A survey of causality in algebraic relativistic quantum field theory

The axiomatic formulation of an Algebraic Relativistic Quantum Field Theory leads naturally -via the Haag-Kastler axioms- to the fact that operators representing observables generate a von Neumann algebra localized in a space-time region in which said observations are made. I present and explain the axioms, as well as the mathematical preliminaries needed to understand them and apply them to the so-called causal diamond and Fermi's Two-Atom System. The latter shows the importance of formulating axioms concerning causality that try to make compatible the requirement from Special Relativity according to which no causal influence can travel faster than the speed of light and the quantum mechanical theory of measurement and preparability of states. For a relativistic field-theoretic setting, these concepts must be re-formulated, and this reasoning suggests that the operator algebra must be a type III von Neumann factor. I also introduce some philosophical problems concerning our usual notion of causality from Hume to contemporary theories of counterfactual causation and show how the algebraic structure of the theory is deeply related to the causal one and how this theory can be extended if we change the way we think about causality, measurements, and local preparability of states.

• Autores: Calderón Ossa, Francisco
• Tipo de recurso: Trabajo de grado de pregrado
• Fecha de publicación: 2019
• Institución: Universidad de los Andes
• Repositorio: Séneca: repositorio Uniandes
• Idioma: eng
• OAI Identifier: oai:repositorio.uniandes.edu.co:1992/44724
• Acceso en línea: http://hdl.handle.net/1992/44724
• Palabra clave: Teoría cuántica relativista; Relatividad especial (Física); Causalidad (Física); Filosofía de la física; Física
• Rights: openAccess
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/