Perturbative quantum field theory in the string-inspired formalism

By C. Schubert. 2001

414 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Abstract We review the status and present range of applications of the “string-inspired” approach to perturbative quantum field theory. This formalism offers the possibility of computing effective actions and S-matrix elements in a way which is similar in spirit to string perturbation theory, and bypasses much of the apparatus of standard second-quantized field theory. Its development was initiated by Bern and Kosower, originally with the aim of simplifying the calculation of scattering amplitudes in quantum chromodynamics and quantum gravity. We give a short account of the original derivation of the Bern–Kosower rules from string theory. Strassler's alternative approach in terms of first-quantized particle path integrals is then used to generalize the formalism to more general field theories, and, in the abelian case, also to higher loop orders. A considerable number of sample calculations are presented in detail, with an emphasis on quantum electrodynamics.

Subfields: Astronomy and Astrophysics, Nuclear and High Energy Physics

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/58f7b2afd5cf65b7ac5cfcbbc72531568dfbbeaf

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Astronomy and Astrophysics

1. G. Dunne
2. Gregory V. Vereshchagin
3. S. Xue
4. R. Ruffini
5. Qing-hai Wang
6. H. Gies
7. C. Schubert

In Nuclear and High Energy Physics

1. G. Dunne
2. R. Ruffini
3. Gregory V. Vereshchagin
4. S. Xue
5. H. Gies
6. Qing-hai Wang
7. C. Schubert
8. B. Delamotte

Citations in the corpus

• Electron-positron pairs in physics and astrophysics: from heavy nuclei to black holes (2009, methodology): “(63) of Dunne and Schubert [48], and replace there γ̃ → 1/σs.”
• Heisenberg-Euler Effective Lagrangians : Basics and Extensions (2004, methodology): “A promising approach is the worldline formalism [62] which combines the relevant Feynman diagrams into a much more compact representation, making the large cancellations somewhat more ‘natural’.”
• Worldline instantons and the fluctuation prefactor (2006, methodology): “SEMICLASSICAL APPROXIMATION TO THE PATH INTEGRAL The Euclidean one-loop effective action for a scalar charged particle (of charge e and mass m) in a QED gauge background Aμ is given by the worldline path integral expression [15] ΓEucl[A] = − ∫ ∞”
• Worldline instantons and pair production in inhomogenous fields (2005, background): “STATIONARY PHASE APPROXIMATION IN THE WORLDLINE EFFECTIVE ACTION The Euclidean one-loop effective action for a scalar particle in an abelian gauge background Aμ is given by the worldline path integral expression [1, 6] Γ[A] = ∫ ∞”