(a) Prove the following wonderful formula: Let ϕ(x) be a free scalar field with propagator ⟨Tϕ(x)ϕ(0)⟩=D(x). Then
⟨Teiϕ(x)e−iϕ(0)⟩=e[D(x)−D(0)].
(The factor D(0) gives a formally divergent adjustment of the overall normalization.)
(b) We can use this formula in Euclidean field theory to discuss correlation functions in a theory with spontaneously broken symmetry for T<TC. Let us consider only the simplest case of a broken O(2) or U(1) symmetry. We can write the local spin density as a complex variable
s(x)=s1(x)+is2(x).
The global symmetry is the transformation
s(x)→e−iαs(x).
If we assume that the physics freezes the modulus of s(x), we can parametrize
s(x)=Aeiϕ(x)
and write an effective Lagrangian for the field ϕ(x). The symmetry of the theory becomes the translation symmetry
ϕ(x)→ϕ(x)−α.
Show that (for d>0) the most general renormalizable Lagrangian consistent with this symmetry is the free field theory
L=21ρ(∇ϕ)2.
In statistical mechanics, the constant ρ is called the spin wave modulus. A reasonable hypothesis for ρ is that it is finite for T<TC and tends to 0 as T→TC from below.
(c) Compute the correlation function ⟨s(x)s∗(0)⟩. Adjust A to give a physically sensible normalization (assuming that the system has a physical cutoff at the scale of one atomic spacing) and display the dependence of this correlation function on x for d=1,2,3,4. Explain the significance of your results.
Show also that the solution to the classical equations of motion with the minimum energy breaks this symmetry spontaneously.
(b) Denote the vacuum expectation value of the field ϕi by v and make the change of variables
ϕi(x)=(v+σ(x),π(x)).(3)
Write out the Lagrangian in these new variables, and show that the fermion acquires a mass given by
mf=g⋅v.(4)
(c) Compute the one-loop radiative correction to mf, choosing renormalization conditions so that v and g (defined as the ψψπ vertex at zero momentum transfer) receive no radiative corrections. Show that relation (4) receives nonzero corrections but that these corrections are finite. This is in accord with our general discussion in Section 11.6.
11.3 The Gross-Neveu model. The Gross-Neveu model is a model in two spacetime dimensions of fermions with a discrete chiral symmetry:
L=ψˉii∂/ψi+21g2(ψˉiψi)2
with i=1,…,N. The kinetic term of two-dimensional fermions is built from matrices γμ that satisfy the two-dimensional Dirac algebra. These matrices can be 2×2:
γ0=σ2,γ1=iσ1,
where σi are Pauli sigma matrices. Define
γ5=γ0γ1=σ3;
this matrix anticommutes with the γμ.
(a) Show that this theory is invariant with respect to
ψi→γ5ψi,
and that this symmetry forbids the appearance of a fermion mass.
(b) Show that this theory is renormalizable in 2 dimensions (at the level of dimensional analysis).
(c) Show that the functional integral for this theory can be represented in the following form:
where σ(x) (not to be confused with a Pauli matrix) is a new scalar field with no kinetic energy terms.
(d) Compute the leading correction to the effective potential for σ by integrating over the fermion fields ψi. You will encounter the determinant of a Dirac operator; to evaluate this determinant, diagonalize the operator by first going to Fourier components and then diagonalizing the 2×2 Pauli matrix associated with each Fourier mode. (Alternatively, you might just take the determinant of this 2×2 matrix.) This 1-loop contribution requires a renormalization proportional to σ2 (that is, a renormalization of g2). Renormalize by minimal subtraction.
(e) Ignoring two-loop and higher-order contributions, minimize this potential. Show that the σ field acquires a vacuum expectation value which breaks the symmetry of part (a). Convince yourself that this result does not depend on the particular renormalization condition chosen.
(f) Note that the effective potential derived in part (e) depends on g and N according to the form
Veff(σcl)=N⋅f(g2N).
(The overall factor of N is expected in a theory with N fields.) Construct a few of the higher-order contributions to the effective potential and show that they contain additional factors of N−1 which suppress them if we take the limit N→∞, (g2N) fixed. In this limit, the result of part (e) is unambiguous.