1 Practical task for exam in QFT (2) 1. Operator algebra and

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Practical task for exam in QFT (2)
1. Operator algebra and Feynman diagrams.
Consider the ϕ4 -theory,- the theory with a single real scalar field ϕ(x). The interaction Lagrangian reads
Lint =
λ 4
ϕ (x).
4!
- Given the (normal-ordered) operator O(z) =: ϕ2 (x) : consider the following vacuum average
V1 = ⟨Ω|T (ϕ(x)O(z)ϕ(y))|Ω⟩
- Applying Wick theorem derive the leading (∼ λ0 ) and next-to-leading (∼ λ1 ) contributions
to V1 . Plot diagrams and write down the expressions for them.
˜
= ϕ2 ?
- What will change if the operator would be just a product of fields, O(z)
- Which diagrams will contribute to the amplitude ⟨ϕ|O(z)|ϕ⟩?
* Consider the ϕ4 -theory with complex field ϕ, Lint = λ4 (ϕ∗ ϕ)2 . Derive the leading and nextto-leading diagrams for the vacuum average
V2 = ⟨Ω|T (ϕ∗ (x)O2 (z)ϕ(y))|Ω⟩
with O2 (z) =: ϕ∗ (z)ϕ(z) :. Describe the difference between V1 and V2 .
2. Muon lifetime. The main mode of the muon decay is given by the process µ− → νµ + ν¯e + e− ,
where e− is electron, νµ is muon-neutrino and ν¯e is electron-anti-neutrino. At the leading order it
is given by the diagram, where W − is W-boson. In the following we suppose that the electron is
massless (unless integrals would be more difficult), neutrinos are also massless.
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- Write down the expression for this diagram in the limit MW ≫(all momenta). For that you
need the fermion-fermion-W vertex which is given by (the only difference from the QED
photon-fermion interaction is the matrix 1 − γ 5 , and the coupling constant)
iγ µ
1 − γ 5 GF
√ .
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The propagator of W -boson in the limit MW ≫(all momenta) is
−ig µν
2 +i0
p2 −MW
≃
ig µν
2 .
MW
- Calculate the matrix element-squared (averaged over polarization of µ and summed over all
final polarizations ⟨M2 ⟩.
- Calculate the decay rate Γ which is given by the expression
Γ=
(2π)4
2mµ
∫
dp3e
(2π)3 (2Ee )
∫
dp3νe
(2π)3 (2Eνe )
∫
dp3νµ
(2π)3 (2Eνµ )
(
)
δ (4) pµ − pe − pνe − pνµ ⟨M2 ⟩
also evaluate the differential decay rate with respect to electron energy dΓ/dEe .
- Calculate the muon lifetime τ = Γ~ , using that
GF = 1.166 × 10−5 GeV−2 ,
mµ = 105.65MeV,
~ = 6.5821 × 10−16 s eV.
The experimental value of muon lifetime is τ = 2.197 × 10−6 s.
HINT 1 : During the integration over the phase space for Γ you can use the following integral (for
massless k1 and k2 )
∫
d 3 k1
2E1
∫
)
d3 k2 µ ν (4)
π ( 2 µν
k1 k2 δ (X − k1 − k2 ) =
X g + 2X µ X ν .
2E2
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HINT 2 : For the calculation of the Γ you can chouse any frame, e.g. the frame where µ is at rest.
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List of topics
1. Elements of classical field theory:
• Least action principle,Euler-Lagrange equation.
• Hamiltonian formulation
2. Transformation properties of fields
• Lorentz transformation of fields, scalar, vector, spinor fields.
• Conserved currents, Noether’s theorem.
• Energy-momentum tensor, angular-momentum tensor.
3. Free Klein-Gordon (KG) field
• KG equation, Lagrangian for KG equation, Hamiltonian formulation
• Quantization, field decomposition.
• Creation and annihilation operators, Hamiltonian in operator form, energy eigenstates.
• Covariant commutation relation, KG propagators (Schwinger and Feynman)
• Complex KG field, charge operator.
4. Interacting fields
• ϕ4 theory: Lagrangian, symmetries, equation of motions
• Interaction representation, time-evolution operator and its properties.
• Time- and normal-ordering, first- and second- Wick’s theorem
• S-matrix, initial and final states, cross-section
• Feynman diagrams, Feynman rules for ϕ4 -theory
5. Dirac field
• Dirac equation, properties of Dirac field and Dirac equation under Lorentz transformations
• Gamma-matrices: algebra, traces, complete basis of gamma-matrices, etc.
• Solution of Dirac equation, properties of bi-spinors, completeness relation.
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• Quantization of the Dirac field, anti-commutation relations, propagator of Dirac field
• Wick’s theorem for Dirac field, Yukawa interaction
6. Electro-magnetic field
• Field-strength tensor and Maxwell equations, gauge invariance.
• Massive vector field: plane-wave solution, quantization, propagator.
• Quantization of electro-magnetic field in Lorentz gauge, photon propagator.
• Vacuum of gauge theory, Gupta-Bleuler condition, initial- and final-state photons.
7. Quantum electrodynamics (QED)
• Feynman rules of QED.
• Calculation of (un)polarized processes.
• e+ e− annihilation, and e+ e− → µ+ µ− .
8. Miscellaneous
• Mandelstam variables, crossing symmetry, and kinematic constrains.
• Discrete symmetries: P,T, and C transformation properties of fields, CPT-theorem.
• Loops: Feynman parameters, ultraviolet and infrared divergences, ultraviolet regularization, radiation of soft photons.