Nonlinear Field Theory Research Articles

Some Exact Green Function Solutions for Non-Linear Classical Field Theories

We consider some non-linear non-homogeneous partial differential equations (PDEs) and derive their exact Green function solution as a functional Taylor expansion in powers of the source. The kind of PDEs we consider are dispersive ones where the exact solution of the corresponding homogeneous equations can have some known shape. The technique has a formal similarity with the Dyson–Schwinger set of equations to solve quantum field theories. However, there are no physical constraints. Indeed, we show that a complete coincidence with the statistical field model of a quartic scalar theory can be achieved in the Gaussian expansion of the cumulants of the partition function.

Electroactive differential growth and delayed instability in accelerated healing tissues

Guided by experiments contrasting electrically accelerated recovery with natural healing, this study formulates a model to investigate the importance of electroactive differential growth and morphological changes in tissue repair. It underscores the clinical potential of leveraging electroactive differential growth for improved healing outcomes. The study reveals that voltage stimulation significantly enhances the healing and growth of biological tissues, accelerating the regeneration process across various growth modalities and steering towards isotropic growth conditions that do not favor any specific growth pathways. Enhancing the electroelastic coupling parameters improves the efficacy of bioelectric devices, initiating contraction and fortification of biological tissues in alignment with the electric field. This process facilitates swift cell migration and proliferation, as well as oriented growth of tissue. In instances of strain stiffening at elevated strains, the extreme critical growth ratio aligns with the predictions of neo-Hookean models. Conversely, for tissues experiencing strain stiffening under moderate to very low strain conditions, the strain stiffening effect substantially delays the onset of electroelastic growth instability, ultimately producing a smooth, hyperelastic surface devoid of any unstable morphologies. Our investigation, grounded in nonlinear electroelastic field and perturbation theories, explores how electric fields influence differential growth and instability in biological tissues. We examine the interactions among dimensionless voltage, internal pressure, electroelastic coupling, radius ratio, and strain stiffening, revealing their effects on promoting growth and delaying instability. This framework offers insights into the mechanisms behind electroactive growth and its instabilities, contributing valuable knowledge to the tissue healing.

A scalar field theory of 1+1-dimensional laser wakefield accelerators

Abstract A relativistic non-linear scalar field theory is developed from a 2+2-dimensional decomposition of the cold plasma field equations, and the theory is used to investigate a 1+1-dimensional description of a laser wakefield accelerator. The relationship between the properties of a compact laser pulse and its wake is explored. Non-linear solutions are sought describing a regular (i.e. unbroken) wake driven by a prescribed rectangular circularly-polarised laser pulse. An upper bound on the dimensionless amplitude a 0 of the laser pulse is determined as a function of the phase speed v of the wake. The asymptotic behaviour of the upper bound on a 0 as v → c is shown to agree with well-established, but approximate, results obtained using the conventional encoding of the plasma degrees of freedom. Our approach leads to a closed-form expression for the upper bound on a 0 which is exact for all values of the phase speed of the wake, unlike conventional results that are applicable only when v is sufficiently close to c.

Two-Higgs-doublet model matched to nonlinear effective theory

We use functional methods to match the two-Higgs-doublet model with heavy scalars in the nondecoupling regime to the appropriate nonlinear effective field theory, which takes the form of an electroweak chiral Lagrangian (HEFT). The effective Lagrangian is derived to leading order in the chiral counting. This includes the loop induced h→γγ and h→Zγ local terms, which enter at the same chiral order as their counterparts in the Standard Model. An algorithm is presented that allows us to compute the coefficient functions to all orders in h. Some of the all-orders results are given in closed form. The parameter regimes for decoupling, nondecoupling, and alignment scenarios in the effective field theory context and some phenomenological implications are briefly discussed. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Wave turbulence and the kinetic equationbeyond leading order.

