Instantons on various spaces can be constructed via a generalization of the Fourier transform called the ADHM-Nahm transform. An explicit use of this construction, however, involves rather tedious calculations. Here we derive a simple formula for instantons on a space with one periodic direction. It simplifies the ADHM-Nahm machinery and can be generalized to other spaces.

Inspired by the success of the ring-polymer molecular dynamics (RPMD) method, we derive a transition-state-theory version (RPTST) with a dividing surface which is, in general, conical in ring-polymer space. It is explained why this conical form is a good approximation to the optimal dividing surface and therefore why centroid-based quantum transition-state theories are inaccurate for asymmetric barriers at low temperatures. The geometry of the ring-polymer transition state is found to describe a finite-difference approximation to the semi-classical instanton trajectory (a classical periodic orbit of length βħ on the inverted potential). Based on this, a new practical method for locating multidimensional instantons is proposed, by computing saddle points on the ring-polymer surface, and a derivation for the reaction rate constant based on the "ImF" premise using the ring-polymer formalism is shown to be far simpler than in previous instanton approaches based on functional determinants. The resulting expression is based only on the ring-polymer potential at the transition-state and its Hessian, and is applied to evaluate the rate in a number of polyatomic systems. We show that a free-energy version of the ImF instanton theory is related to RPTST and thereby provide an explanation for why RPMD produces accurate results for thermal reaction rates in the deep-tunnelling regime and demonstrate how it can be made more efficient and systematically improved. From this, we also explain why RPMD is seen to underestimate the rates of symmetric reactions and overestimate the rates of asymmetric reactions. We also present a ring-polymer instanton derivation of a theory for calculating tunnelling splittings leading to another new practical method, which owing to its simple form, is easily extended to determine the entire tunnelling-splitting pattern of molecular clusters with two or more degenerate wells. This method is applied to the water dimer, trimer, and octamer, and shown to be in good overall agreement with experiment and to provide a deeper understanding of the tunnelling pathways.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(理学) / 甲第19393号 / 理博第4124号 / 新制||理||1593(附属図書館) / 32418 / 京都大学大学院理学研究科数学・数理解析専攻 / (主査)教授 中島 啓, 教授 小野 薫, 教授 望月 拓郎 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

Metastable states are classically stable at zero temperature but can decay due to quantum tunneling. The rate of this process is exponentially small and it may be computed in Euclidean space in the Coleman-de Luccia formalism. The exponential suppression is determined by the Euclidean action computed on a trajectory with definite boundary conditions, known as Coleman-de Luccia instanton, or bounce. In some theories, the bounce may not exist or its on-shell action may be ill-defined or infinite, thus hindering the vacuum decay process. The issue of vacuum stability is, in fact, not just speculation: the Standard Model vacuum state is itself metastable. The Higgs field may tunnel outside its potential well, with catastrophic consequences for all observers. Luckily, the typical lifetime of such a state is predicted to be very long. Still, unknown high energy physics can change it by several orders of magnitude, and particle physics theories as well as cosmological models that predict large decay rates are ruled out thanks to the anthropic principle. Moreover, gravitational effects play an important role in this process, especially in the early Universe. It is thus important to examine in detail vacuum decay phenomena in gravitational settings and to keep the underlying field theory as general as possible. This thesis aims at exploring existence conditions for the Coleman-de Luccia instanton in gravitational settings. The first two chapters are dedicated to outlining the basic formalism and describing preexisting results about vacuum decay in cosmology. The Euclidean path integral approach for decay rate calculations, which was first discussed by Callan and Coleman, is introduced in Chapter 1. A quantum mechanical description of the problem is formulated and then extended to field theory. A detailed analysis of bounce calculations and their physical interpretation as bubbles of true vacuum follows. The Higgs field stability within the Standard Model is also addressed. Gravitational effects on the vacuum decay process are considered in Chapter 2, by focusing on the decay from Minkowski and de Sitter space, as they have important cosmological consequences respectively in the current Universe (due to the smallness of the cosmological constant) and at early times. The implications on Higgs decay are discussed in both settings. The last two chapters are dedicated to new results. Vacuum decay in field theories with a scalar field and quadratic gravity is investigated. An Einstein-Hilbert term, a non-minimal coupling, and a quadratic Ricci scalar are considered while keeping the scalar field potential general. The focus is on decay from Minkowski and de Sitter space, due to their importance in cosmology. Scalar fields with Einstein-Hilbert gravity are discussed in Chapter 3, by showing that the bounce at large Euclidean radii has an analytical form that is almost entirely independent of the potential, which is called the "asymptotic bounce". Bounds on the Hubble parameter in the de Sitter case are also explored, by giving an analytical explanation to numerical evidence present in the literature. These properties are used, in Chapter 4, to test for stabilization of the false vacuum state in quadratic gravity. Conclusions follow.

