Amplitudes for ##\phi^4## theory

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the calculation of amplitudes in ##\phi^4## theory, specifically focusing on the generation of Feynman diagrams and the associated problems encountered during these calculations. Participants explore various terms arising from Wick's theorem and the implications of divergences in integrals related to these calculations.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant discusses the calculation of the S-matrix element and the application of Wick's theorem, raising questions about the validity of certain terms and their contributions to divergences.
  • Another participant suggests that the issue may relate to the behavior of the Feynman propagator when the spacetime points coincide, potentially generating a delta function that could clarify the situation.
  • A later reply introduces the idea that a "fudge" may be necessary to handle infinities, referencing external material for further insight.
  • One participant describes the concept of tadpole diagrams as a simple example of divergent contributions that require renormalization, specifically mentioning the one-loop contribution to self-energy in ##\phi^4## theory.
  • Another participant asserts that certain anomalous terms disappear when calculating amplitudes from correlation functions via the LSZ theorem, explaining how vacuum diagrams factor out and do not affect scattering amplitudes.
  • Concerns are raised about the states used in calculations, suggesting they may not be appropriate in the interacting theory and need modification to address divergences.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the validity of certain terms and the handling of divergences, indicating that multiple competing perspectives remain without a clear consensus on the best approach to resolve the issues raised.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that the discussion involves unresolved mathematical steps, particularly regarding the treatment of divergences and the implications of specific terms in the calculations.

PeroK
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TL;DR
I'm trying to work out theamplitudes for the various Feynman diagrams from the Dyson series expansion of the S-matrix. Sometimes I'm left with constant integrals over all space and other anomalies.
This is QFT for the gifted amateur, chapter 19, which is generating the various Feynman diagrams and rules. Some calculations are given but I encounter various problems when trying to work them all out.

The starting point is that we want to calculate:
$$\langle q| \hat S | p \rangle = (2\pi)^3 \sqrt{2E_q}\sqrt{2E_p}\langle 0|\hat a_{\vec q} \hat S a_{\vec p}^{\dagger}| 0 \rangle$$
Where:
$$\hat S = T[1 + (\frac{-i\lambda}{4!})\int d^4x \ \hat \phi(x)^4 + (\frac{-i\lambda}{4!})^2(\frac 1 {2!})\int d^4xd^4y \ \hat \phi(x)^4 \hat \phi(y)^4 + \dots]$$
First, if we take the term in ##\lambda##, we have the term:
$$\langle 0|T[\hat a_{\vec q} \hat \phi(x)^4 a_{\vec p}^{\dagger}]| 0 \rangle$$
And, using Wick's theorem I get two non-zero terms coming out of this. The first is covered in the book:
$$12\langle 0|\ [\hat a_{\vec q} \hat \phi(x)] \ [\hat \phi(x) \hat \phi(x)] \ [\hat \phi(x) a_{\vec p}^{\dagger}]| 0 \rangle$$
Where I've used ##[ \ \ ]## to indicate a contraction.

But, I was also looking at the term:
$$3\langle 0|\ [\hat a_{\vec q} a_{\vec p}^{\dagger} ] \ [\hat \phi(x) \hat \phi(x)] \ [\hat \phi(x) \hat \phi(x)]| 0 \rangle$$
Is this term valid? In any case, it leads to an infinity:
$$\delta^4(q-p) \int d^4x \bigg ( \int \frac{d^4k}{(2\pi)^4} \big ( \frac{i}{k^2 - m^2 + i\epsilon} \big ) \bigg )^2$$

A similar thing happens for the ##\lambda^2## term. I have an extra term in the integral that does not correspond to any diagram:
$$[\hat a_{\vec q} a_{\vec p}^{\dagger} ] \ [\hat \phi(x) \hat \phi(y)]^4$$
I can see why the diagram would not make sense, but I can't see why that term vanishes from the integral.

Finally, similar terms crop up in trying to calculate the integrals for other diagrams. I get the right answer except I still have an integral of the form ##\int d^4 x## in front of everything. Mathematically, it all comes back to the same issue, as above.

Any help would be very welcome.

Thanks.
 
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PS I think it might boil down to what to do with the Feynman propagator when ##x = y##. If this generates a delta function ##\delta^4(0)##, then that might sort things out?
 
To continue to answer my own question, I found this, which suggests we do need something of a fudge to get rid of the infinities:

https://physicspages.com/pdf/Lahiri%20QFT/Lahiri%20&%20Pal%20Problems%2005%20No%20equal%20time%20commutators.pdf
 
That's one of the most simple examples for divergent contributions to higher-order corrections depicted by socalled tadpole diagrams, i.e., a line in a Feynman diagram that connects one spacetime-point with a loop. These are divergent and have to be renormalized. In ##\phi^4## theory the most simple example is the one-loop contribution to the self-energy. It provides simply an infinite constant contribution to ##m^2## and has to be subtracted such that you get at one-loop order the physical mass of the particle.

For details, see Sect. 5.4.1 in

https://itp.uni-frankfurt.de/~hees/publ/lect.pdf
 
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These "anomolous" terms all go away when you calculate amplitudes from correlation functions via the LSZ theorem. Specifically, the expression
$$\delta^4(q-p) \int d^4x \bigg ( \int \frac{d^4k}{(2\pi)^4} \big ( \frac{i}{k^2 - m^2 + i\epsilon} \big ) \bigg )^2$$
represents a vacuum diagram which factors out and does not appear in scattering amplitudes. It corresponds to this Feynman diagram:
124141ad.png

See Peskin & Schroeder Chapter 4 for a discussion of vacuum diagrams and how they factor out in calculations, and Chapter 7 for how scattering amplitudes are extracted from correlation functions. If you continue with your current approach to calculating scattering amplitudes you'll also find strange divergences with external leg corrections, i.e. loops on external legs, which as you might expect are also fixed by the correlation function approach. The way to think about these problems is that your states ##|q\rangle## and ##|p\rangle## are not "good" states in the interacting theory and need to be modified to get rid of all the odd divergences (besides the genuine divergences in the QFT).
 
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