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2022-23 Ex-I Corr

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12 views2 pages

2022-23 Ex-I Corr

Uploaded by

Azer Tyuiop
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Faculté Master in Physics

des Sciences
FunPhys program, 2022-2023

Gauge Theories – Answers to Exercises-I

1. Gauge transformations and quantum symmetry.

1. Take a wave-function ψ ∈ L2 . One computes

(Ω⃗ x) = e h̵ χ(x,t) (⃗
pΩ−1 ψ)(⃗
ie ⃗
pΩ−1 ψ)(⃗
ie ⃗ ̵ ∇)
x) = e h̵ χ(x,t) (−ih ⃗ (e− h̵ χ(x⃗ ,t) ψt (⃗
ie
x))
̵ ∇)ψ
= (−ih ⃗ t (⃗ ⃗ x, t)ψt (⃗
x) − e∇χ(⃗ x) = (⃗
pψt )(⃗ ⃗ q, t)ψt )(⃗
x) − e(∇χ(⃗ x).
pΩ−1 = p
At the level of operators it has been established that Ω⃗ ⃗
⃗ − e(∇χ)(⃗
q, t).
2. Recall that t is a continuous parameter (which labels in fact Hilbert spaces Ht ≃ L2 (R3 , C)).
The unitary transformation Ω depends on t. There is a general computation for time dependent
̃
unitary transformations Ut . Set in Dirac notation ∣ψ(t)⟩ = Ut ∣ψ(t)⟩ one gets
̵ t ∣ψ(t)⟩
ih∂ ̃ ̵
= ih((∂ ̵ ̵
t Ut )∣ψ(t)⟩ + Ut ∂t ∣ψ(t)⟩) = ih(∂t Ut )∣ψ(t)⟩ + Ut ih∂t ∣ψ(t)⟩
§

̵ t Ut )U −1 ∣ψ(t)⟩
= ih(∂ ̃ ̃
+ Ut H(t)∣ψ(t)⟩ = H(t)∣ ̃
ψ(t)⟩.
t

̃
One readily identifies H(t) ̵ t Ut U −1 .
= Ut H(t)Ut−1 + ih∂ t
̵
§ Subtility: since Ut is unitary it goes through ih without changing of sign (complex conjugate).
Then take Ut = Ω.
3. Let us show that the covariance of the Schrödinger equation under a local phase redefinition
of the states yields the usual gauge transformations of the 4-potential. In account of question 1,
one has
⃗ 2 Ω−1 = Ω(⃗
p − eA)
Ω(⃗ ⃗ −1 ⋅ Ω(⃗
p − eA)Ω ⃗ −1 = (⃗
p − eA)Ω ⃗ + ∇χ))
p − e(A ⃗ 2

̵ t Ω)Ω−1 = −e∂t χ
ih(∂
These lead to
1 ⃗ + ∇χ))
⃗
2
(⃗
H′ =
p − e(A + e(φ − ∂t χ)
2m
that is, if one desires to recover the canonical form of the Hamiltonian, setting
⃗′ = A
A ⃗ + ∇χ,
⃗ φ′ = φ − ∂t χ.
These redefinition are the usual gauge transformations of the electromagnetic 4-potential.
In a covariant 4-vector notation (Aµ ) = (φ, −A) ⃗ the gauge transformation corresponds to
Aµ = Aµ − ∂µ χ.
′

4. Checking that ih∂ ̵ t ψ = Hψ can be rewritten as ihD ̵ t ψ = − h̵ 2 D


⃗ 2 ψ with Dt = ∂t + ie̵ φ and
2m h
D ⃗ ieh̵ A⃗ is straightforward. The 1st-order differential operators Dt and D
⃗ = ∇− ⃗ can be consistently
gathered into a single covariant operator: Dµ = ∂µ + ieh̵ Aµ . With this notation one gets at once

Dµ′ ψ ′ = (∂µ + ieh̵ A′µ )(e h̵ χ ψ) = e h̵ χ (∂µ ψ + ieh̵ (A′µ + ∂µ χ)ψ) = e h̵ χ (∂µ + ieh̵ Aµ )ψ = e h̵ χ Dµ ψ
ie ie ie ie

as expected. This is the “gauge principle”: the covariant derivative of the matter field transforms
as the field itself under a “gauge transformation”:
ψ → ψ ′ = e h̵ χ ψ, Dµ ψ → Dµ′ ψ ′ = e h̵ χ Dµ ψ, A′µ + ∂µ χ = Aµ .
ie ie

5. & 6. Left to you.

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