Homogeneous random fields and statistical mechanics

Abstract

We illustrate the connection between homogeneous perturbations of homogeneous Gaussian random fields over R n or Z n , with values in R m , and classical as well as quantum statistical mechanics. In particular we construct homogeneous non-Gaussian random fields as weak limits of perturbed Gaussian random fields and study the infinite volume limit of correlation functions for a classical continuous gas of particles with inner degrees of freedom. We also exhibit the relation between quantum statistical mechanics of lattice systems (anharmonic crystals) at temperature β −1 and homogeneous random fields over Z n × S β , where S β is the circle of length β, which then provides a connection also with classical statistical mechanics. We obtain the infinite volume limit of real and imaginary times Green's functions and establish its properties. We also give similar results for the Gibbs state of the correspondent classical lattice systems and show that it is the limit as h → 0 of the quantum statistical Gibbs state.