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Final

The document outlines the final exam for PHYS 58P at Boğaziçi University, scheduled for May 31, 2024, with a 72-hour completion window. It includes detailed questions related to supersymmetry algebra, N = 2 supersymmetric quantum mechanics, and the Wess-Zumino model, with specific points allocated for each question. Students are required to submit their solutions in PDF format by June 3, 2024, with strict guidelines on file naming and collaboration restrictions.

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6 views2 pages

Final

The document outlines the final exam for PHYS 58P at Boğaziçi University, scheduled for May 31, 2024, with a 72-hour completion window. It includes detailed questions related to supersymmetry algebra, N = 2 supersymmetric quantum mechanics, and the Wess-Zumino model, with specific points allocated for each question. Students are required to submit their solutions in PDF format by June 3, 2024, with strict guidelines on file naming and collaboration restrictions.

Uploaded by

sekerliraki
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PHYS 58P: Final Exam

Boğaziçi University — May 31, 2024

The points for each question is indicated accordingly. You have 72 hours to finish the exam. You need
to upload your solutions in PDF format to Moodle by 10am on Monday, June 3, 2024. Please name your
solution file with your firstname.lastname.pdf as e.g. “can.kozcaz.pdf ”. This is an open book exam. How-
ever, no discussion with anybody except with me is allowed.

1. (30 points) We can define the supercharge and its Hermitian conjugate by
 
∂
Qα = −i α − σαµβ̇ θ̄β̇ ∂µ
∂θ
 
∂
Q̄α̇ = i α̇ + θβ σβµα̇ ∂µ
∂ θ̄
(a) Show that these operators satisfy the supersymmetry algebra
{Qα , Qβ̇ } = 2σαµβ̇ Pµ = −2iσαµβ̇ ∂µ

(b) We can define the superfield by including the Grassmann coordinate in addition to the usual
coordinates. We can expand in terms of the Grassmann coordinates and due to their nature,
this is a finite expansion:
F (x, θ, θ̄) = f (x) + θψ(x) + θ̄χ̄(x) + θθm(x) + θ̄θ̄n(x) + θσ µ θ̄vµ (x) + θθθ̄λ(x) + θ̄θ̄θρ(x) + θθθ̄θ̄d(x)
Show that
(1 + iϵQ + iϵ̄Q̄)F (xµ , θα , θ̄β̇ ) = F (xµ − iϵσ µ θ̄ + iθσ µ ϵ̄, θα + ϵα , θ̄β̇ + ϵ̄β̇ ).
2. (40 points) The N = 2 supersymmetric quantum mechanics has the following Euclidean Lagrangian:
    
0 W ′′ (z) χ1
LE = |ż(t)|2 + |W ′ (z)|2 + χ̄1 χ2 −∂t +

,
W ′′ (z) 0 χ̄2
where z(t) is the holomorphic coordinate:
z(t) = x(t) + iy(t),
and χ1,2 (t), χ̄1,2 (t) are Grassmann-valued coordinates.
(a) Show that the action is invariant under the following supersymmetry transformations:

√ √
δz = 2(ϵ2 χ1 − ϵ1 χ2 ) , δz̄ = 2(ϵ̄1 χ̄2 − ϵ̄2 χ̄1 ) ,
√ √
δχ1 = 2(−żϵ̄2 − W ′ ϵ1 ) , ˙ 2 − W ′ ϵ̄1 ) ,
δ χ̄1 = 2(z̄ϵ
√ √
δχ2 = 2(żϵ̄1 − W ′ ϵ2 ) , δ χ̄2 = 2(−z̄ϵ ˙ 1 − W ′ ϵ̄2 ) .

(b) Consider the case of the double well with the superpotential W (z) = 31 z 3 − za2 , where a can
be taken to be a real number. On general grounds, we know that the Witten index is invariant
under the scaling of the potential: W → σW . As we take σ → ∞, we can think double well of
consisting two separate harmonic oscillator with the Hamiltonian for the left and right wells:
HL,R = p2z + (±2a)2 |z|2 + (±2a)(a†1 a†2 + a1 a2 ).
Calculate the Witten index.

1
(c) Try to generalize the argument about to a potential with k harmonic minima and calculate the
Witten index. How is it different from N = 1 supersymmetric quantum mechanics?

3. (30 points) The action for the Wess-Zumino model is given by


" #
2
1 ∂2W 1 ∂2W †
Z
4 † µ µ ∂W
S = d x ∂µ ϕ ∂ ϕ − iψ̄σ̄ ∂µ ψ − − ψψ − ψ̄ ψ̄ .
∂ϕ 2 ∂ϕ2 2 ∂ϕ†2

Show that this action is invariant under the following supersymmetry transformations:
√ √ √ ∂W †
δϕ = 2ϵψ, and δψα = 2iσαµα̇ ϵ̄α̇ ∂µ ϕ − 2ϵα .
∂ϕ†

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