Quantum Field Theory: Example Sheet 3

Dr David Tong, October 2006

1. The Weyl representation of the Clifford algebra is given by,

! !
i
0 1 0 σ
γ0 = , γi = (1)
1 0 −σ i 0

Show that these indeed satisfy {γ µ , γ ν } = 2η µν , where 1 comes with an implicit 4 × 4

unit matrix. Find a unitary matrix U such that (γ ′ )µ = U γ µ U † , where (γ ′ )µ form the
Dirac representation of the Clifford algebra
! !
′ 0 1 0 ′ i 0 σi
(γ ) = , (γ ) = (2)
0 −1 −σ i 0

2. Show that if {γ µ , γ ν } = 2η µν , then

γ κ γ λ , γ µ γ ν = 2η λµ γ κ γ ν − 2η κµ γ λ γ ν + 2η λν γ µ γ κ − 2η κν γ µ γ λ .
 
(3)

Show further that S µν ≡ 14 [γ µ , γ ν ] = 12 (γ µ γ ν − η µν ). Use this to confirm that the

matrices S µν form a representation of the Lie algebra of the Lorentz group.

3. Using just the algebra {γ µ , γ ν } = 2η µν (i.e. without resorting to a particular

representation), and defining γ 5 = −iγ 0 γ 1 γ 2 γ 3 , p/ = pµ γ µ and S µν = 41 [γ µ , γ ν ], prove
the following results: (Some useful tricks include the cyclicity of the trace, and inserting
(γ 5 )2 = 1 into a trace).

i. Trγ µ = 0

ii. Tr(γ µ γ ν ) = 4η µν

iii. Tr(γ µ γ ν γ ρ ) = 0
2
iv. (γ 5 ) = 1

v. Trγ 5 = 0

vi. p/ q/ = 2p · q − q/ p/ = p · q + 2S µν pµ qν

vii. Tr( p/ q/) = 4p · q

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viii. Tr( p/1 . . . p/n ) = 0 if n is odd

ix. Tr( p/1 p/2 p/3 p/4 ) = 4 [(p1 · p2 )(p3 · p4 ) + (p1 · p4 )(p2 · p3 ) − (p1 · p3 )(p2 · p4 )]

x. Tr(γ 5 p/1 p/2 ) = 0

xi. γµ p/ γ µ = −2 p/

xii. γµ p/1 p/2 γ µ = 4p1 · p2

xiii. γµ p/1 p/2 p/3 γ µ = −2 p/3 p/2 p/1

xiv. Tr(γ 5 p/1 p/2 p/3 p/4 ) = 4i ϵµνρσ pµ1 pν2 pρ3 p4σ

4. The plane-wave solutions to the Dirac equation are

√ s
! √ s
!
p · σ ξ p · σ ξ
us (⃗p) = √ and v s (⃗p) = √ (4)
p · σ̄ξ s − p · σ̄ξ s

where σ µ = (1, ⃗σ ) and σ̄ µ = (1, −⃗σ ) and ξ s , with s = 1, 2, is a basis of orthonormal

two-component spinors, satisfying (ξ r )† · ξ s = δ rs . Show that

ur (⃗p)† · us (⃗p) = 2p0 δ rs (5)

r s rs
ū (⃗p) · u (⃗p) = 2mδ

and similarly,

v r (⃗p)† · v s (⃗p) = 2p0 δ rs (6)

v̄ r (⃗p) · v s (⃗p) = −2mδ rs

Show also that the orthonality condition between u and v is

ūs (⃗p) · v r (⃗p) = 0 (7)

while taking the inner product using † requires an extra minus sign

ur (⃗p)† · v s (−⃗p) = 0 (8)

5. Using the same notation as Question 4 show that

2
X
us (⃗p)ūs (⃗p) = p/ + m (9)
s=1
2
X
v s (⃗p)v̄ s (⃗p) = p/ − m (10)
s=1

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where, rather than being contracted, the two spinors on the left-hand side are placed
back to back to form a 4 × 4 matrix.

6. The Fourier decomposition of the Dirac operator ψ(⃗x) and the conjugate field
ψ † (⃗x) is given by,

2 Z
X d3 p 1 h s s p·⃗
+i⃗ x s† s −i⃗
p·⃗
x
i
ψ(⃗x) = b u (⃗
p )e + c v (⃗
p )e
(2π)3 2Ep⃗ p⃗ p⃗
p
s=1
2 Z
†
X d3 p 1 h s † s † −i⃗p·⃗x s s † +i⃗
p·⃗
x
i
ψ (⃗x) = b u (⃗
p) e + c p
⃗ v (⃗
p) e (11)
(2π)3 2Ep⃗ p⃗
p
s=1

The creation and annihilation operators are taken to satisfy

{bpr⃗ , bsq⃗ † } = (2π)3 δ rs δ (3) (⃗p − ⃗q)

{cpr⃗ , csq⃗ † } = (2π)3 δ rs δ (3) (⃗p − ⃗q) (12)

with all other anti-commutators vanishing,

{bpr⃗ , bsq⃗} = {cpr⃗ , csq⃗} = {bpr⃗ , csq⃗ † } = {bpr⃗ , csq⃗} = . . . = 0 (13)

Show that these imply that the field and it conjugate momenta satisfy the anti-
commutation relations,

{ψα (⃗x), ψβ (⃗y )} = {ψα† (⃗x), ψβ† (⃗y )} = 0

{ψα (⃗x), ψβ† (⃗y )} = δαβ δ (3) (⃗x − ⃗y ) (14)

(Note: The calculation is very similar to that for the bosonic field, but at some point
you will need to make use of the identities (9) and (10)).

7. Using the results of Question 6, show that the quantum Hamiltonian

Z
H = d3 x ψ̄(−iγ i ∂i + m)ψ (15)

can be written, after normal ordering, as

2 h
d3 p
Z X i
s† s s† s
H= Ep⃗ bp⃗ bp⃗ + cp⃗ cp⃗ (16)
(2π)3 s=1

(Note: Again, the calculation is very similar to that for the bosonic field. This time
you will need to make use of the identities derived in Questions 4 and 5).

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8. The purpose of this question is to give you a glimpse into the spin-statistics theorem.
This theorem roughly says that if you try to quantize a field with the wrong statistics,
bad things will happen. Here we’ll see what goes wrong if you try to quantize a spin
1/2 field as a boson. We start with the usual decomposition (11). This time we choose
bosonic commutation relations for the annihilation and creation operators,

[bpr⃗ , bsq⃗ † ] = (2π)3 δ rs δ (3) (⃗p − ⃗q)

[cpr⃗ , csq⃗ † ] = −(2π)3 δ rs δ (3) (⃗p − ⃗q) (17)

with all other commutators vanishing. Note the strange minus sign for the c opera-
tors. Repeat the calculation of Question 6 to show that these are equivalent to the
commutation relations,

[ψα (⃗x), ψβ (⃗y )] = [ψα† (⃗x), ψβ† (⃗y )] = 0

[ψα (⃗x), ψβ† (⃗y )] = δαβ δ (3) (⃗x − ⃗y ) (18)

Now repeat the calculation of Question 7, to show that, after normal ordering, the
Hamitonian is given by
2 h
d3 p
Z X i
s† s s† s
H= Ep⃗ bp b
⃗ p ⃗ − cp c
⃗ p ⃗ (19)
(2π)3 s=1

This Hamiltonian is not bounded below: you can lower the energy indefinitely by
creating more and more c particles. This is the reason a theory of bosonic spin 1/2
particles is sick.