Excitations Of Vacuum Research Articles

Are inertial vacua equivalent in Lorentz-violating theories? Does it matter?

Several approaches to quantum gravity suggest violations of Lorentz symmetry as low-energy signatures. This article uses a concrete Lorentz-violating quantum field theory to study different inertial vacua. We show that they are unitarily inequivalent and that the vacuum in one inertial frame appears, in a different inertial frame, to be populated with particles of arbitrarily high momenta. At first sight, this poses a critical challenge to the physical validity of Lorentz-violating theories, since we do not witness vacuum excitations by changing inertial frames. Nevertheless, we demonstrate that inertial Unruh-De Witt detectors are insensitive to these effects. We also discuss the Hadamard condition for this Lorentz-violating theory.

On Holistic Psychosomatic Nature Of Bioenergycorrection

Bioenergycorrection as an ancient way of correcting vital energy flow is well known in many multi-millennial traditions, having withstood the test of time to this day, with some modern modifications. On the wave of the expansion of integrative medicine since the mid-1990s in China, the US and Europe, some bioenergycorrection techniques have been subjected to scientific research and have been included in the curricula of medical schools therein. We emphasize that numerous transpersonal phenomena associated with consciousness and psychosomatic bioenergycorrection are phenomenologically well documented, and that their physical explanation should be sought at the very border of the existing scientific paradigm. Within our quantum-holographic / quantum-gravitational (QHQG) theoretical framework of the acupuncture system, consciousness, and vital energy, they are of a deeper quantum-gravitational origin, with exotic aspects of spatio-temporal tunnels and vital energy extended to acupuncture channels (of exotic vacuum-like refractive index!) with transpersonal quantum-entangling inflow of vital energy. It should also be noted that the healing effects on the patient's acupuncture system / consciousness are often blocked by quantum-holographically encoded spiritual personal consent to the disease as a form of (self) punishment (as evidenced by the subjects' experiences in post-hypnotic regressions), when prayers and self-love for oneself and others are necessary with the aim of ending (self) punishment - thus performing spiritual integration of the personality, i.e. dis-entanglement of transpersonal energy blockages, which triggers the process of permanent healing. Such spiritual indeterministic interventions by introducing new vacuum excitations of vital energy in the otherwise deterministic quantum-holographic evolution of collective consciousness (similar to the spiritually-excited and mentally-channeled Ayurvedic, Qigong, Reiki and modern experiences of local and transpersonal healing, thus non-Schrodinger imposing necessary essentially new boundary conditions!) - can permanently remove as a net effect the whole mutual conflict between two people, which is also the greatest source of freedom in optimizing life programs through spiritual cleansing. This significantly contributes to our understanding that even the most severe psychosomatic disorders have their roots in energy-informational blockages, and that healing begins by removing them - first by loving oneself, accepting oneself and forgiving oneself, which is then manifested by loving others and accepting others (e.g. spiritually dis-entangling / unleashing repentant-forgiving prayer)!

On Holistic Psychosomatic Nature Of Bioenergycorrection

Bioenergycorrection as an ancient way of correcting vital energy flow is well known in many multi-millennial traditions, having withstood the test of time to this day, with some modern modifications. On the wave of the expansion of integrative medicine since the mid-1990s in China, the US and Europe, some bioenergycorrection techniques have been subjected to scientific research and have been included in the curricula of medical schools therein. We emphasize that numerous transpersonal phenomena associated with consciousness and psychosomatic bioenergycorrection are phenomenologically well documented, and that their physical explanation should be sought at the very border of the existing scientific paradigm. Within our quantum-holographic / quantum-gravitational (QHQG) theoretical framework of the acupuncture system, consciousness, and vital energy, they are of a deeper quantum-gravitational origin, with exotic aspects of spatio-temporal tunnels and vital energy extended to acupuncture channels (of exotic vacuum-like refractive index!) with transpersonal quantum-entangling inflow of vital energy. It should also be noted that the healing effects on the patient's acupuncture system / consciousness are often blocked by quantum-holographically encoded spiritual personal consent to the disease as a form of (self) punishment (as evidenced by the subjects' experiences in post-hypnotic regressions), when prayers and self-love for oneself and others are necessary with the aim of ending (self) punishment - thus performing spiritual integration of the personality, i.e. dis-entanglement of transpersonal energy blockages, which triggers the process of permanent healing. Such spiritual indeterministic interventions by introducing new vacuum excitations of vital energy in the otherwise deterministic quantum-holographic evolution of collective consciousness (similar to the spiritually-excited and mentally-channeled Ayurvedic, Qigong, Reiki and modern experiences of local and transpersonal healing, thus non-Schrodinger imposing necessary essentially new boundary conditions!) - can permanently remove as a net effect the whole mutual conflict between two people, which is also the greatest source of freedom in optimizing life programs through spiritual cleansing. This significantly contributes to our understanding that even the most severe psychosomatic disorders have their roots in energy-informational blockages, and that healing begins by removing them - first by loving oneself, accepting oneself and forgiving oneself, which is then manifested by loving others and accepting others (e.g. spiritually dis-entangling / unleashing repentant-forgiving prayer)!

