Deriving charge for Noether current in free complex scalar field QFT

In summary, the conversation discusses the derivation of the expression for the conserved Noether charge for a free complex scalar field, by using mode expansions and the Lagrangian for the field. The question is to show that the conserved Noether charge for complex phase rotations is given by a specific integral involving the creation and annihilation operators for two kinds of particles. The conversation also mentions a symmetry of the field and the corresponding Noether current. The attempt at a solution involves plugging the mode expansions into the equation for the Noether charge and trying to change the order of integration. The conversation ends with a discussion on how to proceed with the integration and the possibility of using the commutation relations for the operators.
  • #1
Azelketh
40
0

Homework Statement


Hi I a attempting to derive the expression for the conserved Noether charge for a free complex scalar field.
The question I have to complete is: " show, by using the mode expansions for the free complex scalar field, that the conserved Noether charge (corresponding to complex phase rotations) is given by
[tex] Q= \int \frac{\partial^3 p}{(2\pi)^3} ( a_p^* a_p - b_p^* b_p)
[/tex]
Where [tex]a_p, a_p^*[/tex] and [tex] b_p, b_p^*[/tex] are the creation and annihilation operators for 2 kinds of particles respectively"

Homework Equations



The Lagrangian for a free complex scalar field is;
[tex] L= \frac{1}{2} \partial_μ \psi \partial^μ \psi- \frac{1}{2}m^2\psi^2 [/tex]

I have recognized that there is a symmetry of[tex]\psi → e^{ i\alpha } \psi [/tex]

which leads to a Noether current of
[tex] j_μ = i \partial _μ \psi^* \psi - i \partial _μ \psi \psi^* [/tex]
[tex] Q= \int \partial ^3 x j_0 = i \int \partial ^3 x ( \partial _0 \psi^* \psi - \partial _0 \psi \psi^* ) [/tex]
[tex] Q=i \int \partial ^3 x ( \psi \dot{\psi^*} - \psi^* \dot{\psi} )[/tex]
where
[tex] \dot{\psi} = \pi ^*[/tex]
[tex] \dot{\psi^*} = \pi[/tex]
so [tex] Q=i \int \partial ^3 x ( \psi \pi - \psi^* \pi ^* )[/tex]
And the mode expansions;
[tex] \psi = \int \frac{\partial^3 P}{(2\pi)^3} \frac{1}{\sqrt{2 ω_p}}( a_p e^{ip.x } + b_p^* e^{-ip.x}) [/tex]
[tex] \psi^* = \int \frac{\partial^3 P}{(2\pi)^3} \frac{1}{\sqrt{2 ω_p}}( a_p^* e^{-ip.x} + b_p e^{ip.x }) [/tex]
[tex] \pi = i\int \frac{\partial^3 P}{(2\pi)^3} \sqrt{ \frac{ω_p}{2}}( a_p^* e^{-ip.x } - b_p e^{ip.x}) [/tex]
[tex] \pi^* = -i\int \frac{\partial^3 P}{(2\pi)^3} \sqrt{\frac{ω_p}{2}}( a_p e^{ip.x } - b_p^* e^{-ip.x}) [/tex]

The Attempt at a Solution



I have then plugged these into the Q equation;
[tex] Q=i \int \partial ^3 x [ \int \frac{\partial^3 P}{(2\pi)^3} \frac{1}{\sqrt{2 ω_p}}( a_p e^{ip.x } + b_p^* e^{-ip.x})
i\int \frac{\partial^3 P}{(2\pi)^3} \sqrt{ \frac{ω_p}{2}}( a_p^* e^{-ip.x } - b_p e^{ip.x})
- \int \frac{\partial^3 P}{(2\pi)^3} \frac{1}{\sqrt{2 ω_p}}( a_p^* e^{-ip.x} + b_p e^{ip.x }) (-i)\int \frac{\partial^3 P}{(2\pi)^3} \sqrt{\frac{ω_p}{2}}( a_p e^{ip.x } - b_p^* e^{-ip.x}) ][/tex]
so factoring out the i's and 2 pi's from the integrals;
[tex] Q=\frac{i^2}{(2\pi)^6} \int \partial ^3 x [ \int \partial^3 P \frac{1}{\sqrt{2 ω_p}}( a_p e^{ip.x } + b_p^* e^{-ip.x})
\int \partial^3 P \sqrt{ \frac{ω_p}{2}}( a_p^* e^{-ip.x } - b_p e^{ip.x})
+ \int \partial^3 P \frac{1}{\sqrt{2 ω_p}}( a_p^* e^{-ip.x} + b_p e^{ip.x }) \int \partial^3 P \sqrt{\frac{ω_p}{2}}( a_p e^{ip.x } - b_p^* e^{-ip.x}) ][/tex]
It's at this point I'm utterly stuck on how to procede, I did think that could cancel the sqrt ω terms but they depend on p: [tex] ω_p = \sqrt{P^2 + m^2} [/tex]
so as they are inside integrals dependent on P they can't be cancelled.

I am at an utter loss how to proceed from here though. If anyone can offer any pointers or assistance is would be greatly appreciated.
EDIT: made a sign error in exponential's for [tex] \psi [/tex] and [tex] \psi^* [/tex]
 
Last edited:
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  • #2
You can try changing the order of integration and doing the x integration before the p integrations.
 