Submitted by Johnny Rodrigues (johnnyrodrigues@ufcg.edu.br) on 2018-07-25T18:45:49Z No. of bitstreams: 1 HILDÊNIO JOSÉ MACEDO - DISSERTAÇÃO PPGMAT 2011..pdf: 310824 bytes, checksum: ce96943d42ca2ee474b2fd99f6612b5c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-07-25T18:45:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 HILDÊNIO JOSÉ MACEDO - DISSERTAÇÃO PPGMAT 2011..pdf: 310824 bytes, checksum: ce96943d42ca2ee474b2fd99f6612b5c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-05 / CNPq / Na presente dissertação, estudamos a existência e unicidade de solução para o problema de Cauchy associado a equação de evolução não local (Baixar arquivo para ver a equação). Exibimos um funcional energia, associado a esta equação, e verificamos que ele satisfaz a propriedade de Lyapunov. Além disso, usamos este funcional para mostrar a existência e estabilidade local de uma solução de equilíbrio referida na literatura como instanton. / In this work we prove existence and uniqueness of solution for the Cauchy problem corresponding to nonlocal evolution equation (Download file to see the equation). We exhibit an energy functional associated to this equation, and verify that it satisfies the Lyapunov property. Moreover, use this function to show the existence and local stability of a equilibrium solution reported in the literature as instanton.

We investigate phase transitions in holographic models of QCD. In chapter I, we explore the effect of constant external U(1) fields on the physics of chiral symmetry breaking, as realized in the D3/D7 model. We discover that this model exhibits the phenomenon of magnetic catalysis, which is what one would expect from a weakly coupled field theory intuition. In chapter II, we continue exploring the effect of external U(1) fields but now on the backreacted D3/D7 model, where the backreaction is obtained via a smearing procedure. We again find the magnetic catalysis effect, however the results differ from the previous case depending on the backreaction parameters. In chapter III, we investigate lattices of instantons in the D4/D8 model of chiral symmetry breaking. These instanton lattices can change dimensionality, and in particular we investigate the 1D [right arrow] 2D transition as a simpler case of the more complicated 3D [right arrow] 4D transition which is conjectured to be holographically dual to the baryonic to quarkyonic phase transition. Besides this interpretation, one could also view this as a hypothetical condensed matter system. We have a lattice of instantons dominated by two-body forces, whose interactions depend not only on their mutual distance in physical space but also on their relative orientations in the internal isospace. We obtain a rich variety of instanton crystals whose description could serve to be useful beyond holography. / text

Universiẗat, Diss., 2003--Regensburg.

In this thesis we study symmetries of quantum field theory visible only at the non-perturbative level, which arise from large deformations of the integration contour in the path integral. We exposit the recently-developed theory of qq-characters that organizes such symmetries in the case of N = 2 supersymmetric gauge theories in four dimensions. We sketch the physical origin of such observables from intersecting branes in string theory, and the mathematical origin as certainequivariant integrals over Nakajima quiver varieties. We explain some of the main applications, including the derivation of Seiberg-Witten geometry for quiver gauge theories and the relations to quantum integrable systems.

1- Généralisation des fibrés instantons spéciaux sur P^2n+1 qui est appelée les fibrés (b+1)-instantons pondérés sur P^2n+1. On a étudié la stabilité de ces fibrés dans le cas où b=0. On a étudié la déformation de fibrés de Steiner pondérés sur P^2n+1. 2- Généralisation des fibrés de Tango sur P^n qui est appelée les fibrés de Tango pondérés sur P^n. On a étudié la stabilité de ces fibrés vectoriels. On a étudié la déformation de ces fibrés vectoriels. 3- Construction de fibrés vectoriels de rang 3 sur P^4. On a étudié la condition pour avoir des fibrés vectoriels qui ne sont pas isomorphes à une somme directe de trois fibrés en droites. / 1 - Generalization of the special instanton bundles on P^2n+1 which is called the (b+1)-weighted instanton bundles on P^2n+1. The stability of these vector bundles was studied in the case b=0. We studied the deformation of weighted Steiner bundles on P^2n+1. 2 - Generalization of the Tango bundles on P^n which is called the weighted Tango bundles on P^n. The stability of these vector bundles has been studied. The deformation of these vector bundles has been studied. 3 - Construction of vector bundles of rank 3 on P^4. We have studied the condition to have vector bundles that do not isomorphic to a direct sum of three line bundles.

We study three types of theories, using supersymmetry and ideas from string theory as tools to gain understanding of systems of more general interest. Firstly, we introduce non-relativistic Chern-Simons-matter field theories in three dimensions and study their anyonic spectrum in a conformal phase. These theories have supersymmetric completions, which in the non-relativistic case suffices to protect certain would-be BPS quantities from corrections. This allows us to compute one-loop exact anomalous dimensions of various bound states of non-Abelian anyons, analyse some interesting unitarity bound violations, and test some recently proposed bosonization dualities. Secondly, we turn on a chemical potential and break conformal invariance, putting the theory into the regime of the Fractional Quantum Hall Effect (FQHE). This is illustrated in detail: the theory supports would-be BPS vortices which model the electrons of the FQHE, and they form bag-like states with the appropriate filling fractions, Hall conductivities, and anyonic excitations. This formalism makes possible some novel explicit computations: an analytic calculation of the anyonic phases experienced by Abelian quasiholes; analytic relationships to the boundary Wess-Zumino-Witten model; and derivations of a wide class of QHE wavefunctions from a bulk field theory. We also further test the three-dimensional bosonization dualities in this new setting. Along the way, we accumulate new descriptions of the QHE. Finally, we turn away from flat space and investigate a problem in (3+1)-dimensional quantum gravity. We find that even as an effective theory, the theory has enough structure to suggest the inclusion of certain gravitational instantons in the path integral. An explicit computation in a minimally supersymmetric case illustrates the principles at work, and highlights the role of a hitherto unidentified scale in quantum gravity. It also is an interesting result in itself: a non-perturbative quantum instability of a flat supersymmetric Kaluza-Klein compactification.