What symmetries are in the following action:

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In summary, the conversation discusses the action S and its components, including the presence of A_{\mu} and B_{\mu \nu}. The global and local symmetries are also mentioned, with the global symmetry being the Lorentz symmetry. The number of degrees of freedom for the action is discussed, with the possibility of 12 degrees of freedom for the fields A_{\mu} and B_{\mu \nu}. The conversation also mentions the Noether's procedure for determining symmetries and the gauge symmetry of B_{\mu \nu}.
  • #1
bagherihan
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[tex] S=\int d^4x\frac{m}{12}A_μ ε^{μ \nu ρσ} H_{\nu ρσ} + \frac{1}{8} m^2A^μA_μ [/tex]
Where
[tex] H_{\nu ρσ} = \partial_\nu B_{ρσ} + \partial_ρ B_{σ\nu} + \partial_σ B_{\nu ρ} [/tex]

And [itex] B^{μ \nu} [/itex] is an antisymmetric tensor.

What are the global symmetries and what are the local symmetries?

p.s how many degrees of freedom does it have?

Thank you!
 
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  • #2
Has [itex]A_{\mu}[/itex] anything to do with the [itex]B_{\mu \nu}[/itex]?

And what does it have dofs?
The Action is a (real) scalar quantity, so it has 1 dof.

if [itex]A_{\mu}[/itex] is a massive bosonic field, it should have 3 dofs.
and about [itex]B^{\mu \nu}[/itex] just by being an antisymmetric tensor (in Lorentz repr it is a 4x4 in your case matrix) will have:
[itex] \frac{D^{2}}{2}-D = \frac{D(D-1)}{2} [/itex]
free parameters. So for D=4, you have 6 dofs...
 
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  • #3
Thanks ChrisVer,
[itex]A^\mu[/itex] has nothing to do with [itex]B_{\mu \nu}[/itex]
I meant the number dof of the theory.
[itex]H_{\nu ρσ}[/itex] is antisymmetric, so it has only [itex]\binom{4}{3}=4[/itex] dof, doesn't it? thus in total it's 3X4=12 dof, isn't it?

And more important for me is to know the action symmetries, both the global and the local ones.

thanks.
 
  • #4
For the symmetries you should apply the Noether's procedure ...
A global symmetry which I can see before hand is the Lorentz Symmetry (since you don't have any free indices flowing around)
 
  • #5
Also I don't think you need the dofs of the strength field tensor anywhere, do you?
It gives the kinetic term of your field [itex]B_{\mu \nu}[/itex]
I am not sure though about the dofs now...you might be right.
 
  • #6
For the H you were right.
[itex]H[/itex] is a p=3-form, and a general p-form in n dimensions has:
[itex]\frac{n!}{(n-p)!p!}[/itex] ind. components.
 
  • #7
You're probably right, it's the 6 dof of B that matters.
But apparently B has a gauge symmetry, so only 3 dof left.
 

What symmetries are in the following action?

1. What is an action in physics?

An action is a mathematical expression that describes the dynamics of a physical system. It is typically written in terms of the system's state variables and their time derivatives.

2. What is symmetry in physics?

Symmetry in physics refers to the invariance of a physical system under certain transformations. This means that the system remains unchanged after undergoing a specific change in its variables or parameters.

3. How do symmetries relate to conservation laws?

According to Noether's theorem, every continuous symmetry of a physical system corresponds to a conserved quantity. This means that if a system is invariant under a certain transformation, then there exists a quantity that remains constant throughout the system's evolution.

4. Can you give an example of a symmetry in an action?

An example of a symmetry in an action is time translation symmetry. This means that the action remains unchanged when the system's time variable is shifted by a constant value. This corresponds to the conservation of energy in the system.

5. Are there different types of symmetries in physics?

Yes, there are various types of symmetries in physics such as spatial symmetries, gauge symmetries, and discrete symmetries. Each type of symmetry corresponds to a different aspect of a physical system, and they all play important roles in understanding the fundamental laws of nature.

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