Quantum magnetic monopoles at the Planck era from unified spinor fields

I use Unified Spinor Fields (USF), to discuss the creation of magnetic monopoles during preinflation, as excitations of the quantum vacuum coming from a condensate of massive charged vector bosons. For a primordial universe with total energy $M_p$, and for magnetic monopoles created with a total Planck magnetic charge $q_M=q_P=\pm e/\sqrt{\alpha}$ and a total mass $m_M$, it is obtained after quantisation of the action that the fine-structure constant is given by: $\alpha= \frac{5}{6} \left(1- \frac{16 \,m_M}{5 \,M_p}\right) \,\left(\frac{e}{q_M}\right)^2$. If these magnetic monopoles were with total magnetic charge $q_M=\pm e$ and a small mass $m=m_M/n$, there would be a large number of small quantum magnetic monopoles which could be candidates to explain the presence of dark matter with a $30.97\,\%$ of the energy in the primordial universe at the Planck era. The case of milli-magnetically charged particles is also analysed. We demonstrate that magnetic monopoles (MM) with masses less than $3.6\times 10^3$ GeV, can exist with a very small charges of up to $10^{-14}\,e$, which are quantities of interest for searches to be performed in the ATLAS and MoEDAL experiments.

Resonant shifts of positronium energy levels in MgO powder

We report measurements of shifts in the frequencies of $1\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}^{3}S_{1}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}2\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}^{3}P_{J}$ and $2\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}^{3}P_{J}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}n\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}^{3}D/n\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}^{3}S$ transitions optically driven in positronium atoms while they are inside the open volumes of MgO smoke powder. The observed intervals are larger than the corresponding vacuum excitations, but, surprisingly, the transitions to Rydberg states are less strongly affected, and the energy shifts exhibit no dependence on the principal quantum number $n$ of the final state. We attribute these shifts to resonant interactions between Ps atoms and MgO surfaces, mediated via spectrally overlapping MgO ultra violet (UV) photo-luminescent absorption bands. Since many insulating materials suitable for Ps confinement exhibit similar broadband UV absorption characteristics, the observed phenomena have implications for optical diagnostics and laser cooling schemes of relevance to studies of high-density Ps ensembles in insulating cavities, including the production of a Ps Bose-Einstein condensate.

Holographic excited states in AdS black holes

We have recently presented a geometry dual to a Schwinger-Keldysh closed time contour, with two equal β/2 length Euclidean sections, which can be thought of as dual to the Thermo Field Dynamics formulation of the boundary CFT. In this work we study non-perturbative holographic excitations of the thermal vacuum by turning on asymptotic Euclidean sources. In the large-N approximation the states are found to be thermal coherent states and we manage to compute its eigenvalues. We pay special attention to the high temperature regime where the manifold is built from pieces of Euclidean and Lorentzian black hole geometries. In this case, the real time segments of the Schwinger-Keldysh contour get connected by an Einstein-Rosen wormhole through the bulk, which we identify as the exterior of a single maximally extended black hole. The Thermal-AdS case is also considered but, the Lorentzian regions become disconnected, its results mostly follows from the zero temperature case.

