Quantum Bound on the Specific Entropy in Strong-Coupled Scalar Field Theory

TL;DR

This paper investigates the quantum bound on the specific entropy in a strongly coupled scalar field theory confined within boundaries, deriving conditions under which the bound holds or is invalidated based on temperature and zero-point energy.

Contribution

It provides an analytical proof that the specific entropy in strong-coupling scalar field theory can satisfy a quantum bound, extending the Bekenstein bound to interacting quantum fields.

Findings

The specific entropy satisfies a quantum bound at high and low temperatures under certain conditions.

The sign of the renormalized zero-point energy influences the validity of the quantum bound.

Analytical expressions for energy and entropy are derived up to a specific order in the strong-coupling expansion.

Abstract

Using the Euclidean path integral approach with functional methods, we discuss the $(g_{0} \phi^{p})_{d}$ self-interacting scalar field theory, in the strong-coupling regime. We assume the presence of macroscopic boundaries confining the field in a hypercube of side $L$. We also consider that the system is in thermal equilibrium at temperature $\beta^{-1}$. For spatially bounded free fields, the Bekenstein bound states that the specific entropy satisfies the inequality $\frac{S}{E} < 2 \pi R$, where $R$ stands for the radius of the smallest sphere that circumscribes the system. Employing the strong-coupling perturbative expansion, we obtain the renormalized mean energy $E$ and entropy $S$ for the system up to the order $(g_{0})^{-\frac{2}{p}}$, presenting an analytical proof that the specific entropy also satisfies in some situations a quantum bound. Defining $\epsilon_d^{(r)}$ as the renormalized zero-point energy for the free theory per unit length, the dimensionless quantity $\xi=\frac{\beta}{L}$ and $h_1(d)$ and $h_2(d)$ as positive analytic functions of $d$, for the case of high temperature, we get that the specific entropy satisfies $\frac{S}{E} < 2\pi R \frac{h_1(d)}{h_2(d)} \xi$. When considering the low temperature behavior of the specific entropy, we have $\frac{S}{E} <2\pi R \frac{h_1(d)}{\epsilon_d^{(r)}}\xi^{1-d}$. Therefore the sign of the renormalized zero-point energy can invalidate this quantum bound. If the renormalized zero point-energy is a positive quantity, at intermediate temperatures and in the low temperature limit, there is a quantum bound.