Annihilation operator acting on a Fock state

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the application of the annihilation operator on a Fock state, specifically in the context of quantum field theory. Participants are exploring the mathematical formulation and relationships involved in this operation, including the use of creation operators and canonical commutation relations.

Discussion Character

  • Homework-related
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant presents a mathematical expression involving the annihilation operator acting on a Fock state and seeks clarification on the necessary relations to invoke.
  • Another participant suggests that the original poster should write down the canonical commutation relations and the rules for how the operators act on the vacuum state to gain clarity.
  • A participant mentions using the relation between the annihilation and creation operators, indicating a method to approach the problem.
  • There is a question raised about the treatment of the state |qi-1> when i=1, with some participants suggesting it may correspond to the vacuum state.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants are generally engaged in a collaborative exploration of the problem, with some agreement on the need to clarify operator relations and the treatment of specific states. However, there is no consensus on the exact approach or interpretation of the mathematical expressions involved.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference specific equations from textbooks and notes, indicating a reliance on external materials for understanding the problem. The discussion does not resolve the ambiguity regarding the treatment of certain states or the application of the operators.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for students and researchers in quantum field theory, particularly those working with Fock states and operator algebra.

L.W.C
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I'm trying to show:

a(p)|q1,q2,...,qN> =
[itex]\sum[/itex]Ni=1(2pi)32Ep\delta(3)(p-qi)x|qi,...,qi-1,qi+1,...,qN>

I'm pretty sure you have to turn the ket into a series of creation operators acting on the vacuum |0>, but then not sure what relations need to be invoked for it to be clear.

Any help would be appreciated.
 
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L.W.C said:
I'm trying to show:

a(p)|q1,q2,...,qN> =
[itex]\sum[/itex]Ni=1(2pi)32Ep\delta(3)(p-qi)x|qi,...,qi-1,qi+1,...,qN>

I'm pretty sure you have to turn the ket into a series of creation operators acting on the vacuum |0>, but then not sure what relations need to be invoked for it to be clear.

Any help would be appreciated.

You might get more help if you attempt a little more yourself, according to the PF rules for homework help. For starters, write down the canonical commutation relations between the a/c operators, and the rules for how they act individually on the vacuum. Then try and do the N=2 case.

It might also help if you mention which textbook you're working from.
 
O.K., so you just use the relation:

a(p)a+(q) = [a(p),a+(q)] + a+(q)a(p)

for each case.

Also can I just clarify that in the answer when it says:

|qi-1> if i=1, is that just ignored?

I' learning form these notes:

http://www.hep.man.ac.uk/u/pilaftsi/QFT/qft.pdf

With the aide of peskin and schroeder.

Thank you
 
L.W.C said:
O.K., so you just use the relation:

a(p)a+(q) = [a(p),a+(q)] + a+(q)a(p)

for each case.
OK, so now try to do the N=1 case explicitly, using equations (2.29), (2.35) and maybe (2.36) from P&S.

Also can I just clarify that in the answer when it says:

|qi-1> if i=1, is that just ignored?

I think it's the vacuum [itex]|0\rangle[/itex].
 

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