Excited-state spectra of de Sitter-space scalar fields

Journal Article · Wed Nov 15 04:00:00 EST 1989 · Physical Review (Section) D: Particles and Fields; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.40.3343· OSTI ID:5243731

Redmount, I H ^[1]

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1. Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, The Observatories, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, England (GB)

To illustrate gravitational effects on the dynamics of a quantized field, the spectrum of excited states available to a linear scalar field in de Sitter space is examined in detail. Explicit Schroedinger-picture wave functionals are obtained for the excitation-number eigenstates of the familiar Fock-space description. The field energies of these states are calculated from expectation values of the appropriate Hamiltonian. The Euclidean vacuum state is seen to be the lowest-energy de Sitter-invariant state, although for any massive or nonconformally coupled field instantaneous Hamiltonian diagonalization, breaking de Sitter invariance, yields states of lower energy. All other de Sitter-invariant vacua are characterized by uniform excitation, relative to the Euclidean vacuum, in all field modes. Associated with any vacuum state is a Fock-space basis of excited states. These have field energies in integral increments above the vacuum; i.e., they represent the quantized excitations of the field's normal modes.

• OSTI ID: 5243731
• Journal Information: Physical Review (Section) D: Particles and Fields; (USA), Journal Name: Physical Review (Section) D: Particles and Fields; (USA) Vol. 40:10; ISSN PRVDA; ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

645400* -- High Energy Physics-- Field Theory
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
EIGENSTATES
EUCLIDEAN SPACE
FIELD THEORIES
FUNCTIONS
GRAVITATIONAL FIELDS
HAMILTONIANS
MATHEMATICAL OPERATORS
MATHEMATICAL SPACE
QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
QUANTUM OPERATORS
RENORMALIZATION
RIEMANN SPACE
SCALAR FIELDS
SCHROEDINGER PICTURE
SPACE
SPACE-TIME
TIME DEPENDENCE
VACUUM STATES
WAVE FUNCTIONS