BSc/MSci Examination by Course Unit

Monday 20th May 2013 10:00 - 12:30

PHY7004(U/P) Relativistic Waves and Quantum FieldsDuration: 2 hours 30 minutes

YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO READ THE CONTENTS OF THIS QUESTION PAPER UNTIL
INSTRUCTED TO DO SO BY AN INVIGILATOR.

Instructions:
Answer THREE questions

If you answer more questions than specified, only the first answers (up to the specified
number) will be marked. Cross out any answers that you do not wish to be marked.

Only non-programmable calculators are permitted in this examination. Please state on your
answer book the name and type of machine used.

Complete all rough workings in the answer book and cross through any work that is not to be
assessed.

Important note: The academic regulations state that possession of unauthorised material at
any time when a student is under examination conditions is an assessment offence and can lead
to expulsion from QMUL.

Please check now to ensure you do not have any notes, mobile phones or unauthorised elec-
tronic devices on your person. If you have any, raise your hand and give them to an invigilator
immediately. It is also an offence to have any writing of any kind on your person, including on
your body. If you are found to have hidden unauthorised material elsewhere, including toilets and
cloakrooms it will be treated as being found in your possession. Unauthorised material found on
your mobile phone or other electronic device will be considered the same as being in possession
of paper notes. A mobile phone that causes a disruption is also an assessment offence.

EXAM PAPERS MUST NOT BE REMOVED FROM THE EXAM ROOM.

Examiners:
Dr R.Russo
Prof A.Brandhuber

c Queen Mary, University of London, 2013
Page 2 PHY7004(U/P) (2013)

Question 1: Lorentz transformations

a) After a Lorentz transformation, the new coordinates x0 are related to the original ones by a
constant matrix Λ: (x0 )ν = Λνµ xµ . What is the defining property of Λ? Verify that the choice
 
cosh β sinh β 0 0
 sinh β cosh β 0 0 
Λ=
 0
 (1)
0 1 0 
0 0 0 1

represents a possible Lorentz transformation for any real constant β. What is its physical
interpretation?

[6 marks]

b ) The action of a Lorentz transformation on a Dirac field is described by a a four-by-four

matrix Λs related to Λ by
Λ−1 ν ν µ
s γ Λs = Λ µ γ . (2)
Consider the Lorentz transformation in Eq. (1) and expand it for β  1 to linear order in β.
At the same order in the small β expansion, it is possible to write Λs = I4 + βM + O(β 2 ),
where M is a four-by-four matrix. Find M satisfying Eq. (2) at the linear order in the small
β expansion. Use this result to check whether the corresponding Λs is a unitary matrix.

[6 marks]

c) The Lorentz transformation of the Dirac field is Ψ0 (x0 ) = Λs Ψ(x). Calculate the transforma-
tion of the bilinear Ψ† (x)γ 0 Ψ(x) under the Λs derived in Question 1b.

[4 marks]

d ) Obtain two different Λs satisfying Eq. (2) to all orders in β if Λ is the one given in Eq. (1).

[4 marks]
PHY7004(U/P) (2013) Page 3

Question 2: The Dirac field

a) Use the Dirac representation of the γ matrices given in the formula sheet and show that
 −imx0 
e
 0 
χ(x) =  eimx0 
 (3)
0

solves the four dimensional Dirac equation.

[4 marks]

b ) Show that each component of χ(x) in (3) solves the free Klein Gordon equation for a com-
plex field of mass m. Show that the same is true for a generic spinor ψ(x) satisfying the
Dirac equation.

[8 marks]

c) Show that if ψ(x) is a solution of the massless Dirac equation, then γ5 ψ(x) is also a solution
and vice versa, where γ5 = iγ 0 γ 1 γ 2 γ 3 .

[4 marks]
(0) (0)
d ) Consider the matrix Mab = χa χb , where χ(0) is the spinor in Eq. (3) with m = 0. Show
that T r(γ µ M ) is zero for any µ.

[4 marks]

Turn over
Page 4 PHY7004(U/P) (2013)

Question 3: Symmetries and gauge fields

a) The Lagrangian density for a free, complex Klein-Gordon field φ is

L0 = ∂µ φ̄∂ µ φ − m2 |φ2 | .

Obtain the field equation for φ. Show that the transformation φ(x) → eiθ φ(x) defines a
global, continuous symmetry and derive the corresponding Noether current j µ .

[6 marks]

b ) Show explicitly that j µ is conserved, i.e. ∂µ j µ = 0, if φ satisfies the equation of motion.

[3 marks]

c) Couple the current j µ to a classical field Aµ (x). Consider the Lagrangian

L0 − L 1 , with L1 = Aµ j µ

Find the transformation of Aµ which ensures that the first order variation of L0 is cancelled
by the Aµ -independent term from the variation of L1 .

[3 marks]

d ) Add to the Lagrangian the term L2 = aAµ Aµ |φ|2 and fix the constant a so as to make
L0 − L1 + L2 exactly invariant under local transformations.

