Infraparticles with superselected direction of motion in two-dimensional conformal field theory

TL;DR

This paper explores particle-like excitations in two-dimensional conformal field theories, revealing the existence of infraparticles with superselected directions of motion and their relation to superselection sectors.

Contribution

It demonstrates asymptotic completeness and the existence of infraparticles in various representations, highlighting a novel link between infraparticle motion and superselection sectors.

Findings

Asymptotic completeness established for Wigner-like particles.

Existence of infraparticles in charged irreducible representations.

Infraparticle direction of motion linked to superselection sectors.

Abstract

Particle aspects of two-dimensional conformal field theories are investigated, using methods from algebraic quantum field theory. The results include asymptotic completeness in terms of (counterparts of) Wigner particles in any vacuum representation and the existence of (counterparts of) infraparticles in any charged irreducible product representation of a given chiral conformal field theory. Moreover, an interesting interplay between the infraparticle's direction of motion and the superselection structure is demonstrated in a large class of examples. This phenomenon resembles the electron's momentum superselection expected in quantum electrodynamics.