Reflection positivity in a higher-derivative model with physical bound states of ghosts
Fuente:
arXiv
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2025
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1866908665446924288 |
|---|---|
| author | Asorey, Manuel Krein, Gastão Pardina, Miguel Shapiro, Ilya L. |
| author_facet | Asorey, Manuel Krein, Gastão Pardina, Miguel Shapiro, Ilya L. |
| contents | The inclusion of higher derivatives is a necessary condition for a renormalizable or superrenormalizable local theory of quantum gravity. On the other hand, higher derivatives lead to classical instabilities and a loss of unitarity at the quantum level. A standard way to detect such issues is by examining the reflection positivity condition and the existence of a Kallen-Lehmann spectral representation for the two-point function. We demonstrate that these requirements for a consistent quantum theory are satisfied in a theory we have recently proposed. This theory is based on a six-derivative scalar field action featuring a pair of complex-mass ghost fields that form a bound state. Our results support the interpretation that physical observables can emerge from ghost dynamics in a consistent and unitary framework. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_15283 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Reflection positivity in a higher-derivative model with physical bound states of ghosts Asorey, Manuel Krein, Gastão Pardina, Miguel Shapiro, Ilya L. High Energy Physics - Theory General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 81T17, 81T10, 83C45 The inclusion of higher derivatives is a necessary condition for a renormalizable or superrenormalizable local theory of quantum gravity. On the other hand, higher derivatives lead to classical instabilities and a loss of unitarity at the quantum level. A standard way to detect such issues is by examining the reflection positivity condition and the existence of a Kallen-Lehmann spectral representation for the two-point function. We demonstrate that these requirements for a consistent quantum theory are satisfied in a theory we have recently proposed. This theory is based on a six-derivative scalar field action featuring a pair of complex-mass ghost fields that form a bound state. Our results support the interpretation that physical observables can emerge from ghost dynamics in a consistent and unitary framework. |
| title | Reflection positivity in a higher-derivative model with physical bound states of ghosts |
| topic | High Energy Physics - Theory General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 81T17, 81T10, 83C45 |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.15283 |