Derivative expansion of the heat kernel at finite temperature
Oct, 2011Citations per year
Abstract: (arXiv)
The method of covariant symbols of Pletnev and Banin is extended to space-times with topology . By means of this tool, we obtain explicit formulas for the diagonal matrix elements and the trace of the heat kernel at finite temperature to fourth order in a strict covariant derivative expansion. The role of the Polyakov loop is emphasized. Chan's formula for the effective action to one loop is similarly extended. The expressions obtained formally apply to a larger class of spaces, -spaces, with an arbitrary weight function in the integration over the momentum of the loop.Note:
- 32 pages, no figures. Subsection on real time formalism added. To appear in Phys.Rev.D
- 11.15.Tk
- 11.15.-q
- 11.10.Jj
- 11.10.Wx
- Finite temperature
- Heat kernel expansion
- Covariant derivative expansion
- Effective action
- expansion: derivative
- expansion: heat kernel
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