C, P and T

based on S-40
The Lorentz transformation of a Dirac or Majorana field:

besides infinitesimal LTs we need to consider also parity and time reversal.
Parity:

lets define the corresponding unitary operator

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A Dirac or Majorana field transforms as:

? naively we would
require , but
acting with the parity transformation again:
we need an even number
of fields to construct an
observable (a term in the
lagrangian) and so we
Since should require:

the parity transformation should reverse the 3-momentum, and leave the
spin direction of a particle unchanged; we require:

the same for both b and d so that it is compatible with the Majorana condition
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choosing :
next page

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we have just used:

Proof:

by direct calculation:

boosting to any frame we get:

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An interesting consequence of :
Consider a state of an electron and a positron with zero center of mass
momentum:

momentum space wave function

with definite parity:

Then we find:

an electron-positron pair has an intrinsic parity of -1

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For the two Weyl components of a Dirac field we get:

a parity transformation exchanges a left-handed field for a right-handed one!

Taking the hermitian conjugate:

we see that these transformations are compatible with the Majorana

condition:

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Time reversal:

lets define the corresponding anti-unitary operator

A Dirac or Majorana field transforms as:

Since ?
we also require:

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choosing : next page

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we have just used:

Proof:

complex conjugate
by direct calculation:

boosting to any frame we get:

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For the two Weyl components of a Dirac field we get:

time reversal takes left-handed Weyl fields into left-handed Weyl fields!
Taking the hermitian conjugate:

we see that these transformations are compatible with the Majorana

condition:

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We will also need transformation properties of fermion bilinears:

some product of gamma

matrices, such that
Parity: so that is hermitian.

we easily find:

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And so the corresponding bilinears transform as:

even under a parity

transformation
scalar
pseudoscalar odd
vector
axial vector
(pseudovector)

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Time reversal:

we easily find:

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And so the corresponding bilinears transform as:

even under time reversal

odd

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Charge conjugation:

taking the transpose of the RHS it can be also written as:

we easily find:

For a Majorana field we have:

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And so the corresponding bilinears transform as:

even under
charge conjugation

odd

For a Majorana field:

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Combined C, P and T transformation:

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CPT theorem:
even under CPT

odd

General rule: a fermion bilinear with n vector indices is even (odd) under
CPT if n is even (odd); this also applies to derivatives .
Thus any hermitian combination of fields and derivatives that is Lorentz
invariant (has no uncontracted Lorentz indices) is even under CPT!
Lagrangian is formed from such terms, under CPT,
and so the action is invariant under CPT.

Lorentz invariance CPT

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