Adiabatic regularization in closed Robertson-Walker universes

Journal Article · Sun Nov 15 04:00:00 EST 1987 · Phys. Rev. D; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.36.2963· OSTI ID:5597867

Anderson, P R; Parker, L

Adiabatic regularization is a particularly efficient method of regularization for numerical studies of the dynamics of quantum scalar fields in homogeneous cosmological spacetimes. We show that of the possible ways to apply adiabatic regularization in a closed Robertson-Walker universe, only one yields the accepted trace anomaly and vacuum energy for a conformal scalar field. The method is to use the continuum measure appropriate to a flat space, while otherwise retaining the form of the subtractions appropriate to a closed space. We also show that this procedure is equivalent to point splitting, although technically much simpler.

• Research Organization: Physics Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717
• OSTI ID: 5597867
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. D; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev. D; (United States) Vol. 36:10; ISSN PRVDA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640106* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Cosmology
645400 -- High Energy Physics-- Field Theory
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
COSMOLOGICAL MODELS
FIELD THEORIES
INFRARED DIVERGENCES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MATHEMATICS
METRICS
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
SCALAR FIELDS
SPACE-TIME
UNIVERSE