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Title: Nonequilibrium perturbation theory for complex scalar fields

Abstract

Real-time perturbation theory is formulated for complex scalar fields away from thermal equilibrium in such a way that dissipative effects arising from the absorptive parts of loop diagrams are approximately resummed into the unperturbed propagators. Low order calculations of physical quantities then involve quasiparticle occupation numbers which evolve with the changing state of the field system, in contrast with standard perturbation theory, where these occupation numbers are frozen at their initial values. The evolution equation of the occupation numbers can be cast approximately in the form of a Boltzmann equation. Particular attention is given to the effects of a nonzero chemical potential, and it is found that the thermal masses and decay widths of quasiparticle modes are different for particles and antiparticles. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}

Authors:
;  [1]
  1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS29JT (England)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
467485
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Physical Review, D
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 55; Journal Issue: 4; Other Information: PBD: Feb 1997
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
66 PHYSICS; SCALAR FIELDS; PERTURBATION THEORY; LAGRANGIAN FIELD THEORY; THERMAL EQUILIBRIUM; PROPAGATOR; FEYNMAN DIAGRAM; BOLTZMANN EQUATION; QUASI PARTICLES; PHI4-FIELD THEORY

Citation Formats

Lawrie, I D, and McKernan, D B. Nonequilibrium perturbation theory for complex scalar fields. United States: N. p., 1997. Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.55.2290.
Lawrie, I D, & McKernan, D B. Nonequilibrium perturbation theory for complex scalar fields. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.55.2290
Lawrie, I D, and McKernan, D B. 1997. "Nonequilibrium perturbation theory for complex scalar fields". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.55.2290.
@article{osti_467485,
title = {Nonequilibrium perturbation theory for complex scalar fields},
author = {Lawrie, I D and McKernan, D B},
abstractNote = {Real-time perturbation theory is formulated for complex scalar fields away from thermal equilibrium in such a way that dissipative effects arising from the absorptive parts of loop diagrams are approximately resummed into the unperturbed propagators. Low order calculations of physical quantities then involve quasiparticle occupation numbers which evolve with the changing state of the field system, in contrast with standard perturbation theory, where these occupation numbers are frozen at their initial values. The evolution equation of the occupation numbers can be cast approximately in the form of a Boltzmann equation. Particular attention is given to the effects of a nonzero chemical potential, and it is found that the thermal masses and decay widths of quasiparticle modes are different for particles and antiparticles. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevD.55.2290},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/467485}, journal = {Physical Review, D},
number = 4,
volume = 55,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1997},
month = {Sat Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1997}
}