11.1 In practice, we only rarely use explicit representations of the Dirac matrices. Most calculations can be done using algebraic identities that depend only on {γμ,γν}=2gμν. Derive algebraically (without using an explicit representation): (a) (γ5)2=1 (b) γμpγμ=−2p (c) γμpqpγμ=−2pqp (d) {γ5,γμ}=0 (e) Tr[γαγμγβγν]=4(gαμgβν−gαβgμν+gανgμβ)
11.10 In Section 10.4, we showed that the electron has a magnetic dipole moment, of order μB=2mee, by squaring the Dirac equation. An additional magnetic moment could come from an interaction of the form B=iFμνψˉ[γμ,γν]ψ in the Lagrangian. An electric dipole moment (EDM) corresponds to a term of the form E=Fμνψˉγ5[γμ,γν]ψ.
(a) Expand the contribution of the electric dipole term to the Dirac equation in terms of electric and magnetic fields to show that it does in fact give an EDM.
(b) Which of the symmetries C,P or T are respected by the magnetic dipole moment operator, B, and the EDM operator, E?
(c) It turns out that C, P and T are all separately violated in the Standard Model, even though they are preserved in QED (and QCD). P is violated by the weak interactions, but T (and CP) is only very weakly violated. Thus we expect, unless there is a new source of CP violation beyond the Standard Model, the electron, the neutron, the proton, the deuteron etc., all should have unmeasurably small (but non-zero) EDMs. Why is it OK for a molecule (such as H2O) or a battery to have an EDM but not the neutron (which is made up of quarks with different charges)?
11.6 The physics of spin, helicity and chirality. (a) Use the left and right chirality projection operators to show that the QED vertex ψˉγμψ vanishes unless ψ and ψˉ are both left-handed or both right-handed. (b) For the non-relativistic limit, choose explicit spinors for a spinor at rest. Show that ψˉsγμψs′ vanishes unless s=s′. (c) Use the Schrödinger equation to show that in the non-relativistic limit the electric field cannot flip an electron's spin, only the magnetic field can. (d) Suppose we take a spin-up electron going in the +z direction and turn it around carefully with electric fields so that now it goes in the −z direction but is still spin up. Has its helicity or chirality flipped (or both)? How is your answer consistent with part (a)? (e) How can you measure the spin of a slow electron? (f) Suppose you have a radioactive source, such as cobalt-60, which undergoes β-decay 2760Co→2860Ni+e−+νˉ. How could you (in principle) find out if those electrons coming out are polarized; that is, if they all have the same helicity? Do you think they would be polarized? If so, which polarization do you expect more of?
11.7 Show that the most general Lagrangian term you can write down in terms of Dirac spinors, γ-matrices, and the photon field Aμ is automatically invariant under CPT. To warm up, consider first the terms in Eq. (11.91).
Any Hermitian, Lorentz-scalar Lagrangian constructed from ψ,γμ, and Aμ is automatically CPT invariant.
11.8
Problem 11.8
schwarzChapter 11
习题 11.8
来源: 第11章, PDF第202页
11.8 Fierz rearrangement formulas (Fierz identities). It is often useful to rewrite spinor contractions in other forms to simplify formulas. Show that (a) (ψˉ1γμPLψ2)(ψˉ3γμPLψ4)=−(ψˉ1γμPLψ4)(ψˉ3γμPLψ2) (b) (ψˉ1γμγαγβPLψ2)(ψˉ3γμγαγβPLψ4)=−16(ψˉ1γμPLψ4)(ψˉ3γμPLψ2) (c) Tr[ΓMΓN]=4δMN, with ΓM∈{1,γμ,σμν,γ5γμ,γ5} (d) (ψˉ1ΓMψ2)(ψˉ3ΓNψ4)=∑PQ161Tr[ΓPΓMΓQΓN](ψˉ1ΓPψ4)(ψˉ3ΓQψ2) where PL=21−γ5 projects out the left-handed spinor from a Dirac fermion. The identities with PL play an important role in the theory of weak interactions, which only involves left-handed spinors (see Chapter 29).
