Search

We review the construction of ("free") elementary systems in de Sitter (dS) spacetime, in the Wigner sense, as associated with unitary irreducible representations (UIR's) of the dS (relativity) group. This study emphasizes the conceptual issues arising in the formulation of such systems and discusses known results in a mathematically rigorous way. Particular attention is paid to: "smooth" transition from classical to quantum theory; physical content under vanishing curvature, from the point of view of a local ("tangent") Minkowskian observer; and thermal interpretation (on the quantum level), in the sense of the Gibbons-Hawking temperature. We review three decompositions of the dS group physically relevant for the description of dS spacetime and classical phase spaces of elementary systems living on it. We review the construction of (projective) dS UIR's issued from these group decompositions. (Projective) Hilbert spaces carrying the UIR's (in some restricted sense) identify quantum ("one-particle") states spaces of dS elementary systems. Adopting a well-established Fock procedure, based on the Wightman-G\"{a}rding axioms and on analyticity requirements in the complexified Riemannian manifold, we proceed with a consistent quantum field theory (QFT) formulation of elementary systems in dS spacetime. This dS QFT formulation closely parallels the corresponding Minkowskian one, while the usual spectral condition is replaced by a certain geometric Kubo-Martin-Schwinger (KMS) condition equivalent to a precise thermal manifestation of the associated "vacuum" states. We end our study by reviewing a consistent and univocal definition of mass in dS relativity. This definition, presented in terms of invariant parameters characterizing the dS UIR's, accurately gives sense to terms like "massive" and "massless" fields in dS relativity according to their Minkowskian counterparts, yielded by the group contraction procedures., Comment: 142 pages and 14 figures. This manuscript is a preliminary version of a book/monograph to be published by Springer Cham (see https://link.springer.com/book/9783031160448). Book DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-16045-5

International audience; We build upon previous investigation of the one-dimensional conformal symmetry of the Friedman-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) cosmology of a free scalar field and make it explicit through a reformulation of the theory at the classical level in terms of a manifestly SL(2,R)-invariant action principle. The new tool is a canonical transformation of the cosmological phase space to write it in terms of a spinor, i.e., a pair of complex variables that transform under the fundamental representation of SU(1,1)∼SL(2,R). The resulting FLRW Hamiltonian constraint is simply quadratic in the spinor and FLRW cosmology is written as a Schrödinger-like action principle. Conformal transformations can then be written as proper-time dependent SL(2,R) transformations. We conclude with possible generalizations of FLRW to arbitrary quadratic Hamiltonian and discuss the interpretation of the spinor as a gravitationally-dressed matter field or matter-dressed geometry observable.

We present the supersymmetric extension of the recently constructed E$_{8(8)}$ exceptional field theory -- the manifestly U-duality covariant formulation of the untruncated ten- and eleven-dimensional supergravities. This theory is formulated on a (3+248) dimensional spacetime (modulo section constraint) in which the extended coordinates transform in the adjoint representation of E$_{8(8)}$. All bosonic fields are E$_{8(8)}$ tensors and transform under internal generalized diffeomorphisms. The fermions are tensors under the generalized Lorentz group SO(1,2)$\times$SO(16), where SO(16) is the maximal compact subgroup of E$_{8(8)}$. Vanishing generalized torsion determines the corresponding spin connections to the extent they are required to formulate the field equations and supersymmetry transformation laws. We determine the supersymmetry transformations for all bosonic and fermionic fields such that they consistently close into generalized diffeomorphisms. In particular, the covariantly constrained gauge vectors of E$_{8(8)}$ exceptional field theory combine with the standard supergravity fields into a single supermultiplet. We give the complete extended Lagrangian and show its invariance under supersymmetry. Upon solution of the section constraint the theory reduces to full D=11 or type IIB supergravity., 25 pages

In this paper the dynamical noninvariance group SO(4,2) for a hydrogen-like atom is derived through two different approaches. The first one is by an established traditional ascent process starting from the symmetry group SO(3). This approach is presented in a mathematically oriented original way with a special emphasis on maximally superintegrable systems, N-dimensional extension and little groups. The second approach is by a new symmetry descent process starting from the noninvariance dynamical group Sp(8,R) for a four-dimensional harmonic oscillator. It is based on the little known concept of a Lie algebra under constraints and corresponds in some sense to a symmetry breaking mechanism. This paper ends with a brief discussion of the interest of SO(4,2) for a new group-theoretical approach to the periodic table of chemical elements. In this connection, a general ongoing programme based on the use of a complete set of commuting operators is briefly described. It is believed that the present paper could be useful not only to the atomic and molecular community but also to people working in theoretical and mathematical physics., Comment: 31 pages