Densities of states and the Cohen-Kaplan-Nelson bound
Abstract
The holographic principle implies that quantum field theory (QFT) overcounts the number of independent degrees of freedom in quantum gravity. An argument due to Cohen, Kaplan, and Nelson (CKN) suggests that the number of degrees of freedom well described by QFT is even smaller than required by holographic bounds, and CKN interpreted this result as indicative of a correlation between the UV and IR cutoffs on QFT. Here, we consider an alternative interpretation in which the QFT degrees of freedom are depleted as a function of scale. We use a simple recipe to estimate the impact of depleted densities of states on precision observables, including the Lamb shift and lepton . Although these observables are not sensitive to the level of depletion motivated by gravitational considerations, the phenomenological exercises also provide an interesting test of quantum field theory that is independent of underlying quantum gravity assumptions. A depleted density of states can also render the QFT vacuum energy UV insensitive, reconciling the success of QFT in describing ordinary particle physics processes and its apparent failure in predicting the cosmological constant.
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1827450
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1824795
- Report Number(s):
- FERMILAB-PUB-21-315-T; arXiv:2107.03530
Journal ID: ISSN 2470-0010; PRVDAQ; 076024
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0015655; AC02-07CH11359
- Resource Type:
- Published Article
- Journal Name:
- Physical Review D
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Physical Review D Journal Volume: 104 Journal Issue: 7; Journal ID: ISSN 2470-0010
- Publisher:
- American Physical Society
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; Cosmological constant; Quantum field theory; Quantum gravity
Citation Formats
Blinov, Nikita, and Draper, Patrick. Densities of states and the Cohen-Kaplan-Nelson bound. United States: N. p., 2021.
Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.104.076024.
Blinov, Nikita, & Draper, Patrick. Densities of states and the Cohen-Kaplan-Nelson bound. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.104.076024
Blinov, Nikita, and Draper, Patrick. Tue .
"Densities of states and the Cohen-Kaplan-Nelson bound". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.104.076024.
@article{osti_1827450,
title = {Densities of states and the Cohen-Kaplan-Nelson bound},
author = {Blinov, Nikita and Draper, Patrick},
abstractNote = {The holographic principle implies that quantum field theory (QFT) overcounts the number of independent degrees of freedom in quantum gravity. An argument due to Cohen, Kaplan, and Nelson (CKN) suggests that the number of degrees of freedom well described by QFT is even smaller than required by holographic bounds, and CKN interpreted this result as indicative of a correlation between the UV and IR cutoffs on QFT. Here, we consider an alternative interpretation in which the QFT degrees of freedom are depleted as a function of scale. We use a simple recipe to estimate the impact of depleted densities of states on precision observables, including the Lamb shift and lepton g-2. Although these observables are not sensitive to the level of depletion motivated by gravitational considerations, the phenomenological exercises also provide an interesting test of quantum field theory that is independent of underlying quantum gravity assumptions. A depleted density of states can also render the QFT vacuum energy UV insensitive, reconciling the success of QFT in describing ordinary particle physics processes and its apparent failure in predicting the cosmological constant.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevD.104.076024},
journal = {Physical Review D},
number = 7,
volume = 104,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Oct 26 00:00:00 EDT 2021},
month = {Tue Oct 26 00:00:00 EDT 2021}
}
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https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.104.076024
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