P^·A^ vs x^·E^ : Gauge invariance in quantum optics and quantum field theory

We compare the predictions of the fundamentally motivated minimal coupling ($\hat{\boldsymbol{p}}\cdot\hat{\boldsymbol{A}}$) and the ubiquitous dipole coupling ($\hat{\boldsymbol{x}}\cdot\hat{\boldsymbol{E}}$) in the light-matter interaction. By studying the light-matter interaction for hydrogen-like atoms we find that the dipole approximation cannot be a-priori justified to analyze the physics of vacuum excitations (a very important phenomenon in relativistic quantum information) since a dominant wavelength is absent in those problems, no matter how small (as compared to any frequency scale) the atom is. Remarkably, we show that the dipole approximation in those regimes can still be valid as long as the interaction time is longer than the light-crossing time of the atoms, which is a very reasonable assumption. We also highlight some of the subtleties that one has to be careful with when working with the explicitly non-gauge invariant nature of the minimal coupling and we compare it with the explicitly gauge invariant dipole coupling.

Advances in Light-Front QCD: Supersymmetric Properties of Hadron Physics from Light-Front Holography and Superconformal Algebra

A remarkable feature of QCD is that the mass scale $$\kappa $$ which controls color confinement and light-quark hadron mass scales does not appear explicitly in the QCD Lagrangian. However, de Alfaro, Fubini, and Furlan have shown that a mass scale can appear in the equations of motion without affecting the conformal invariance of the action if one adds a term to the Hamiltonian proportional to the dilatation operator or the special conformal operator. If one applies the same procedure to the light-front Hamiltonian, it leads uniquely to a confinement potential $$\kappa ^4 \zeta ^2$$ for mesons, where $$\zeta ^2$$ is the LF radial variable conjugate to the $$q \bar{q}$$ invariant mass. The same result, including spin terms, is obtained using light-front holography—the duality between the front form and AdS $$_5$$ , the space of isometries of the conformal group—if one modifies the action of AdS $$_5$$ by the dilaton $$e^{\kappa ^2 z^2}$$ in the fifth dimension z. When one generalizes this procedure using superconformal algebra, the resulting light-front eigensolutions predict a unified Regge spectroscopy of meson, baryon, and tetraquarks, including remarkable supersymmetric relations between the masses of mesons and baryons of the same parity. One also predicts observables such as hadron structure functions, transverse momentum distributions, and the distribution amplitudes defined from the hadronic light-front wavefunctions. The mass scale $$\kappa $$ underlying confinement and hadron masses can be connected to the parameter $$\Lambda _{\overline{MS}}$$ in the QCD running coupling by matching the nonperturbative dynamics to the perturbative QCD regime. The result is an effective coupling $$\alpha _s(Q^2)$$ defined at all momenta. The matching of the high and low momentum transfer regimes determines a scale $$Q_0$$ which sets the interface between perturbative and nonperturbative hadron dynamics. The use of $$Q_0$$ to resolve the factorization scale uncertainty for structure functions and distribution amplitudes, in combination with the principle of maximal conformality for setting the renormalization scales, can greatly improve the precision of perturbative QCD predictions for collider phenomenology. The absence of vacuum excitations of the causal, frame-independent front-form vacuum has important consequences for the cosmological constant. I also discuss evidence that the antishadowing of nuclear structure functions is non-universal; i.e., flavor dependent, and why shadowing and antishadowing phenomena may be incompatible with sum rules for nuclear parton distribution functions.

Quantum Mechanics, vacuum, particles, Gödel-Cohen incompleteness and the Universe

Are the standard laws of Physics really fundamental principles? Does the physical vacuum have a more primordial internal structure? Are quarks, leptons, gauge bosons… ultimate objects? These three basic questions are actually closely related. If the deep vacuum structure and dynamics turn out to be less trivial than usually depicted, the conventional elementary particles will most likely be excitations of such a vacuum dynamics that remains by now unknown. We then expect relativity and quantum mechanics to be low-energy limits of a more fundamental dynamical pattern that generates them at a deeper level. It may even happen that vacuum drives the expansion of the Universe from its own inner dynamics. Inside such a vacuum structure, the speed of light would not be the critical speed for vacuum constituents and propagating signals. The natural scenario would be the superbradyon (superluminal preon) pattern we postulated in 1995, with a new critical speed c s much larger than the speed of light c just as c is much larger than the speed of sound. Superbradyons are assumed to be the bradyons of a super-relativity associated to c s (a Lorentz invariance with c s as the critical speed). Similarly, the standard relativistic space-time with four real coordinates would not necessarily hold beyond low-energy and comparatively local distance scales. Instead, the spinorial space-time (SST) with two complex coordinates we introduced in 1996-97 may be the suitable one to describe the internal structure of vacuum and standard elementary particles and, simultaneously, Cosmology at very large distance scales. If the constituents of the preonic vacuum are superluminal, quantum entanglement appears as a natural property provided c s ≫ c . The value of c s can even be possibly found experimentally by studying entanglement at large distances. It is not excluded that preonic constituents of vacuum can exist in our Universe as particles (free superbradyons), in which case we expect them to be weakly coupled to standard matter. If a preonic vacuum is actually leading the basic dynamics of Particle Physics and Cosmology, and standard particles are vacuum excitations, the Godel-Cohen incompleteness will apply to vacuum dynamics whereas the conventional laws of physics will actually be approximate and have error bars. We discuss here the possible role of the superbradyonic vacuum and of the SST in generating Quantum Mechanics, as well as the implications of such a dynamical origin of the conventional laws of Physics and possible evidences in experiments and observations. Black holes, gravitational waves, possible free superbradyons or preonic waves, unconventional vacuum radiation… are considered from this point of view paying particular attention to LIGO, VIRGO and CERN experiments. This lecture is dedicated to the memory of John Bell

