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Artificial dynamical effects in quantum field theory

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Abstract

In Newtonian mechanics, studying a system in a non-Galilean reference frame can lead to inertial pseudoforces appearing, such as the centrifugal force that seems to arise in dynamics analysed in a rotating frame. Likewise, artificial effects may arise in relativistic quantum field theory (QFT) if a system is studied in a framework that violates Poincaré invariance. In this Perspective, we highlight how such issues complicate the traditional canonical quantization of QFTs and can lead to a subjective description of natural phenomena. By contrast, the treatment of the same problem using light-front quantization is free from spurious pseudoeffects because Poincaré invariance is effectively preserved for all practical intents and purposes. We illustrate these statements using several examples: the Gerasimov–Drell–Hearn (GDH) relation, a fundamental feature of QFT; the absence of any measurable impact of Lorentz contraction in high-energy collisions; and the fictitious character of vacuum fluctuation contributions to the cosmological constant.

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Fig. 1: Illustrations underlying the computation of the nucleon electromagnetic form factors in the case of the front form and instant form.
Fig. 2: The Gerasimov–Drell–Hearn relation.
Fig. 3: Reordering of event times by an IF boost.
Fig. 4: Effect of quantum fluctuations on the causal nature of an event.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the US Department of Energy, contract DE-AC02-76SF00515 (S.J.B.); the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics, contract DE-AC05-06OR23177 (A.D.); and the National Natural Science Foundation of China, grant no. 12135007 (C.D.R.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

    Stanley J. Brodsky

  2. Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA, USA

    Alexandre Deur

  3. School of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China

    Craig D. Roberts

  4. Institute for Nonperturbative Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China

    Craig D. Roberts

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  1. Stanley J. Brodsky
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Brodsky, S.J., Deur, A. & Roberts, C.D. Artificial dynamical effects in quantum field theory. Nat Rev Phys 4, 489–495 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42254-022-00453-3

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