Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 2, 2026

Controlled Synthesis and Fluorescence Tracking of Highly Uniform Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Microgels
Published on: September 8, 2016
Renormalization group and nonequilibrium action in stochastic field theory
Juan Zanella1, Esteban Calzetta
1Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires-Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellon I, Argentina. zanellaj@dfuba.df.uba.ar
We present a novel renormalization group approach for nonequilibrium field theory, revealing nontrivial noise and dissipation. This method aligns with dynamical renormalization groups, offering new insights into complex systems.
Area of Science:
- * Theoretical physics
- * Statistical mechanics
- * Condensed matter physics
Background:
- * Traditional renormalization group (RG) methods are primarily used for equilibrium systems in quantum field theory.
- * Nonequilibrium systems present unique challenges due to inherent time-dependence, noise, and dissipation.
- * Understanding the behavior of systems far from equilibrium is crucial in various scientific domains.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To develop and investigate a renormalization group approach applicable to nonequilibrium field theories.
- * To demonstrate that iterative coarse-graining of a closed-time-path action can yield nontrivial RG flow.
- * To establish the consistency of this novel RG approach with established methods for specific nonequilibrium models.
Main Methods:
- * Employing a closed-time-path (CTP) action formalism to describe nonequilibrium quantum field theory.
- * Applying iterative coarse-graining techniques to the CTP action to derive RG flow equations.
- * Analyzing a specific model, the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) equation, as a test case.
- * Comparing the RG flow derived from the CTP action with that obtained from directly coarse-graining the equations of motion.
Main Results:
- * A new type of renormalization group flow has been derived from the coarse-graining of a CTP action.
- * This RG flow explicitly incorporates nontrivial noise and dissipation, characteristic of nonequilibrium systems.
- * The RG analysis of the KPZ equation using the CTP action yields results consistent with the dynamical RG derived from the equations of motion.
Conclusions:
- * The presented renormalization group approach offers a viable framework for studying nonequilibrium field theories.
- * Coarse-graining the CTP action provides a consistent method to introduce and handle noise and dissipation within RG.
- * This work bridges the gap between equilibrium and nonequilibrium RG formalisms, with implications for diverse physical systems.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Entropy
Second Law of Thermodynamics
Entropy
When an ideal gas expands isothermally, the disorder in the gas increases. From the molecular perspective, the gas molecules have more volume to move around in.
Consider an infinitesimal step in the expansion, which...
Entropy Change in Reversible Processes
The statement can be further generalized to prove that entropy is a state function. Take a cyclic process between any two points on a p-V diagram.
Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics
The relation between entropy and disorder can be illustrated with the example of the phase change of ice to water. In ice, the molecules are located at specific sites giving a solid state, whereas, in a liquid form, these molecules are much freer to move. The molecular arrangement has therefore become more randomized. Although the change in average...
Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics

