Perturbation technique for quantum fields in curved space

Journal Article · Sun Jul 15 04:00:00 EDT 1979 · Phys. Rev., D; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.20.388· OSTI ID:6090861

Davies, P C.W.; Unruh, W G

We derive a concrete expression for the vacuum expectation value of the stress tensor for a massless, nonconformal scalar field propagating in a background spatially flat Robertson-Walker spacetime, up to second order in perturbation theory in the conformal-breaking parameter. The result, which is valid for an arbitrary Robertson-Walker scale factor (subject only to vanishing scalar curvature at some moment) is manifestly nonlocal, yet can still be written as an integral expression in closed form. The method should be extendible to the massive field and anisotropic spacetime cases.

• Research Organization: Department of Physics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
• OSTI ID: 6090861
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev., D; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev., D; (United States) Vol. 20:2; ISSN PRVDA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
COSMOLOGICAL MODELS
EXPECTATION VALUE
FIELD THEORIES
INTERACTIONS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PARTICLE INTERACTIONS
PARTICLE PRODUCTION
PERTURBATION THEORY
QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
SCALAR FIELDS
SPACE-TIME
TENSOR FORCES
UNIVERSE
VACUUM STATES