Unanswered Questions

84
votes
1answer
3k views

Experimental test of the non-statisticality theorem?

Context: The paper On the reality of the quantum state (Nature Physics 8, 475–478 (2012) or arXiv:1111.3328) shows under suitable assumptions that the quantum state cannot be interpreted as a ...
67
votes
0answers
2k views

Linear sigma models and integrable systems

I'm a mathematician who recently became very interested in questions related to mathematical physics but somehow, I faced difficulties in penetrating the literature... I'd highly appreciate any help ...
52
votes
1answer
2k views

On the Coulomb branch of ${\cal N}=2$ supersymmetric gauge theory

The chiral ring of the Coulomb branch of a 4D ${\cal N}=2$ supersymmetric gauge theory is given by the Casimirs of the vector multiplet scalars, and they don't have non-trivial relations; the Casimirs ...
51
votes
0answers
2k views

Orbits of maximally entangled mixed states

It is well known (Please, see for example Geometry of quantum states by Bengtsson and Życzkowski ) that the set of $N$-dimensional density matrices is stratified by the adjoint action of $U(N)$, where ...
42
votes
0answers
774 views

Systematic approach to deriving equations of collective field theory to any order

The collective field theory (see nLab for a list of main historical references) which came up as a generalization of the Bohm-Pines method in treating plasma oscillations are often used in the study ...
41
votes
1answer
2k views

Is the Hawking radiation of a charged black hole thermal?

Suppose you have a Schwarzschild black hole of mass $M$ and angular parameter $a = 0$ (no rotation). Question: is it possible to throw a charge $Q$ at a faster rate than it will be re-radiated? Will ...
38
votes
1answer
2k views

Status of experimental searches for tachyons?

Now that the dust has settled on the 2011 superluminal neutrino debacle at OPERA, I'm interested in understanding the current status of experimental searches for neutrinos. Although the OPERA claim ...
31
votes
0answers
1k views

Can Lee-Yang zeros theorem account for triple point phase transition?

Now the prominent Lee-Yang theorem (or Physical Review 87, 410, 1952) has almost become a standard ingredient of any comprehensive statistical mechanics textbook. If the volume tends to infinity, ...
26
votes
0answers
849 views

$\operatorname{O}(N)$ sigma model at large $N$

I would like to better understand the main principles of large-$N$ expansion in quantum field theory. To this end I decided to consider simple toy-model with lagrangian (from Wikipedia) $ \mathcal{L} ...
25
votes
0answers
1k views

What different approximations yield Gravitoelectromagnetism and Weak Field Einstein Equations?

This question is inspired by this answer, which cites Gravitoelectromagnetism (GEM) as a valid approximation to the Einstein Field Equations (EFE). The wonted presentation of gravitational waves is ...
23
votes
0answers
474 views

Dynamics of a rotating coin

Sometimes when I'm bored in a waiting area, I would take a coin out of my pocket and spin it on a table. I never really tried to figure out what was going on. But, recently I wondered about two things:...
23
votes
0answers
530 views

Positivity for the level of Chern-Simons theory

In many classical papers about Chern-Simons theory (see, e.g. [1]), it is claimed that the Chern-Simons theories with gauge group $G$ are classified by an element of $k\in H^4(BG,\mathbb Z)$, the so-...
23
votes
0answers
449 views

“S-duality” between confinement and the Higgs mechanism?

I feel picked by the second to last sentence in this answer to a question about what would happen if EM and QCD were spontaneously broken, which says "In fact, there is a sense in theoretical ...
23
votes
0answers
520 views

Bell polytopes with nontrivial symmetries

Take $N$ parties, each of which receives an input $s_i \in {1, \dots, m_i}$ and produces an output $r_i \in {1, \dots, v_i}$, possibly in a nondeterministic manner. We are interested in joint ...
21
votes
2answers
666 views

Would warp bubbles emit gravitational Cerenkov radiation in general relativity?

Inspired by the gravtiomagnetic analogy, I would expect that just as a charged tachyon would emit normal (electromagetic) Cerenkov radiation, any mass-carrying warp drive would emit gravitational ...

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