Massless theories can be conformally invariant

In summary, the conversation discusses the exercise of showing that ##P^2## is not a Casimir invariant of the Conformal group and how this implies that only massless theories can be conformally invariant. The attempt at a solution shows that ##P^2## is only a Casimir operator of the Poincare group and not the Conformal group. The final part on how this relates to the masslessness of conformal theories is still unclear. The question also asks for the physical interpretation of the eigenvalue of ##P^2## and what value it must take for the conformal algebra to hold.
  • #1
Joker93
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Homework Statement


The exercise needs us to first show that ##P^2## (with ##P_\mu=i\partial_\mu##) is not a Casimir invariant of the Conformal group. From this, it wants us to deduce that only massless theories could be conformally invariant.

Homework Equations


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The Attempt at a Solution


I have shown that ##P^2## is not a Casimir operator; that is, it does not commute with all the generators of the conformal group. Specifically, I have found that:
##[P^2,D]=2iP^2##
##[P^2,K_\nu]=2i\ \{P_\nu,D\}+2i\{L_{\mu\nu},P^\mu\} ##
and the commutators between ##P^2## and the remaining generators vanish. This shows that ##P^2## is a Casimir operator of the Poincare group (that does not contain ##D## and ##K_\mu##).
Now, for the last part on how this shows us that only massless theories can be conformally invariant, I have no idea on how to show this. It might just be that the lecturer needs a heuristic argument though. We could do it using Lagrangians that contain a mass term and show that the mass term is not invariant under, say, scalings ##x^\mu\rightarrow \alpha x^\mu##, but this way does not follow from the fact that ##P^2## is not a Casimir operator.
 

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  • #2
What is the eigenvalue of [itex]P^2[/itex]? That is - (1) what is the physical interpretation of this eigenvalue, and (2) what value must it take for the conformal algebra to hold?
 

1. What does it mean for a theory to be massless?

A theory is considered to be massless if it does not have any intrinsic mass, meaning that all particles within the theory have zero mass. This can also be referred to as a "zero-mass theory."

2. What is conformal invariance?

Conformal invariance is a mathematical property in which the metric of a system remains unchanged under a conformal transformation. This means that the angles and distances between points in the system are preserved, even if the overall size or shape of the system is altered.

3. How are massless theories and conformal invariance related?

Massless theories are often conformally invariant, meaning that they exhibit the property of conformal invariance. This is because massless particles do not have a preferred scale, making them naturally conformal. However, not all conformally invariant theories are massless.

4. What are some examples of massless theories with conformal invariance?

Some examples of massless theories with conformal invariance include the electromagnetic theory of light, the gravitational theory of general relativity, and the Standard Model of particle physics (specifically the theory of quantum chromodynamics).

5. Why is the concept of conformal invariance important in physics?

Conformal invariance has significant implications in various areas of physics, including quantum field theory, string theory, and condensed matter physics. It allows for a deeper understanding of the underlying symmetries and properties of physical systems, and can often lead to more elegant and simplified theoretical models.

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