We derive a scheme by which to solve the Liouville equationperturbatively in the nonlinearity, which we apply to weakly nonlinear classical field theories. Our solution is a variant of the Prigogine diagrammatic method and is based on an analogy between the Liouville equationin infinite volume and scattering in quantum mechanics, described by the Lippmann-Schwinger equation. The motivation for our work is wave turbulence: A broad class of nonlinear classical field theories are believed to have a stationary turbulent state-a far-from-equilibrium state, even at weak coupling. Our method provides an efficient way to derive properties of the weak wave turbulent state. A central object in these studies, which is a reduction of the Liouville equation, is the kinetic equation, which governs the occupation numbers of the modes. All properties of wave turbulence to date are based on the kinetic equationfound at leading order in the weak nonlinearity. We explicitly obtain the kinetic equationto next-to-leading order.

Some New Aspects of Quantum Gravity

We have proposed the quantization of the gravitational field in a synchronous reference frame taking as independent position fields, the six spatial components of the metric tensor. The Einstein-Hilbert Lagrangian is quadratic in the space time derivatives of these metric tensor components and hence in particular, the momentum fields become linear functions of the space-time derivatives of the position fields. It is this fact that gives a simple form to the Hamiltonian density of the gravitational field in a synchronous frame, this simple form of the Hamiltonian being a quadratic function of the momentum fields with a shift that is linear in the spatial derivatives of the metric, very much like the Hamiltonian of a non-relativistic particle moving in a vector potential. Differential equations for the gravitational field propagator are derived and we explain how approximations to this propagator can be derived and used to deduce the graviton propagator corrections caused by nonlinear interactions of the graviton field with itself. We explain how this corrected graviton propagator can be used to deduce how much mass the graviton acquires due to these self-interactions of cubic and higher order. We then consider the important problem involving the coupling of a nonlinear field theory described by its Lagrangian density to a quantum noisy bath and explain how the resulting Hamiltonian of the field plus bath can be used to derive the Hudson-Parthasarathy noisy Schrodinger equation (HPS) which is a quantum stochastic differential equation for the joint unitary evolution of the field interacting with the noisy bath. We explain this in the context of gravity coupled to a noisy bath like a noisy electromagnetic field. The HPS equation contains linear as well as quadratic terms in the white bath noise with the linear terms representing quantum annihilation and creation/quantum Brownian motion process differentials and the quadratic terms representing quantum conservation/Poisson processes differentials. Finally we explain how using Feynman path integrals for fields for evaluating the quantum effective action produced by higher order cumulants of the current field, we can calculate corrections to the quantum effective action produced by higher order cumulants of the current field and hence demonstrate how gauge symmetries of the classical action get broken when we pass over to the quantum effective action with additional symmetry breaking terms produced by the presence of higher order cumulants of the current. This kind of approximate symmetry breaking is known to give masses to massless particles or more generally, corrections to the masses of already massive particles and we illustrate this idea in the context of interactions of the gravitational field with a random electromagnetic field being regarded as the current. This interaction is the standard Maxwell action used in general relativity. The drawback of our approach to quantum gravity is that is its not diffeomorphic invariant since we have chosen our frame to be always synchronous. Further work on how one can incorporate interactions of the gravitational field with a random non-Abelian gauge field is in progress which becomes important because it generates non only quadratic but also cubic and fourth degree terms in the gauge field when it interacts with gravity.

Spin-Frame Field Theory of a Three-Sublattice Antiferromagnet.

We present a nonlinear field theory of a three-sublattice hexagonal antiferromagnet. The order parameter is the spin frame, an orthogonal triplet of vectors related to sublattice magnetizations and spin chirality. The exchange energy, quadratic in spin-frame gradients, has three coupling constants, only two of which manifest themselves in the bulk. As a result, the three spin-wave velocities satisfy a universal relation. Vortices generally have an elliptical shape with the eccentricity determined by the Lamé parameters.

