Scribd
Upload
134 views

Scalar Field

A scalar field associates a scalar (mathematical or physical) value to every point in a space. It must have the same value regardless of the observer's position or coordinates. Examples include temperature, pressure, and the Higgs field. Scalar fields are used in physics to describe potential energies and forces. They are important concepts in theories of quantum mechanics, general relativity, and cosmology, such as describing inflation in the early universe.

Uploaded by

aaaa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
134 views

Scalar Field

A scalar field associates a scalar (mathematical or physical) value to every point in a space. It must have the same value regardless of the observer's position or coordinates. Examples include temperature, pressure, and the Higgs field. Scalar fields are used in physics to describe potential energies and forces. They are important concepts in theories of quantum mechanics, general relativity, and cosmology, such as describing inflation in the early universe.

Uploaded by

aaaa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Scalar field

en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Scalar_field

In mathematics and physics, a scalar field associates a scalar value to


every point in a space. The scalar may either be a mathematical number
or a physical quantity. Scalar fields are required to be coordinate-
independent, meaning that any two observers using the same units will
agree on the value of the scalar field at the same absolute point in space
(or spacetime) regardless of their respective points of origin. Examples
used in physics include the temperature distribution throughout space,
the pressure distribution in a fluid, and spin-zero quantum fields, such as
the Higgs field. These fields are the subject of scalar field theory.

Contents
[hide]
A scalar field such as temperature or pressure,
Definition[edit] where intensity of the field is represented by
different hues of color.

Mathematically, a scalar field on a region U is a real or complex-valued


function or distribution on U.[1][2] The region U may be a set in some Euclidean space, Minkowski space, or more
generally a subset of a manifold, and it is typical in mathematics to impose further conditions on the field, such that it
be continuous or often continuously differentiable to some order. A scalar field is a tensor field of order zero, [3] and
the term "scalar field" may be used to distinguish a function of this kind with a more general tensor field, density, or
differential form.

The scalar field of sin ( 2 ( x y + ) ) {\displaystyle \sin(2\pi (xy+\sigma ))} oscillating as


{\displaystyle \sigma } increases. Red represents positive values, purple represents negative
values, and sky blue represents values close to zero.

Physically, a scalar field is additionally distinguished by having units of measurement associated with it. In this
context, a scalar field should also be independent of the coordinate system used to describe the physical system
that is, any two observers using the same units must agree on the numerical value of a scalar field at any given point
of physical space. Scalar fields are contrasted with other physical quantities such as vector fields, which associate a
vector to every point of a region, as well as tensor fields and spinor fields.[citation needed] More subtly, scalar fields
are often contrasted with pseudoscalar fields.

Uses in physics[edit]
In physics, scalar fields often describe the potential energy associated with a particular force. The force is a vector
field, which can be obtained as the gradient of the potential energy scalar field. Examples include:

Examples in quantum theory and relativity[edit]

Scalar fields like the Higgs field can be found within scalar-tensor theories, using as scalar field the
Higgs field of the Standard Model.[8][9] This field interacts gravitationally and Yukawa-like (short-
ranged) with the particles that get mass through it.[10]

Scalar fields are found within superstring theories as dilaton fields, breaking the conformal symmetry of the
1/2
string, though balancing the quantum anomalies of this tensor.[11]

Scalar fields are supposed to cause the accelerated expansion of the universe ( inflation), [12] helping to solve
the horizon problem and giving a hypothetical reason for the non-vanishing cosmological constant of
cosmology. Massless (i.e. long-ranged) scalar fields in this context are known as inflatons. Massive (i.e.
short-ranged) scalar fields are proposed, too, using for example Higgs-like fields.[13]

Other kinds of fields[edit]

See also[edit]
Scalar field theory
Vector-valued function

References[edit]
1. Jump up ^ Apostol, Tom (1969). Calculus. II (2nd ed.). Wiley.
2. Jump up ^ Hazewinkel, Michiel, ed. (2001), "Scalar", Encyclopedia of Mathematics, Springer, ISBN 978-1-
55608-010-4
3. Jump up ^ Hazewinkel, Michiel, ed. (2001), "Scalar field", Encyclopedia of Mathematics, Springer,
ISBN 978-1-55608-010-4
4. Jump up ^ Technically, pions are actually examples of pseudoscalar mesons, which fail to be invariant under
spatial inversion, but are otherwise invariant under Lorentz transformations.
5. Jump up ^ P.W. Higgs (Oct 1964). "Broken Symmetries and the Masses of Gauge Bosons". Phys. Rev. Lett.
13 (16): 508. Bibcode:1964PhRvL..13..508H. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.13.508.
6. Jump up ^ Jordan, P. (1955). Schwerkraft und Weltall. Braunschweig: Vieweg.
7. Jump up ^ Brans, C.; Dicke, R. (1961). "Mach's Principle and a Relativistic Theory of Gravitation". Phys.
Rev. 124 (3): 925. doi:10.1103/PhysRev.124.925.
8. Jump up ^ Zee, A. (1979). "Broken-Symmetric Theory of Gravity". Phys. Rev. Lett. 42 (7): 417.
doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.42.417.
9. Jump up ^ Dehnen, H.; Frommert, H.; Ghaboussi, F. (1992). "Higgs field and a new scalar-tensor theory of
gravity". Int. J. of Theor. Phys. 31 (1): 109. doi:10.1007/BF00674344.
10. Jump up ^ Dehnen, H.; Frommmert, H. (1991). "Higgs-field gravity within the standard model". Int. J. of
Theor. Phys. 30 (7): 985998 [p. 987]. doi:10.1007/BF00673991.
11. Jump up ^ Brans, C. H. (2005). "The Roots of scalar-tensor theory". arXiv:gr-qc/0506063.
12. Jump up ^ Guth, A. (1981). "Inflationary universe: A possible solution to the horizon and flatness
problems". Phys. Rev. D. 23: 347. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.23.347.
13. Jump up ^ Cervantes-Cota, J. L.; Dehnen, H. (1995). "Induced gravity inflation in the SU(5) GUT". Phys.
Rev. D. 51: 395. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.51.395.

2/2

You might also like