Entanglement, holography and causal diamonds

We argue that the degrees of freedom in a d-dimensional CFT can be re-organized in an insightful way by studying observables on the moduli space of causal diamonds (or equivalently, the space of pairs of timelike separated points). This 2d-dimensional space naturally captures some of the fundamental nonlocality and causal structure inherent in the entanglement of CFT states. For any primary CFT operator, we construct an observable on this space, which is defined by smearing the associated one-point function over causal diamonds. Known examples of such quantities are the entanglement entropy of vacuum excitations and its higher spin generalizations. We show that in holographic CFTs, these observables are given by suitably defined integrals of dual bulk fields over the corresponding Ryu-Takayanagi minimal surfaces. Furthermore, we explain connections to the operator product expansion and the first law of entanglement entropy from this unifying point of view. We demonstrate that for small perturbations of the vacuum, our observables obey linear two-derivative equations of motion on the space of causal diamonds. In two dimensions, the latter is given by a product of two copies of a two-dimensional de Sitter space. For a class of universal states, we show that the entanglement entropy and its spin-three generalization obey nonlinear equations of motion with local interactions on this moduli space, which can be identified with Liouville and Toda equations, respectively. This suggests the possibility of extending the definition of our new observables beyond the linear level more generally and in such a way that they give rise to new dynamically interacting theories on the moduli space of causal diamonds. Various challenges one has to face in order to implement this idea are discussed.

Dispersion relations of hybrid waves in dielectric media

The dispersion relations of hybrid waves—polaritons, scalar bosons (hiddennons) and pseudoscalar bosons (axinons)—in one-dimensional dielectric media are derived with allowance for the resonant interaction between mechanical excitations of crystal lattices and elementary excitations of vacuum. It is shown that in the range of small wave vectors hybrid quasi-particles are formed in dielectric media: polaritons, hiddennons and axinons. For sodium nitrite crystal, dispersion relations of such hybrid quasiparticles are calculated near the center of the Brillouin zone. The resulting dispersion relations of hybrid quasi-particles provide conditions that allow observation of conversion of vacuum photon-like particles into hybrid quasi-particles in dielectrics, and also of parametric light scattering accompanied by the generation of hybrid quasi-particles.

Light-Front Holography, Color Confinement, and Supersymmetric Features of QCD

Light-Front Quantization provides a physical, frame-independent formalism for hadron dynamics and structure. Observables such as structure functions, transverse momentum distributions, and distribution amplitudes are defined from the hadronic light-front wavefunctions. One obtains new insights into the hadronic spectrum, light-front wavefunctions, and the functional form of the QCD running coupling in the nonperturbative domain using light-front holography -- the duality between the front form and AdS$_5$, the space of isometries of the conformal group. In addition, superconformal algebra leads to remarkable supersymmetric relations between mesons and baryons of the same parity. The mass scale $\kappa$ underlying confinement and hadron masses can be connected to the parameter $\Lambda_{\overline {MS}}$ in the QCD running coupling by matching the nonperturbative dynamics, as described by the effective conformal theory mapped to the light-front and its embedding in AdS space, to the perturbative QCD regime. The result is an effective coupling defined at all momenta. This matching of the high and low momentum transfer regimes determines a scale $Q_0$ which sets the interface between perturbative and nonperturbative hadron dynamics. The use of $Q_0$ to resolve the factorization scale uncertainty for structure functions and distribution amplitudes, in combination with the principle of maximal conformality (PMC) for setting the renormalization scales, can greatly improve the precision of perturbative QCD predictions for collider phenomenology. The absence of vacuum excitations of the front-form vacuum has important consequences for the cosmological constant. I also discuss evidence that the antishadowing of nuclear structure functions is flavor dependent, and why shadowing and antishadowing phenomena may be incompatible with sum rules for nuclear parton distribution functions.

