Quantum Field Theory

PHYS-P 621

Radovan Dermisek, Indiana University

Notes based on: M. Srednicki, Quantum Field Theory

Attempts at relativistic QM
based on S-1

A proper description of particle physics should incorporate both quantum mechanics and special relativity. However historically combining quantum mechanics and relativity was highly non-trivial. Today we review some of these attempts. The result of this effort is relativistic quantum eld theory consistent description of particle physics.

Quantum mechanics
Time evolution of the state of the system is described by Schrdinger equation:

where H is the hamiltonian operator representing the total energy. For a free, spinless, nonrelativistic particle we have:

H=

in the position basis, P = ih and S.E. is: where

(x, t) = x| , t is the position-space wave function.
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1 2 P 2m

Relativistic generalization?
Obvious guess is to use relativistic energy-momentum relation:

Schrdinger equation becomes:

Not symmetric in time and space derivatives

!
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Relativistic generalization?
Obvious guess is to use relativistic energy-momentum relation:

Schrdinger equation becomes:

Applying i

on both sides and using S.E. we get t

Klein-Gordon equation

looks symmetric

!
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Obvious guess is to use relativistic energy-momentum relation:

Special relativity
(physics is the same in all inertial frames) Space-time coordinate system: dene: x = (ct, x) or where

x = (ct, x)

is the Minkowski metric tensor. Its inverse is:

that allows us to write:

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Interval between two points in space-time can be written as:

ds2

= (x x )2 c2 (t t )2 = g (x x ) (x x ) = (x x ) (x x )

General rules for indices:

repeated indices, one superscript and one subscript are summed; these indices are said to be contracted any unrepeated indices (not summed) must match in both name and height on left and right side of any valid equation

Two coordinate systems (representing inertial frames) are related by

Lorentz transformation matrix

translation vector

Interval between two different space-time points is the same in all inertial frames:

which requires:

Notation for space-time derivatives:

matching-index-height rule works: For two coordinate systems related by derivatives transform as: which follows from
not the same as

will prove later!

Is K-G equation consistent with relativity?

Physics is the same in all inertial frames: the value of the wave function at a particular space-time point measured in two inertial frames is the same:

This should be true for any point in the space-time and thus a consistent equation of motion should have the same form in any inertial frame. Is that the case for Klein-Gordon equation?

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Klein-Gordon equation: in 4-vector notation:

!!" in 4-vector notation:

dAlambertian operator

Is it equivalent to:

?
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Since

K-G eq. is manifestly consistent with relativity!

Is K-G consistent with quantum mechanics?

Schrdinger equation (rst order in time derivative) leaves the norm of a state time independent. Probability is conserved:

=
, t| , t = t
t =

d3 x(x)
j.dS = 0

d3 x

= t

d3 x. j =
Gausss law

+ t t i i = 2 2 2m 2m i = .( ) 2m . j

j(x) = 0 at innity

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Is K-G consistent with quantum mechanics?

Schrdinger equation (rst order in time derivative) leaves the norm of a state time independent. Probability is conserved:

=
, t| , t = t d3 x = t d3 x. j =

d3 x(x)
j.dS = 0

Klein-Gordon equation is second order in time derivative and the norm of a state is NOT in general time independent. Probability is not conserved. Klein-Gordon equation is consistent with relativity but not with quantum mechanics.
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Dirac attempt
Dirac suggested the following equation for spin-one-half particles (a state carries a spin label | , a, t , a = 1,2): Consistent with Schrdinger for the Hamiltonian: (x , t) = x| ,equation t Dirac equation is linear in both time and space derivatives and so it might be consistent with both QM and relativity. Squaring the Hamiltonian yields:

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can be written as anticommutator and also can be written as

2

Eigenvalues ofH should satisfy (x, t) = x| , t the correct relativistic energymomentum relation: and so we choose matrices that satisfy following conditions:
it can be proved (later) that the Dirac equation is fully consistent with relativity.

we have a relativistic quantum mechanical theory!

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Discussion of Dirac equation

to account for the spin of electron, the matrices should be 2x2
but the minimum size satisfying above conditions is 4x4 - two extra spin states

H is traceless, and so 4 eigenvalues are: E(p), E(p), -E(p), -E(p) negative energy states no ground state
also a problem for K.-G. equation Diracs interpretation: due to Pauli exclusion principle each quantum state can be occupied by one electron and we simply live in a universe with all negative energy states already occupied. Negative energy electrons can be excited into a positive energy state (by a photon) leaving behind a hole in the sea of negative energy electrons. The hole has a positive charge and positive energy antiparticle (the same mass, opposite charge) called positron (1927)
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Quantum mechanics as a quantum eld theory

Consider Schrdinger equation for n particles with mass m, moving in an external potential U(x), with interparticle potential

is the position-space wave function.

It is equivalent to:

if and only if

satises S.E. for wave function!

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and
is a quantum eld and its hermitian conjugate;

they satisfy commutation relations:

is the vacuum state state with one particle at state with one particles at and another at

Total number of particles is counted by the operator: commutes with H!

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creation operators commute with each other, and so without loss of generality we can consider only completely symmetric functions: we have a theory of bosons (obey Bose-Einstein statistics). For a theory of fermions (obey Fermi-Dirac statistics) we impose

and we can restrict our attention to completely antisymmetric functions:

We have nonrelativistic quantum eld theory for spin zero particles that can be either bosons or fermions. This will change for relativistic QFT.
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