[4 marks]

e) Consider now a real Klein-Gordon field φr coupled to Aµ as follows

1 1
L = ∂µ φ∂ µ φ + M Aµ ∂µ φ + M 2 Aµ Aµ .
2 2
Find a transformation law for φ which,
R 4 when combined with the transformation for Aµ de-
rived above, leaves the action S = d xL invariant under local transformations.

[4 marks]
PHY7004(U/P) (2013) Page 5

Question 4: The neutral Klein-Gordon field

a) The Lagrangian density for a free, real Klein-Gordon field φ is

1
L = (∂µ φ∂ µ φ − m2 φ2 ) .
2
Obtain the field equation for φ and show that the Fourier expansion

d3 k
Z h i
µ
φ(x ) = p a(~k) e−ik·x + a† (~k) eik·x ,
2E~k (2π)3
p
solves this equation for any a(~k) and a† (~k), provided that k 0 = E~k = ~k 2 + m2 .

[4 marks]

b ) Use the canonical commutation relations [a(~k), a† (~p)] = (2π)3 δ 3 (~k − p~) and show that the
commutator i∆(x, y) = [φ(x), φ(y)] depends only on the difference between x and y and
vanishes when the points are space-like separated, i.e. (x − y)2 < 0.

[6 marks]

c) The Feynman propagator is defined as

i∆F (x − y) = h0|T{φ(x)φ(y)}|0i .

Use the mode expansion above and derive the expression for ∆F in momentum space, i.e.
in terms of a four-vector momentum conjugate to x − y.

[6 marks]

d ) Show that  
∂ ∂ 2
+ m ∆F (x − y) = −δ 4 (x − y)
∂xµ ∂xµ
[4 marks]

Turn over
Page 6 PHY7004(U/P) (2013)

Question 5: The S-matrix

a) Consider the theory of a real scalar field φr and a Dirac spinor Ψ defined by the action
Z  
4 1 µ 2 2

4
S = d x Ψ(i∂/ − m)Ψ + ∂µ φr ∂ φr − M φ + λ1 ΨφΨ + λ2 φr .
2

Define the free Lagrangian density L0 and the interaction part Lint . Give the physical units
for φr , Ψ, λ1 and λ2 so as to make the action dimensionless (use the conventions c = ~ = 1).

[4 marks]

b ) Write the Dyson formula for the S-matrix in terms of Lint .

[4 marks]

c) Show that in any process the quanta of the field Ψ can be created or destroyed only in
pairs.

[4 marks]

d ) Use the Fourier expansion of the real scalar field

d3 k
Z h i
µ
φr (x ) = p a(~k) e−ik·x + a† (~k) eik·x ,
2E~k (2π)3

to calculate the first non-trivial contribution to the S-matrix element for a process with the
initial state a† (~p1 )|0i and the final state a† (~p2 )a† (~p3 )a† (~p4 )|0i.

[4 marks]

e) Now set λ2 to zero: is the transition above still possible? If so, give an estimate for the
dependence on λ1 of the leading contribution.

[4 marks]

End of Paper - An Appendix of 1 page follows

PHY7004(U/P) (2013) Page 7

Formula sheet

4-vector notation:
 
1 0 0 0
 0 −1 0 0 
a · b = aµ bµ = aµ bµ = aµ bν ηµν = aµ bν η µν with ηµν = η µν =
 0 0 −1 0 


0 0 0 −1
xµ = (t, ~x) , xµ = (t, −~x)
   
µ ∂ ∂ ~ ∂ ∂ ~
∂ = = , −∇ , ∂µ = = , ∇ , pbµ = i∂ µ , pbµ = i∂µ
∂xµ ∂t ∂xµ ∂t

Klein-Gordon equation: (−bp · pb + m2 )ψ = (∂µ ∂ µ + m2 )ψ = ( + m2 )ψ = 0

∂
Free Dirac equation in Hamiltonian form: i ∂t Ψ = (~ α·bp~ + βm)Ψ, or in covariant form:

(i∂/ − m)Ψ = (iγ µ ∂µ − m)Ψ = (b

/p − m)Ψ = (γ · pb − m)Ψ = (γ µ pbµ − m)Ψ = 0

Dirac and Gamma matrices:

(αi )2 = I4 , i = 1, 2, 3; β 2 = I4 ; αi αj + αj αi = 0 , i 6= j; αi β + βαi = 0 , i 6= j;
γ 0 = β, γ i = βαi , {γ µ , γ ν } = 2η µν I4 ,
γ5 = iγ 0 γ 1 γ 2 γ 3

The γ matrices in the Dirac representation are

   
i 1 i 0 σi 0 3 I2 0
γ =σ ⊗σ = , i = 1, 2, 3 , γ = σ ⊗ I2 = ,
−σ i 0 0 −I2

where the Pauli matrices are

     
1 0 1 2 0 −i 3 1 0
σ = , σ = , σ = .
1 0 i 0 0 −1

and Id represents the d × d identity matrix.