Big Bang, inflation, standard Physics… and the potentialities of new Physics and alternative cosmologies. Present statuts of observational and experimental Cosmology. Open questions and potentialities of alternative cosmologies

A year ago, we wrote (1) that the field of Cosmology was undergoing a posi- tive and constructive crisis. The possible development of more direct links between the Mathematical Physics aspects of cosmological patterns and the interpretation of experi- mental and observational results was particularly emphasized. Controversies on inflation are not really new, but in any case inflation is not required in pre-Big Bang models and the validity of the standard Big Bang + inflation +Λ CDM pattern has not by now been demonstrated by data. Planck has even explicitly reported the existence of anomalies. Remembering the far-reaching work of Yoichiro Nambu published in 1959-61, it seems legitimate to underline the need for a cross-disciplinary approach in the presence of deep, unsolved theoretical problems concerning new domains of matter properties and of the physical world. The physics of a possible preonic vacuum and the associated cosmology constitute one of these domains. If the vacuum is made of superluminal preons (super- bradyons), and if standard particles are vacuum excitations, how to build a suitable theory to describe the internal structure of such a vacuum at both local and cosmic level? Exper- imental programs (South Pole, Atacama, AUGER, Telescope Array...) and observational ones (Planck, JEM-EUSO...) devoted to the study of cosmic microwave background radi- ation (CMB) and of ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECR) are crucial to elucidate such theoretical interrogations and guide new phenomenological developments. Together with a brief review of the observational and experimental situation, we also examine the main present theoretical and phenomenological problems and point out the role new physics and alternative cosmologies can potentially play. The need for data analyses less focused a priori on the standard models of Particle Physics and Cosmology is emphasized in this discussion. An example of a new approach to both fields is provided by the pre-Big Bang pattern based on a physical vacuum made of superbradyons with the spinorial space-time (SST) geometry we introduced in 1996-97. In particular, the SST automatically gener- ates a local privileged space direction (PSD) for earch comoving observer and such a signature may have been confirmed by Planck data. Both superluminal preons and the existence of the PSD would have strong cosmological implications. Planck 2016 results will be particularly relevant as a step in the study of present open questions. This paper is dedicated to the memory of Yoichiro Nambu

Spinorial space-time and the origin of Quantum Mechanics. The dynamical role of the physical vacuum

Is Quantum Mechanics really and ultimate principle of Physics described by a set of intrinsic exact laws? Are standard particles the ultimate constituents of matter? The two questions appear to be closely related, as a preonic structure of the physical vacuum would have an influence on the properties of quantum particles. Although the first preon models were just « quark-like » and assumed preons to be direct constituents of the conventional « elementary » particles, we suggested in 1995 that preons could instead be constituents of the physical vacuum (the superbradyon hypothesis). Standard particles would then be excitations of the preonic vacuum and have substantially different properties from those of preons themselves (critical speed…). The standard laws of Particle Physics would be approximate expressions generated from basic preon dynamics. In parallel, the mathematical properties of space-time structures such as the spinoral space-time (SST) we introduced in 1996-97 can have strong implications for Quantum Mechanics and even be its real origin. We complete here our recent discussion of the subject by pointing out that: i) Quantum Mechanics corresponds to a natural set of properties of vacuum excitations in the presence of a SST geometry ; ii) the recently observed entanglement at long distances would be a logical property if preons are superluminal (superbradyons), so that superluminal signals and correlations can propagate in vacuum ; iii) in a specific description, the function of space-time associated to the extended internal structure of a spin-1/2 particle at very small distances may be incompatible with a continuous motion at space and time scales where the internal structure of vacuum can be felt. In the dynamics associated to iii), and using the SST approach to space-time, a contradiction can appear between macroscopic and microscopic space-times due to an overlap in the time variable directly related to the fact that a spinorial function takes nonzero values simultaneously in a whole time interval. Then, continuous motion can be precluded at very small spacetime scales. If discrete motion is required at such scales, the situation will possibly be close to that generating the Feynman path integral. More generally, Quantum Mechanics can naturally emerge from the spinorial space-time and from other unconventional spacetime structures in a fundamental preon dynamics governing the properties of vacuum. In such scenarios, the application of Godel - Cohen mathematics to quantum-mechanical calculations can possibly yield substantially different results from those recently obtained using the standard quantum approach without any preonic underlying structure. This is also a crucial open question for Quantum Mechanics and Particle Physics. This paper is dedicated to the memory of Bernard d’Espagnat

