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HEP/Astro Seminar -- Wednesday, 10 May 2000

Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking without P+ Zero Modes

Charles B. Thorn, (Florida)



Abstract

The nonrelativistic interpretation of quantum field theory achieved by quantization in an infinite momentum frame is spoiled by the inclusion of a mode of the field carrying p+=0. I shall describe work with Joel Rozowsky in which we explore the viability of doing without such a mode in the context of spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB), where its presence would seem to be most needed. We show that the physics of SSB in scalar quantum field theory in 1+1 space-time dimensions is accurately described without a zero-mode.


3:30pm, Smith Lab 4079


George T. Fleming (gfleming@mps.ohio-state.edu), last updated 19 April 2000.