Exploring the Role of Pions as Goldstone Bosons in Quantum Field Theory

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In summary, the conversation is about the concept of goldstone bosons arising from spontaneous symmetry breaking in quantum field theory. The speaker explains that the pion can be considered as a goldstone boson due to its massless spin 0 nature and its relationship to the chiral symmetry. They also discuss the action of the axial current and its connection to the pseudovector nature of the pion.
  • #1
shakespeare86
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I'm reading Zee book on quantum field theory.
He wants to explain that pion is the goldstone boson arising from the spontaneous symmetry breaking of the chiral symmetry.
So he
start with the weak decay
[itex]\pi^{-} \rightarrow \bar{\nu} + e^{-} [/itex]
and write this equation
[itex] <0|J^{\mu}_{5}|k>=f k^{\mu}[/itex] (1),
where [itex] k [/itex] is the momentum of the pion.

Then, of course, if you act with [itex] k_{\mu} [/itex] on the left, you get
[itex] k_{\mu }<0|J^{\mu}_{5}|k>=f m _{\pi} [/itex] (2)
and we see that if we consider the pion as a massless spin 0 particle, it is a good candidate for a goldstone boson associated with the spontaneous breaking of the chiral symmetry, because it then follows that
[itex] \partial_{\mu} J_{5}^{\mu} = 0 [/itex]

My questions are:
-why in (1) he wrote only the axial current and he doesn't write something like
[itex] <0|J^{\mu}-J^{\mu}_{5}|k> [/itex]
?
-why the right hand side of (1) is just a vector while the left hand side is a pseudovector?

Thank you!
 
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  • #2
The answer to my second question may be that under spatial riflession [itex] \pi [/itex] is a pseudo scalar and thus, the first member is a vector too. And so follows the answer to the first question: the expectation value of the vector part of the current vanishes because it's a pseudovector and it's impossible to form a pesudo vector with the only vector k.
 
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1. What is a pion as a goldstone boson?

A pion is a subatomic particle that is considered to be a goldstone boson, which is a type of particle that arises from spontaneous symmetry breaking in a quantum field theory. Pions are the lightest known mesons, and they play a role in the strong nuclear force.

2. How was the concept of pion as a goldstone boson discovered?

The concept of pion as a goldstone boson was first proposed in the 1960s by physicists Yoichiro Nambu and Jeffrey Goldstone. They were trying to explain the spontaneous breaking of chiral symmetry in quantum chromodynamics, and they realized that pions could be the corresponding goldstone bosons.

3. What is the significance of pion as a goldstone boson in particle physics?

The presence of pions as goldstone bosons is important in particle physics because it helps explain the origins of mass in the universe. Goldstone bosons are associated with spontaneous symmetry breaking, which is a fundamental concept in the Standard Model of particle physics.

4. Are there any experimental evidence for pion as a goldstone boson?

Yes, there is strong experimental evidence for pion as a goldstone boson. Pions have been observed in high energy particle collision experiments, and their properties have been predicted and verified by various theoretical models.

5. Can pions as goldstone bosons be used in practical applications?

While pions as goldstone bosons have primarily been studied in the field of particle physics, they have also been used in medical applications. Pion therapy, which uses high energy pions to target and destroy cancer cells, is currently being researched and developed as a potential cancer treatment.

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