Spinorial Regge trajectories and Hagedorn-like temperatures. Spinorial space-time and preons as an alternative to strings

The development of the statistical bootstrap model for hadrons, quarks and nuclear matter occurred during the 1960s and the 1970s in a period of exceptional theo- retical creativity. And if the transition from hadrons to quarks and gluons as fundamental particles was then operated, a transition from standard particles to preons and from the standard space-time to a spinorial one may now be necessary, including related pre-Big Bang scenarios. We present here a brief historical analysis of the scientific problematic of the 1960s in Particle Physics and of its evolution until the end of the 1970s, including cosmological issues. Particular attention is devoted to the exceptional role of Rolf Hage- dorn and to the progress of the statistical boostrap model until the experimental search for the quark-gluon plasma started being considered. In parallel, we simultaneously expose recent results and ideas concerning Particle Physics and in Cosmology, an discuss current open questions. Assuming preons to be constituents of the physical vacuum and the stan- dard particles excitations of this vacuum (the superbradyon hypothesis we introduced in 1995), together with a spinorial space-time (SST), a new kind of Regge trajectories is expected to arise where the angular momentum spacing will be of 1/2 instead of 1. Standard particles can lie on such Regge trajectories inside associated internal symmetry multiplets, and the preonic vacuum structure can generate a new approach to Quantum Field Theory. As superbradyons are superluminal preons, some of the vacuum excitations can have critical speeds larger than the speed of light c, but the cosmological evolution se- lects by itself the particles with the smallest critical speed (the speed of light). In the new Particle Physics and Cosmology emerging from the pattern thus developed, Hagedorn- like temperatures will naturally be present. As new space, time, momentum and energy scales are expected to be generated by the preonic vacuum dynamics, the Planck scale does not necessarily make sense in the new scenario. It also turns out that two potential evidences for a superbradyonic vacuum with a SST geometry exist already: i) the recent results on quantum entanglement at large distances favoring superluminal propagation of signals and correlations ; ii) the anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radia- tion between two hemispheres observed by the Planck Collaboration, in agreement with the predictions of cosmic SST automatically generating a privileged space direction for each comoving observer. Simultaneously to the discussion of the large number of open questions, we comment on the required experimental and observational programs. T his paper is dedicated to the memory o f Rol f Hagedorn

Universal quantum computation by scattering in the Fermi–Hubbard model

The Hubbard model may be the simplest model of particles interacting on a lattice, but simulation of its dynamics remains beyond the reach of current numerical methods. In this article, we show that general quantum computations can be encoded into the physics of wave packets propagating through a planar graph, with scattering interactions governed by the fermionic Hubbard model. Therefore, simulating the model on planar graphs is as hard as simulating quantum computation. We give two different arguments, demonstrating that the simulation is difficult both for wave packets prepared as excitations of the fermionic vacuum, and for hole wave packets at filling fraction one-half in the limit of strong coupling. In the latter case, which is described by the t-J model, there is only reflection and no transmission in the scattering events, as would be the case for classical hard spheres. In that sense, the construction provides a quantum mechanical analog of the Fredkin–Toffoli billiard ball computer.

Anomalous pion production induced by nontrivial topological structure of QCD vacuum

A new mechanism for the pion production in the high energy reactions is suggested. It is related to the possibility for direct production of the pions induced by instantons, topologically nontrivial gluonic excitations of QCD vacuum. This mechanism does not require any fragmentation functions for production of pseudoscalar mesons in high energy reactions with hadrons. We calculate the contribution of a new mechanism to the inclusive $\pi^0$-meson production in high energy proton-proton collision. It is shown that it gives the dominated contribution to the inclusive cross-sections in the few GeV region for the transverse momentum of final pion. We discuss the possible application of a new mechanism to the phenomenon of the large spin effects observed in the numerous high energy reactions.

What does it mean for half of an empty cavity to be full?

