In particle physics I am used to the Feynman propagator being decomposed into positive and negative frequency Wightman functions. For example, this is the representation used in Eq. (6.2.13) of Weinberg's volume I [1]. In his notation, \begin{equation} -\mathrm{i} \Delta_{\text{F}}(x) = \theta(x) \Delta_+(x) + \theta(-x) \Delta_+(-x) \end{equation} This is constructed to have only positive frequency terms at future infinity, and only negative frequency terms at past infinity. In particular, the function used by Weinberg can be written as the negative frequency Wightman function , and \begin{equation} \Delta_+(x) = \int \frac{\mathrm{d}^3 q}{(2\pi)^3} \frac{1}{2 E_{\mathbf{q}}} \mathrm{e}^{-\mathrm{i} E_{\mathbf{q}} t + \mathrm{i} \mathbf{q} \cdot \mathbf{x}} , \quad \Delta_-(x) = \int \frac{\mathrm{d}^3 q}{(2\pi)^3} \frac{1}{2 E_{\mathbf{q}}} \mathrm{e}^{+\mathrm{i} E_{\mathbf{q}} t -\mathrm{i} \mathbf{q} \cdot \mathbf{x}} \end{equation} where is the energy for a particle of momentum . But when I compare with the formula for the time-ordered propagator given in Altland & Simons [2] or Kamenev [3], the result seems different. Kamenev gives (now in his notation) \begin{align} \langle \phi^+(t) \bar{\phi}^-(t') \rangle = \mathrm{i} G^<(t,t') & = n_B \mathrm{e}^{-\mathrm{i} \omega_0 (t-t')} \ \langle \phi^-(t) \bar{\phi}^+(t') \rangle = \mathrm{i} G^>(t,t') & = (n_B + 1) \mathrm{e}^{-\mathrm{i} \omega_0 (t - t')} \ \langle \phi^+(t) \bar{\phi}^+(t') \rangle = \mathrm{i} G^{\mathbb{T}}(t,t') & = \theta(t-t') \mathrm{i} G^>(t,t') + \theta(t'-t) \mathrm{i} G^<(t,t') \ \langle \phi^-(t) \bar{\phi}^-(t') \rangle = \mathrm{i} G^{\tilde{\mathbb{T}}}(t,t') & = \theta(t-t') \mathrm{i} G^<(t,t') + \theta(t'-t) \mathrm{i} G^>(t,t') \end{align} Altland & Simons have something equivalent in their Eq. (11.16). In this notation, if I have understood, and take the place of the positive and negative frequency Wightman functions. Then, the correlation function gives the time-ordered Green's function , and the correlation function gives the anti-time-ordered one . But if I go to vacuum where , it's clear that, although is built from modes of definite frequency, it has no support at all for . Likewise, has no support for . So whatever and are, they are apparently not what I would expect for the Feynman and Dyson propagators in vacuum. Kamenev and Altland & Simons compute their propagators by specifying a density matrix at an initial time. In the standard textbook presentation of the Feynman propagator, the boundary conditions enter in a more opaque way via an explicit computation of the expectation value of the time-ordered product. The answer I am expecting looks more like the formula for the , , and correlation functions given by Glavan & Prokopec in their lecture notes on non-equilibrium field theory [4]. Their Eqs (237) and (64) for the correlation function and Feynman propagator match (as far as I can see) Weinberg's formula for and Kamenev's formula for . But then, their Wightman functions Eq. (72) don't look like , given by Kamenev and Altland & Simons. Glavan & Prokopec quote (in their notation) \begin{align} \mathrm{i} \Delta^+(t,t') & \propto (1 + \bar{n}_0) \mathrm{e}^{-\mathrm{i} \omega (t-t')} + \bar{n}_0 \mathrm{e}^{\mathrm{i} \omega (t-t')} \ \mathrm{i} \Delta^-(t,t') & = \Big[ \mathrm{i} \Delta^+(t,t') \Big]^\ast \end{align} where I think and in Kamenev's notation. In vacuum, this has the positive/negative frequency behaviour at infinity that I am expecting. How am I supposed to understand this? Clearly a different boundary condition is being applied to the time ordered propagator. What is different about what Glavan & Prokopec are assuming, compared to Kamenev and Altland & Simons? [1] Weinberg, The Quantum Theory of Fields Volume I: Foundations , Cambridge University Press [2] Altland & Simons, Condensed Matter Field Theory , 2nd edition, Cambridge University Press [3] Kamenev, Field Theory of Non-Equilibrium Systems , 2nd edition, Cambridge University Press [4] https://webspace.science.uu.nl/~proko101/LecturenotesNonEquilQFT.pdf
Relation between time-ordered propagator in condensed matter and Feynman propagator
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