11.9 The electron neutrino is a nearly massless neutral particle. Its interactions violate parity: only the left-handed neutrino couples to the W and Z bosons. (a) The Z is a vector boson, like the photon but heavier, and has an associated U(1) gauge invariance (it is actually broken in nature, but that is not relevant for this problem). If there is only a left-handed neutrino νL, the only possible mass term of dimension four is a Majorana mass, of the form iMνLTσ2νL. Show that this mass is forbidden by the U(1) symmetry. This motivates the introduction of a right-handed neutrino νR. The most general kinetic Lagrangian involving νL and νR is
where νL is a left-handed (21,0) two-component Weyl spinor and νR is a right-handed (0,21) Weyl spinor. Note that there are two mass terms: a Dirac mass m, as for the electron, and a Majorana mass, M.
(b) We want to figure out what the mass eigenstates are, but as written the Lagrangian is mixing everything up. First, show that χL≡iσ2νR∗ transforms as a left-handed spinor under the Lorentz group, so that it can mix with νL. Then rewrite the mass terms in terms of νL and χL.
(c) Next, rewrite the Lagrangian in terms of a doublet Θ≡(νL,χL). This is not a Dirac spinor, but a doublet of left-handed Weyl spinors. Using Lkin, show that this doublet satisfies the Klein-Gordon equation. What are the mass eigenstates for the neutrinos? How many particles are there?
(d) Suppose M≫m. For example, M=1016 GeV and m=100 GeV. What are the masses of the physical particles? The fact that as M goes up, the physical masses go down, inspired the name see-saw mechanism for this neutrino mass arrangement. What other choice of M and m would give the same spectrum of observed particles (i.e. particles less than ∼1 TeV)?
(e) The left-handed neutrino couples to the Z boson and also to the electron through the W boson. The W boson also couples the neutron and proton. The relevant part for the weak-force Lagrangian is
Using these interactions, draw a Feynman diagram for neutrinoless double β-decay, in which two neutrons decay to two protons and two electrons.
(f) Which of the terms in Lkin and Lweak respect a global symmetry (lepton number) under which νL→eiθνL, νR→eiθνR and eL→eiθeL? Define arrows on the e and ν lines to respect lepton number flow. Show that you cannot connect the arrows on your diagram without violating lepton number. Does this imply that neutrinoless double β-decay can tell if the neutrino has a Majorana mass?
习题 11.9 - 解答
(a)
在 U(1) 规范对称性下,左手微子场 νL 的变换规则为 νL→eiα(x)νL。
对于给定的 Majorana 质量项 iMνLTσ2νL,我们考察其在 U(1) 变换下的行为:
iMνLTσ2νL→iM(eiα(x)νL)Tσ2(eiα(x)νL)=e2iα(x)(iMνLTσ2νL)
由于该项获得了 e2iα(x) 的相位因子,它在 U(1) 规范变换下不是不变的。因此,U(1) 规范对称性禁止了该 Majorana 质量项的存在。
The Majorana mass term is forbidden by U(1) symmetry because it transforms with a phase e2iα.
在第一个 W 衰变顶点,为了守恒轻子数,内部中微子线上的箭头必须指向该顶点(代表吸收轻子或发射反轻子)。
在第二个 W 衰变顶点,同理,内部中微子线上的箭头也必须指向该顶点。
因此,内部中微子线上的箭头在两端都指向外部顶点,在中间的质量插入点发生冲突(箭头对撞)。
The arrows clash, showing ΔL=2 violation. Yes, 0νββ implies the neutrino has a Majorana mass.
这表明无法在不破坏轻子数的情况下画出该图。无中微子双 β 衰变的发生必然要求存在破坏轻子数的 Majorana 质量项。