Quantum Field Theory: Example Sheet 1

Dr David Tong, October 2007

1. A string of length a, mass per unit length and under tension T is xed at
each end. The Lagrangian governing the time evolution of the transverse displacement
y(x, t) is
L =
_
a
0
dx
_

2
_
y
t
_
2

T
2
_
y
x
_
2
_
(1)
where x identies position along the string from one end point. By expressing the
displacement as a sine series Fourier expansion in the form
y(x, t) =
_
2
a

n=1
sin
_
nx
a
_
q
n
(t) (2)
show that the Lagrangian becomes
L =

n=1
_

2
q
2
n

T
2
_
n
a
_
2
q
2
n
_
. (3)
Derive the equations of motion. Hence show that the string is equivalent to an innite
set of decoupled harmonic oscillators with frequencies

n
=
_
T

_
n
a
_
. (4)
2. Show directly that if (x) satises the Klein-Gordon equation, then (
1
x) also
satises this equation for any Lorentz transformation .
3. The motion of a complex eld (x) is governed by the Lagrangian
L =

m
2

2
(

)
2
. (5)
Write down the Euler-Lagrange eld equations for this system. Verify that the La-
grangian is invariant under the innitesimal transformation
= i ,

= i

(6)
Derive the Noether current associated with this transformation and verify explicitly
that it is conserved using the eld equations satised by .
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4. Verify that the Lagrangian density
L =
1
2

1
2
m
2

a
(7)
for a triplet of real elds
a
(a = 1, 2, 3) is invariant under the innitesimal SO(3)
rotation by

a

a
+
abc
n
b

c
(8)
where n
a
is a unit vector. Compute the Noether current j

. Deduce that the three

quantities
Q
a
=
_
d
3
x
abc

c
(9)
are all conserved and verify this directly using the eld equations satised by
a
.
5. A Lorentz transformation x

is such that it preserves the Minkowski

metric

, meaning that

for all x. Show that this implies that

. (10)
Use this result to show that an innitesimal transformation of the form

(11)
is a Lorentz tranformation when

is antisymmetric: i.e.

.
Write down the matrix form for

that corresponds to a rotation through an in-

nitesimal angle about the x
3
-axis. Do the same for a boost along the x
1
-axis by an
innitesimal velocity v.
6. Consider the innitesimal form of the Lorentz transformation derived in the previous
question: x

. Show that a scalar eld transforms as

(x)

(x) = (x)

(x) (12)
and hence show that the variation of the Lagrangian density is a total derivative
L =

L) (13)
2
Using Noethers theorem deduce the existence of the conserved current
j

[T

] (14)
The three conserved charges arising from spatial rotational invariance dene the total
angular momentum of the eld. Show that these charges are given by,
Q
i
=
ijk
_
d
3
x
_
x
j
T
0k
x
k
T
0j
_
(15)
Derive the conserved charges arising from invariance under Lorentz boosts. Show that
they imply
d
dt
_
d
3
x (x
i
T
00
) = constant (16)
and interpret this equation.
7. Maxwells Lagrangian for the electromagnetic eld is
L =
1
4
F

(17)
where F

and A

is the 4-vector potential. Show that L is invariant

under gauge transformations
A

(18)
where = (x) is a scalar eld with arbitrary (dierentiable) dependence on x.
Use Noethers theorem, and the spacetime translational invariance of the action, to
construct the energy-momentum tensor T

for the electromagnetic eld. Show that

the resulting object is neither symmetric nor gauge invariant. Consider a new tensor
given by

= T

(19)
Show that this object also denes four conserved currents. Moreover, show that it is
symmetric, gauge invariant and traceless.
Comment: T

and

are both equally good denitions of the energy-momentum

tensor. However

clearly has the nicer properties. Moreover, if you couple Maxwells

Lagrangian to general relativity then it is

which appears in Einsteins equations.

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8. The Lagrangian density for a massive vector eld C

is given by
L =
1
4
F

+
1
2
m
2
C

(20)
where F

. Derive the equations of motion and show that when m = 0

they imply

= 0 (21)
Further show that C
0
can be eliminated completely in terms of the other elds by

i
C
0
+ m
2
C
0
=
i

C
i
(22)
Construct the canonical momenta
i
conjugate to C
i
, i = 1, 2, 3 and show that the
canonical momentum conjugate to C
0
is vanishing. Construct the Hamiltonian density
H in terms of C
0
, C
i
and
i
. (Note: Do not be concerned that the canonical momen-
tum for C
0
is vanishing. C
0
is non-dynamical it is determined entirely in terms of
the other elds using equation (22)).
9. A class of interesting theories are invariant under the scaling of all lengths by
x

(x

= x

and (x)

(x) =
D
(
1
x) (23)
Here D is called the scaling dimension of the eld. Consider the action for a real scalar
eld given by
S =
_
d
4
x
1
2

1
2
m
2

2
g
p
(24)
Find the scaling dimension D such that the derivative terms remain invariant. For
what values of m and p is the scaling (23) a symmetry of the theory. How do these
conclusions change for a scalar eld living in an (n+1)-dimensional spacetime instead
of a 3 + 1-dimensional spacetime?
In 3 + 1 dimensions, use Noethers theorem to construct the conserved current D

associated to scaling invariance.

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