Could anyone derive an assertion found in light and matter, a strange theory ?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around deriving an assertion from the book "Light and Matter, a Strange Theory" by Feynman, specifically focusing on the propagator of the Klein-Gordon photon and its mathematical evaluation. The scope includes theoretical aspects of quantum mechanics and relativistic invariance.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant asks for help in deriving an assertion regarding the propagator of the Klein-Gordon photon as stated by Feynman.
  • Another participant provides a link to a document that contains relevant equations and expresses confusion about evaluating a specific equation using another provided equation.
  • A third participant suggests that the form of the propagator can be derived from dimensional analysis and relativistic invariance, emphasizing the importance of understanding the pole structure as r approaches t.
  • A later reply inquires whether Wick rotation is necessary to obtain the result.
  • One participant expresses gratitude for the previous contributions, indicating that they found the guidance helpful in addressing their confusion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants appear to engage collaboratively, with some providing insights and clarifications. However, there is no consensus on the specific methods or steps required to derive the assertion, indicating that multiple approaches may be considered.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions regarding the mathematical techniques and definitions used in the discussion remain unspecified, and the exact nature of the pole structure is not fully resolved.

naima
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Could anyone derive an assertion found in "light and matter, a strange theory"?

Feynman writes in his book that the propagator
of the Klein Gordon photon is proportional to
1/(r2 - t2)
Have you ever read the proof?
 
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I found this
http://www.oberlin.edu/physics/dstyer/StrangeQM/Klein-Gordon.pdf"
Where (12) is what I'd like to get.
I do not understand how I can evaluate it using eq (30).
 
Last edited by a moderator:


The form follows from dimensional analysis and relativistic invariance. The main thing that requires some work to figure out is the pole structure i.e. what happens when r \rightarrow t

f(x) = \int \frac{d^4 p}{(2\pi)^4} \frac{e^{i p x}}{p^2} is the integral you want to compute (I have used relativistic notation). By scaling x \rightarrow \lambda x and using spacetime rotational invariance you should be able to deduce the required form.

Hope this helps.
 


Thanks

Have I to use Wick rotation to get the result?
 


Physics Monkey said:
By scaling x \rightarrow \lambda x and using spacetime rotational invariance you should be able to deduce the required form.
Hope this helps.

Thank you very much, Physics Monkey.
This is exactly what I had missed!
 

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