

14 pages, LaTeX, 1 eps figure, epsf.sty, ptptex.sty, ptp-text.sty Reported at the YITP Workshop "Gauge Theory and Integrable Models", 26-29 January, 1999. References added and graphics updated

R2 v1 2026-07-22T16:14:45.706Z