We develop a field theory with dissipation based on a finite range of wave propagation and associated gapped momentum states in the wave spectrum. We analyze the properties of the Lagrangian and the Hamiltonian with two scalar fields in different representations and show how the new properties of the two-field Lagrangian are related to Keldysh-Schwinger formalism. The proposed theory is non-Hermitian, and we discuss its properties related to $\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$ symmetry. The calculated correlation functions show a decaying oscillatory behavior related to gapped momentum states. We corroborate this result using path integration. The interaction potential becomes short-ranged due to dissipation. Finally, we observe that the proposed field theory represents a departure from the harmonic paradigm and discuss the implications of our theory for the Lagrangian formulation of hydrodynamics.

• Received 1 May 2020
• Accepted 2 July 2020

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.102.025012

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Published by the American Physical Society