Covariant-Vlasov-kinetic-theory treatment of the <em>P</em>- and <em>CP-</em> odd terms of the photon self-energy

Abstract

In this thesis we show a new way to describe the photon <em>C-</em> and <em>CP-</em> symmetry breaking effects in an optically active medium by employing the covariant Vlasov kinetic equation framework. We review the general framework from its fundamentals in the kinetic Vlasov transport theory, and we show a way to encompass the photon optical activity effects by adding a new term in its covariant expression. By doing this we parametrize the <em>C-</em> and <em>CP-</em> symmetry breaking effects, and calculate the photon self-energy in the linear response approximation for an isotropic medium. There we obtain a third component in the photon polarization tensor which breaks parity, and affects the photon transverse dispersion relation. The photon exhibits two propagating modes <em>ω_±(k) </em>which we refer as right-handed and left-handed modes, where in vacuum they would be degenerate. The results are considered in the long wavelength limit for a non-relativistic electron plasma with a neutrino background superimposed, which breaks <em>C-</em> and <em>CP-</em> symmetry. There, by comparing our results with previous works on Thermal Field Theory, we find that the symmetry breaking effects can indeed be parametrized to describe the photon in the covariant Vlasov kinetic equation framework. The calculations are presented, where we point out that these photon optically active properties were not obtained from this covariant Vlasov kinetic theory in previous research, which makes it a novel way to address it theoretically. The advantages of the framework, as its applications for physical systems like the Isotropic Cosmic Birefringence, quark-gluon plasmas, chiral molecular systems, and others are extensively explained.