It is well known that the vacuum state of a quantum field is spatially entangled. This is true both in free and confined spaces, for example in an optical cavity. The obvious consequence of this, however, is surprising and intuitively challenging; namely, that in a mathematical sense half of an empty cavity is not empty. Formally this is clear, but what does this physically mean in terms of, say, measurements that can actually be made? In this paper we utilize the tools of Gaussian quantum mechanics to easily characterize the reduced state of a subregion in a cavity and expose the spatial profile of its entanglement with the opposite region. We then go on to discuss a thought experiment in which a mirror is introduced between the regions. In so doing we expose a simple and physically concrete answer to the above question: the vacuum excitations resulting from entanglement are mathematically equivalent to the real excitations generated by suddenly introducing a mirror. Performing such an experiment in the laboratory may be an excellent method of verifying vacuum entanglement, and we conclude by discussing different possibilities of achieving this aim.

Tests and prospects of new physics at very high energy. Beyond the standard basic principles, and beyond conventional matter and space-time. On the possible origin of Quantum Mechanics.

Recent results and announcements by Planck and BICEP2 have led to impor- tant controversies in the fields of Cosmology and Particle Physics. As new ideas and alter- native approaches can since then more easily emerge, the link between the Mathematical Physics aspects of theories and the interpretation of experimental results becomes more direct. This evolution is also relevant for Particle Physics experiments at very high energy, where the interpretation of data on the highest-energy cosmic rays remains a major theo- retical and phenomenological challenge. Alternative particle physics and cosmology can raise fundamental questions such as that of the structure of vacuum and space-time. In particular, the simplified description of the physical vacuum contained in standard quan- tum field theory does not necessarily correspond to reality at a deeper level, and similarly for the relativistic space-time based on four real variables. In a more general approach, the definition itself of vacuum can be a difficult task. The spinorial space-time (SST) we suggested in 1996-97 automatically incorporates a local privileged space direction (PSD) for each comoving observer, possibly leading to a locally anisotropic vacuum structure. As the existence of the PSD may have been confirmed by Planck, and a possible dis- covery of primordial B-modes in the polarization of the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) may turn out to contain new evidence for the SST, we explore other possible implications of this approach to space-time. The SST structure can naturally be at the origin of Quantum Mechanics at distance scales larger than the fundamental one if standard particles are dealt with as vacuum excitations. We also discuss possible implica- tions of our lack of knowledge of the structure of vacuum, as well as related theoretical, phenomenological and cosmological uncertainties. Pre-Big Bang scenarios and new ulti- mate constituents of matter (including superbradyons) are crucial open subjects, together with vacuum structure and the interaction between vacuum and standard matter.

Tests and prospects of new physics at very high energy. Beyond the standard basic principles, and beyond conventional matter and space-time. On the possible origin of Quantum Mechanics.

Recent results and announcements by Planck and BICEP2 have led to important controversies in the fields of Cosmology and Particle Physics. As new ideas and alternative approaches can since then more easily emerge, the link between the Mathematical Physics aspects of theories and the interpretation of experimental results becomes more direct. This evolution is also relevant for Particle Physics experiments at very high energy, where the interpretation of data on the highest-energy cosmic rays remains a major theoretical and phenomenological challenge. Alternative particle physics and cosmology can raise fundamental questions such as that of the structure of vacuum and space-time. In particular, the simplified description of the physical vacuum contained in standard quantum field theory does not necessarily correspond to reality at a deeper level, and similarly for the relativistic space-time based on four real variables. In a more general approach, the definition itself of vacuum can be a difficult task. The spinorial space-time (SST) we suggested in 1996-97 automatically incorporates a local privileged space direction (PSD) for each comoving observer, possibly leading to a locally anisotropic vacuum structure. As the existence of the PSD may have been confirmed by Planck, and a possible discovery of primordial B-modes in the polarization of the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) may turn out to contain new evidence for the SST, we explore other possible implications of this approach to space-time. The SST structure can naturally be at the origin of Quantum Mechanics at distance scales larger than the fundamental one if standard particles are dealt with as vacuum excitations. We also discuss possible implications of our lack of knowledge of the structure of vacuum, as well as related theoretical, phenomenological and cosmological uncertainties. Pre-Big Bang scenarios and new ultimate constituents of matter (including superbradyons) are crucial open subjects, together with vacuum structure and the interaction between vacuum and standard matter.