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9
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0answers
144 views

Unitary quantum field theory

What do physicists mean when they refer to a quantum field theory being unitary? Does this mean that all the symmetry groups of the theory act via unitary representations? I would appreciate if one ...
4
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2answers
243 views

Irreducible Representations Of Lorentz Group

In Weinberg's The Theory of Quantum Fields Volume 1, he considers classification one-particle states under inhomogeneous Lorentz group. My question only considers pages 62-64. He define states as ...
3
votes
1answer
99 views

Supersymmetry and non-compact $R$-symmetry group?

The $R$-symmetry for $N$ supercharges is $U(N)$. Is it possible to generalize $R$-symmetry [let's take $U(4)$) to be something like $U(2,2)$ (maybe analogous to Wick rotation of $SO(3,1)$ to ...
6
votes
1answer
113 views

Why is $R^2$ gravity not unitary?

I have often heard that $R^2$ gravity (as studied by Stelle) is renormalisable but not unitary. My question is: what is it that causes the theory to suffer from problems with unitarity? My naive ...
2
votes
2answers
305 views

Constructing the exponential form of a unitary operator

I think I've got this figured out but wanted to make sure I'm doing this right. Working with operators that satisfy bosonic commutation relations $[b,b^\dagger] = 1$, I define a very general unitary ...
5
votes
2answers
232 views

using a unitary matrix to transpose

A unitary matrix U is a matrix such that the conjugate transpose of U, when multiplied on the right with U, yields identity. My question is, is it possible to obtain the transpose of any density ...
1
vote
1answer
110 views

Information loss

First time poster! I just burnt a piece of paper containing a 5 digit number I made up randomly and as far as I am concerned no one else will ever be able to retrieve the information contained on ...
17
votes
7answers
650 views

Is there a symmetry associated to the conservation of information?

Conservation of information seems to be a deep physical principle. For instance, Unitarity is a key concept in Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Field Theory. We may wonder if there is an underlying ...
4
votes
1answer
202 views

Holstein-Primakoff and Dyson-Maleev representation

In Holstein-Primakoff and Dyson-Maleev representation, spin operators are represented by bosonic operators. Roughly speaking, a state with $S^z=S-m$ corresponds to a state containing $m$ bosons. In ...
5
votes
2answers
167 views

Information Loss in annihilation

The concept of information loss is usually discussed with respect to a black hole. My understanding is that whatever matter you put into the black hole, it has only 3 "hairs" and so one doesn't know, ...
2
votes
0answers
130 views

Validity of Cutkosky cutting rules for fermions

It is rather obvious for me that the generalized optical theorem (see e.g. Peskin&Schroeder) must hold for S-matrix elements for fermions as it is directly related to the unitarity of the ...
6
votes
3answers
165 views

why nontrivially space-like connected event horizons do not respect unitarity?

I want to understand the assertion that the gluing between distant event horizons is forbidden by unitarity. What is exactly the argument that unitarity will necessarily forbid topological nontrivial ...
2
votes
1answer
105 views

Does unitarity apply in between measurements?

Sorry if this is a silly question (engineer here), but I was wondering if the math in particle physics assumes that unitarity applies even between measurements. In other words, I take it that the ...
3
votes
1answer
201 views

When can a classical field theory be quantized?

Given a classical field theory can it be always quantized? Put in another way, Does there necessarily need to exist a particle excitation given a generic classical field theory? By generic I mean all ...
1
vote
1answer
69 views

Krauss operators for random unitary

Suppose I have a density matrix $\rho$ and I act on it with a unitary matrix that is chosen randomly, and with even probability, from $S = \{ H_1, H_2 \ldots H_N \}$. I want to write the operation on ...
4
votes
3answers
377 views

Unitarity of S-matrix in QFT

I am a beginner in QFT, and my question is probably very basic. As far as I understand, usually in QFT, in particular in QED, one postulates existence of IN and OUT states. Unitarity of the S-matrix ...