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arXiv · 1301.4879

Some Comments on Ghosts and Unitarity: The Pais-Uhlenbeck Oscillator Revisited

Ibrahim Burak Ilhan·Alex Kovner
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Abstract

We give a simple discussion of ghosts, unitarity violation, negative norm states and quantum vs classical behavior in the simplest model with four derivative action - the Pais-Uhlenbeck oscillator. We also point out that the normalizable "vacuum state" (in the sense defined below) of this model can be understood as spontaneous breaking of the emergent conformal symmetry. We provide an example of an interacting system that couples the "particle" and "ghost" degrees of freedom and nevertheless remains unitary on both classical and quantum level.

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Ibrahim Burak Ilhan, Alex Kovner. 2013-01-21. Some Comments on Ghosts and Unitarity: The Pais-Uhlenbeck Oscillator Revisited. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.88.044045

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