Multi-bounce resonances in the interaction of walking droplets

Discrete dynamical models of walking droplets (“walkers”) have allowed swift numerical experiments revealing heretofore unobserved quantum statistics and related behaviors in a classical hydrodynamic system. We present evidence that one such model of walking droplets exhibits the empirically elusive n-bounce resonances that are traditionally seen in the scattering of solitary waves governed by covariant nonlinear field theories with polynomial self-interaction. A numerical investigation of the chosen model of interacting walking droplets reveals a fractal structure of resonances in the velocity in–velocity out diagram, much like the usual maps constructed for collisions of solitary waves. We suggest avenues for further theoretical analysis of walker collisions, which may connect this discrete model to the field-theoretic setting, as well as directions towards new experimental realizations n-bounce resonances.

Some three- and n-component waves in porous media

Based on experimental results and self-consistent physical theory, a three-component description of nonlinear body waves in porous media is constructed. Applications of this result to two-component fluid flow in dynamic porous media and seismic wave propagation in multiphase porous media are presented. This description is important to petroleum reservoir simulation, groundwater hydrology, and seismic analysis of the earth. The two-body analogue of these results has been shown, in the past, to be inconsistent with the two-body linear models currently used by petroleum engineers and groundwater hydrologists. In seismic theory, simple linear models are generally used and much of the information obtained from the theory presented here is referred to as noise. The processes observed and described here have been patented and applied commercially to oil production and groundwater remediation. It is shown here that even if the correct nonlinear equations are used, three-component wave descriptions of porous media cannot be constructed solely from the equations of motion for the components. This is because of the introduction of the complexity of multiple scales into this nonlinear field theory. Information about the coupling between the components is required to obtain a physical description. It is observed that the fields must be coupled in phase and out of phase, and this result is consistent with the description of three- and n-body gravitational fields in Newtonian gravity and general relativity.

To Half-Be or Not To Be?

It has recently been argued that half degrees of freedom could emerge in Lorentz and parity invariant field theories, using a non-linear Proca field theory dubbed Proca-Nuevo as a specific example. We provide two proofs, using the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian pictures, that the theory possesses a pair of second class constraints, leaving D − 1 degrees of freedom in D spacetime dimensions, as befits a consistent Proca model. Our proofs are explicit and straightforward in two dimensions and we discuss how they generalize to an arbitrary number of dimensions. We also clarify why local Lorentz and parity invariant field theories cannot hold half degrees of freedom.

Non-linear effective field theory simulators in two-fluid interfaces

Analogue gravity offers an approach for testing the universality and robustness of quantum field theories in curved spacetimes and validating them using down-to-earth, laboratory-based experiments. Fluid interfaces are a promising framework for creating these gravity simulators and have successfully replicated phenomena such as Hawking radiation and black hole superradiance. Recent work has shown that hydrodynamical instabilities on the interface between two fluids can capture features of the post-inflationary thermalisation of the Early Universe. In this study, we extend fluid dynamics methods to develop an effective field theory for the interface between two fluids, demonstrating the equivalence between the governing equations and a relativistic scalar field in an analogue spacetime. We also show that the interfacial height field serves as the analogue relativistic field even in a nonlinear, interacting field theory. We propose that these mathematical equivalences can be extrapolated to probe regimes where calculations are challenging or impractical. Our work provides a new framework for simulating far-from-equilibrium cosmological and gravitational scenarios in the laboratory.

Casimir tests of scalar-tensor theories

We compute bounds and forecasts on screened modified gravity theories, specialising to the chameleon model in Casimir force experiments. In particular, we investigate the classical interaction between a plate and sphere subject to a screened interaction of the chameleon type. We compare numerical simulations of the field profile and the classical pressure exerted on the sphere to analytical approximations for these non-linear field theories. In particular, we focus on the proximity force approximation (PFA) and show that, within the range of sphere sizes $R$ and plate-sphere distance $D$ simulated numerically, the PFA does not reproduce the numerical results. This differs from the case of linear field theories such as Newtonian gravity and a Yukawa model where the PFA coincides with the exact results. We show that for chameleon theories, the screening factor approximation (SFA) whereby the sphere is modelled as a screened sphere embedded in the external field due to the plates, fares better and can be used in the regime $D\gtrsim R$ to extract constraints and forecasts from existing and forthcoming data. In particular, we forecast that future Casimir experiments would corroborate the closing of the parameter space for the simplest of chameleon models at the dark energy scale.

