Non-relativistic effective theories for fields with general potentials and their implications for cosmology

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Hauptverfasser: Modirzadeh, H. S., Moti, R., Namjoo, M. H.
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2025
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author Modirzadeh, H. S.
Moti, R.
Namjoo, M. H.
author_facet Modirzadeh, H. S.
Moti, R.
Namjoo, M. H.
contents Non-relativistic effective field theories (NREFTs) play a crucial role in various areas of physics, from cold atom experiments to cosmology. In this paper, we present a systematic framework for deriving NREFTs from relativistic theories with generic self-interactions. Our approach allows for (but is not limited to) non-power-law potentials (such as those arising from dilatons or axions) or potentials that are non-analytic around the classical vacuum (such as those with logarithmic radiative corrections). These are of theoretical and phenomenological interest but have largely been unexplored in the non-relativistic regime. NREFTs are typically viewed as approximations for systems with low velocities, weak couplings, and small field amplitudes. The latter assumption is relaxed in our approach, as long as the mass term remains dominant (ensuring the validity of the non-relativistic limit). Additionally, we establish an effective fluid description for the non-relativistic scalar field, identifying key quantities such as energy density, pressure, and sound speed. To enable cosmological applications, we extend our formalism to account for the expanding universe, providing a reliable tool for investigating ultra-light dark matter models with arbitrary self-interactions. Finally, we demonstrate the applicability of our NREFT in analyzing solitons, which is also relevant to cosmology for studying celestial objects such as boson stars and the cores of dark matter halos.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_08786
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Non-relativistic effective theories for fields with general potentials and their implications for cosmology
Modirzadeh, H. S.
Moti, R.
Namjoo, M. H.
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
High Energy Physics - Theory
Non-relativistic effective field theories (NREFTs) play a crucial role in various areas of physics, from cold atom experiments to cosmology. In this paper, we present a systematic framework for deriving NREFTs from relativistic theories with generic self-interactions. Our approach allows for (but is not limited to) non-power-law potentials (such as those arising from dilatons or axions) or potentials that are non-analytic around the classical vacuum (such as those with logarithmic radiative corrections). These are of theoretical and phenomenological interest but have largely been unexplored in the non-relativistic regime. NREFTs are typically viewed as approximations for systems with low velocities, weak couplings, and small field amplitudes. The latter assumption is relaxed in our approach, as long as the mass term remains dominant (ensuring the validity of the non-relativistic limit). Additionally, we establish an effective fluid description for the non-relativistic scalar field, identifying key quantities such as energy density, pressure, and sound speed. To enable cosmological applications, we extend our formalism to account for the expanding universe, providing a reliable tool for investigating ultra-light dark matter models with arbitrary self-interactions. Finally, we demonstrate the applicability of our NREFT in analyzing solitons, which is also relevant to cosmology for studying celestial objects such as boson stars and the cores of dark matter halos.
title Non-relativistic effective theories for fields with general potentials and their implications for cosmology
topic Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
High Energy Physics - Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.08786