Initial value problem in string-inspired nonlocal field theory
Abstract We consider a nonlocal scalar field theory inspired by the tachyon action in open string field theory. The Lorentz-covariant action is characterized by a parameter ξ2 that quantifies the amount of nonlocality. Restricting to purely time-dependent config...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
2022
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/139802 |
| _version_ | 1826217285846564864 |
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| author | Erbin, Harold Fırat, Atakan H. Zwiebach, Barton |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Theoretical Physics |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Theoretical Physics Erbin, Harold Fırat, Atakan H. Zwiebach, Barton |
| author_sort | Erbin, Harold |
| collection | MIT |
| description | Abstract
We consider a nonlocal scalar field theory inspired by the tachyon action in open string field theory. The Lorentz-covariant action is characterized by a parameter ξ2 that quantifies the amount of nonlocality. Restricting to purely time-dependent configurations, we show that a field redefinition perturbative in ξ2 reduces the action to a local two-derivative theory with a ξ2-dependent potential. This picture is supported by evidence that the redefinition maps the wildly oscillating rolling tachyon solutions of the nonlocal theory to conventional rolling in the new scalar potential. For general field configurations we exhibit an obstruction to a local Lorentz-covariant formulation, but we can still achieve a formulation local in time, as well as a light-cone formulation. These constructions provide an initial value formulation and a Hamiltonian. Their causality is consistent with a lack of superluminal behavior in the nonlocal theory. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T17:01:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/139802 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T17:01:00Z |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publisher | Springer Berlin Heidelberg |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1398022023-08-11T17:32:09Z Initial value problem in string-inspired nonlocal field theory Erbin, Harold Fırat, Atakan H. Zwiebach, Barton Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Theoretical Physics Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics Abstract We consider a nonlocal scalar field theory inspired by the tachyon action in open string field theory. The Lorentz-covariant action is characterized by a parameter ξ2 that quantifies the amount of nonlocality. Restricting to purely time-dependent configurations, we show that a field redefinition perturbative in ξ2 reduces the action to a local two-derivative theory with a ξ2-dependent potential. This picture is supported by evidence that the redefinition maps the wildly oscillating rolling tachyon solutions of the nonlocal theory to conventional rolling in the new scalar potential. For general field configurations we exhibit an obstruction to a local Lorentz-covariant formulation, but we can still achieve a formulation local in time, as well as a light-cone formulation. These constructions provide an initial value formulation and a Hamiltonian. Their causality is consistent with a lack of superluminal behavior in the nonlocal theory. 2022-01-31T17:54:51Z 2022-01-31T17:54:51Z 2022-01-27 2022-01-30T04:15:20Z Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/139802 Journal of High Energy Physics. 2022 Jan 27;2022(1):167 PUBLISHER_CC en https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP01(2022)167 Creative Commons Attribution https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ The Author(s) application/pdf Springer Berlin Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg |
| spellingShingle | Erbin, Harold Fırat, Atakan H. Zwiebach, Barton Initial value problem in string-inspired nonlocal field theory |
| title | Initial value problem in string-inspired nonlocal field theory |
| title_full | Initial value problem in string-inspired nonlocal field theory |
| title_fullStr | Initial value problem in string-inspired nonlocal field theory |
| title_full_unstemmed | Initial value problem in string-inspired nonlocal field theory |
| title_short | Initial value problem in string-inspired nonlocal field theory |
| title_sort | initial value problem in string inspired nonlocal field theory |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/139802 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT erbinharold initialvalueprobleminstringinspirednonlocalfieldtheory AT fıratatakanh initialvalueprobleminstringinspirednonlocalfieldtheory AT zwiebachbarton initialvalueprobleminstringinspirednonlocalfieldtheory |