Models of free quantum field theories on curved backgrounds

Abstract

Free quantum field theories on curved backgrounds are discussed via three explicit examples: the real scalar field, the Dirac field and the Proca field. The first step consists of outlining the main properties of globally hyperbolic spacetimes, that is the class of manifolds on which the classical dynamics of all physically relevant free fields can be written in terms of a Cauchy problem. The set of all smooth solutions of the latter encompasses the dynamically allowed configurations which are used to identify via a suitable pairing a collection of classical observables. As a last step we use such collection to construct a $*$-algebra which encodes the information on the dynamics and on the canonical commutation or anti-commutation relations depending whether the underlying field is a Fermion or a Boson.