Riemann-Hilbert problem associated with an integrable generalized mixed nonlinear Schrödinger equation

ABSTRACT The generalized mixed nonlinear Schrödinger (GMNLS) equation is a completely integrable model under certain parameter conditions, which has important applications in nonlinear optics, weak nonlinear dispersive water wave and quantum field theory. In this work, we use the unified transformation method to construct a Riemann-Hilbert problem and discuss the initial-boundary value problems of the GMNLS equation on the half-line. Furthermore, we also obtain that some spectral functions are not independent of each other, but meet a paramount global relation.

Cosmic web & caustic skeleton: non-linear constrained realizations — 2D case studies

The cosmic web consists of a complex configuration of voids, walls, filaments, and clusters, which formed under the gravitational collapse of Gaussian fluctuations. Understanding under what conditions these different structures emerge from simple initial conditions, and how different cosmological models influence their evolution, is central to the study of the large-scale structure. Here, we present a general formalism for setting up initial random density and velocity fields satisfying non-linear constraints for specialized N-body simulations. These allow us to link the non-linear conditions on the eigenvalue and eigenvector fields of the deformation tensor, as specified by caustic skeleton theory, to the current-day cosmic web. By extending constrained Gaussian random field theory, and the corresponding Hoffman-Ribak algorithm, to non-linear constraints, we probe the statistical properties of the progenitors of the walls, filaments, and clusters of the cosmic web. Applied to cosmological N-body simulations, the proposed techniques pave the way towards a systematic investigation of the evolution of the progenitors of the present-day walls, filaments, and clusters, and the embedded galaxies, putting flesh on the bones of the caustic skeleton. The developed non-linear constrained random field theory is valid for generic cosmological conditions. For ease of visualization, the case study presented here probes the two-dimensional caustic skeleton.

Quantum Solitodynamics: Non-linear Wave Mechanics and Pilot-Wave Theory

In 1927 Louis de Broglie proposed an alternative approach to standard quantum mechanics known as the double solution program (DSP) where particles are represented as bunched fields or solitons guided by a base (weaker) wave. DSP evolved as the famous de Broglie-Bohm pilot wave interpretation (PWI) also known as Bohmian mechanics but the general idea to use solitons guided by a base wave to reproduce the dynamics of the PWI was abandoned. Here we propose a nonlinear scalar field theory able to reproduce the PWI for the Schrödinger and Klein–Gordon guiding waves. Our model relies on a relativistic ‘phase harmony’ condition locking the phases of the solitonic particle and the guiding wave. We also discuss an extension of the theory for the N particles cases in presence of entanglement and external (classical) electromagnectic fields.

Feynman rules for forced wave turbulence

It has long been known that weakly nonlinear field theories can have a late-time stationary state that is not the thermal state, but a wave turbulent state with a far-from-equilibrium cascade of energy. We go beyond the existence of the wave turbulent state, studying fluctuations about the wave turbulent state. Specifically, we take a classical field theory with an arbitrary quartic interaction and add dissipation and Gaussian-random forcing. Employing the path integral relation between stochastic classical field theories and quantum field theories, we give a prescription, in terms of Feynman diagrams, for computing correlation functions in this system. We explicitly compute the two-point and four-point functions of the field to next-to-leading order in the coupling. Through an appropriate choice of forcing and dissipation, these correspond to correlation functions in the wave turbulent state. In particular, we derive the kinetic equation to next-to-leading order.

Infinite conformal symmetry and emergent chiral fields of topologically nontrivial configurations: From Yang-Mills-Higgs theory to the Skyrme model

In this manuscript, we discuss a remarkable phenomenon concerning nonlinear and nonintegrable field theories in ($3+1$) dimensions, living at finite density and possessing nontrivial topological charges and non-Abelian internal symmetries (both local and global). With suitable types of Ans\"atze, one can construct infinite-dimensional families of analytic solutions with nonvanishing topological charges (representing the baryonic number) labeled by both two integer numbers and by free scalar fields in ($1+1$) dimensions. These exact configurations represent ($3+1$)-dimensional topological solitons hosting ($1+1$)-dimensional chiral modes localized at the energy density peaks. First, we analyze the Yang-Mills-Higgs model, in which the fields depend on all the space-time coordinates (to keep alive the topological Chern-Simons charge), but in such a way to reduce the equations system to the field equations of two-dimensional free massless chiral scalar fields. Then, we move to the nonlinear sigma model, showing that a suitable Ansatz reduces the field equations to the one of a two-dimensional free massless scalar field. Then, we discuss the Skyrme model concluding that the inclusion of the Skyrme term gives rise to a chiral two-dimensional free massless scalar field (instead of a free massless field in two dimensions as in the nonlinear sigma model) describing analytically spatially modulated hadronic layers and tubes. The comparison of the present approach both with the instanton-dyon liquid approach and with lattice QCD is shortly outlined.

A new family of Constitutive Artificial Neural Networks towards automated model discovery

For more than 100 years, chemical, physical, and material scientists have proposed competing constitutive models to best characterize the behavior of natural and man-made materials in response to mechanical loading. Now, computer science offers a universal solution: Neural Networks. Neural Networks are powerful function approximators that can learn constitutive relations from large data without any knowledge of the underlying physics. However, classical Neural Networks entirely ignore a century of research in constitutive modeling, violate thermodynamic considerations, and fail to predict the behavior outside the training regime. Here we design a new family of Constitutive Artificial Neural Networks that inherently satisfy common kinematical, thermodynamical, and physical constraints and, at the same time, constrain the design space of admissible functions to create robust approximators, even in the presence of sparse data. Towards this goal we revisit the non-linear field theories of mechanics and reverse-engineer the network input to account for material objectivity, material symmetry and incompressibility; the network output to enforce thermodynamic consistency; the activation functions to implement physically reasonable restrictions; and the network architecture to ensure polyconvexity. We demonstrate that this new class of models is a generalization of the classical neo Hooke, Blatz Ko, Mooney Rivlin, Yeoh, and Demiray models and that the network weights have a clear physical interpretation in the form of shear moduli, stiffness-like parameters, and exponential coefficients. When trained with classical benchmark data for rubber under uniaxial tension, biaxial extension, and pure shear, our network autonomously selects the best constitutive model and learns its set of parameters. Our findings suggest that Constitutive Artificial Neural Networks have the potential to induce a paradigm shift in constitutive modeling, from user-defined model selection to automated model discovery. Our source code, data, and examples is available at https://github.com/LivingMatterLab/CANN.

Quest for eternal oscillons

Nonlinear field theories produce unstable but long-lived configurations known as oscillons. These structures have been studied with asymmetric and symmetric double-well potentials and extended to other forms of potentials. In the present work, we examine the consequences of considering higher-order field theories, where we have used a generalization of the symmetric double-well potential and a $\phi^6$ potential. Consequently, we have found $3+1$ spherically symmetric oscillons with significantly large lifetimes without parameter fine-tuning.

The generation of mass in a non-linear field theory

Abstract The mass spectrum of elementary particles is calculated in a new approach, based on B. Heim’s quantum field theory, which manifests in a non-linear eigenvalue equation and merges into the Einstein field equation in the macroscopic limit. The poly-metric of the theory allows spacetime and matter to be described in a unified formalism, representing a radical geometrisation of physics. The calculated mass energies are in very good agreement with the empirical data (error < 1 % ${< }1\%$ on average) if the mass scale is gauged to the electron as lowest mass and the second main parameter, determining the strength of obtained mass hierarchy levels, is close to the half inverse of the fine structure constant, describing the difference in strength between the electromagnetic and the strong interaction. The obtained hierarchy levels are not identical to the particle generations of the Standard Model; however, show a self-similarity typical for non-linear theories. For higher values of the main quantum number N, the calculated mass formula becomes identical to the phenomenological formulae of Nambu, respectively, Mac Gregor.