  • #3
Ok, I see how you can change the order of the integration, and changing one of the P's to r to make it clearer to me, to get :
[tex]
Q=\frac{-1}{(2\pi)^6} \int \partial ^3 x [ \int \partial^3 P \frac{1}{\sqrt{2 ω_p}}( a_p e^{ip.x } + b_p^* e^{-ip.x})
\int \partial^3 r \sqrt{ \frac{ω_r}{2}}( a_r^* e^{-ir.x } - b_r e^{ir.x})
+ \int \partial^3 P \frac{1}{\sqrt{2 ω_p}}( a_p^* e^{-ip.x} + b_p e^{ip.x }) \int \partial^3 r \sqrt{\frac{ω_r}{2}}( a_r e^{ir.x } - b_r^* e^{-ir.x}) ]
[/tex]
[tex]
Q=\frac{-1}{(2\pi)^6} \int \partial ^3 x [ \int \partial^3 P \sqrt{\frac{ω_r}{ ω_p}}
( a_p e^{ip.x } + b_p^* e^{-ip.x})
\int \partial^3 r ( a_r^* e^{-ir.x } - b_r e^{ir.x})
+ \int \partial^3 P \sqrt{\frac{ω_r}{ ω_p}}( a_p^* e^{-ip.x} + b_p e^{ip.x }) \int \partial^3 r ( a_r e^{ir.x } - b_r^* e^{-ir.x}) ]
[/tex]
[tex]
Q=\frac{-1}{(2\pi)^6} ( \int \partial^3 P \int \partial^3 r \int \partial ^3 x \sqrt{\frac{ω_r}{ ω_p}}( a_p e^{ip.x } + b_p^* e^{-ip.x} )
( a_r^* e^{-ir.x } - b_r e^{ir.x})
+ \int \partial^3 P \int \partial^3 r \int \partial ^3 x \sqrt{\frac{ω_r}{ ω_p}}( a_p^* e^{-ip.x} + b_p e^{ip.x })( a_r e^{ir.x } - b_r^* e^{-ir.x}) )
[/tex]

[tex]
Q=\frac{-1}{(2\pi)^6} ( \int \partial^3 P \int \partial^3 r \int \partial ^3 x \sqrt{\frac{ω_r}{ ω_p}}
( a_p a_r^* e^{i( p - r ).x} -a_p b_r e^{i( p + r).x} + b_p^* a_r^* e^{-i( p + r ).x} -b_p^* b_r e^{i( r - p ).x} )
+ \int \partial^3 P \int \partial^3 r \int \partial ^3 x \sqrt{\frac{ω_r}{ ω_p}}
( a_p^* a_r e^{i( r - p ).x} -a_p^* b_r^* e^{-i( P + r ).x} + b_p a_re^{i( p + r).x} - b_p b_r^* e^{i( p - r ).x} )
[/tex]

I'm not sure how to go about integrating the x components;
I've never integrated anything over [tex] \partial^3 x [/tex] and am struggling to find anything that can help explain it.
would;
[tex]
\int \partial ^3 x a_p^* a_r e^{ i(p +r).x} = \frac{1}{ (i(p+r))^3}a_p^* a_r e^{ i(p +r).x}
[/tex]
or as its a dot product in the exponential,
[tex]
\int \partial ^3 x a_p^* a_r e^{ i(p +r).x} = \int \partial ^3 x a_p^* a_r e^{ i( (p1 +r1)x1 + (p2+r2)x2 +(p3+r3)x3 )}
[/tex]
[tex]
= \frac{1}{i^3(p1+r1)(p2+r2)(p3+r3) }a_p^* a_r e^{ i(p +r).x}
[/tex]

But I'm sort of expecting the x integral to give some kind of delta function in r so that the r integral is easy leaving just the p integral ie the required result.
EDIT: maybe the commutation relations for the ap and bp operators will give delta functions, now to get the x integral out of the way first!
EDIT2: corrected sign error in exponential's.
 
Last edited:
  • #4
The delta function will come in through a well known "identity" that you can find here http://dlmf.nist.gov/1.17 (see equation 1.17.12).

Before going further, make sure you have the correct signs in your exponential functions for ##\pi## and ##\pi^*## (that you used to construct ##Q##).
 
  • #5
ah, I think its [tex] \psi [/tex] and [tex] \psi^* [/tex] that have the incorrect signs.
Will edit through all above to correct this.

Bloody sign errors, when will they end!
 
  • #6
ahh finally solved it,
using
[tex]
\int \partial^3 x e^{i(p+r).x} = (2\pi)^3 \delta^3(p+r) [/tex]
and working through.

Thanks for the assitance TSny!
 

Related to Deriving charge for Noether current in free complex scalar field QFT

1. What is the Noether current in free complex scalar field QFT?

The Noether current in free complex scalar field QFT is a conserved current that arises from the symmetry of the theory under a continuous transformation of the complex scalar field. It is named after mathematician Emmy Noether, who discovered the connection between symmetries and conserved quantities in physics.

2. How is the Noether current derived in free complex scalar field QFT?

The Noether current is derived using the Noether's theorem, which states that for every continuous symmetry of a physical system, there exists a corresponding conserved quantity. In the case of free complex scalar field QFT, the symmetry is related to the invariance of the Lagrangian under a global U(1) transformation of the complex scalar field.

3. What is the physical significance of the Noether current in free complex scalar field QFT?

The Noether current represents the conserved charge associated with the U(1) symmetry of the free complex scalar field QFT. This charge is conserved, meaning it does not change over time, and it is a fundamental quantity that can be used to understand and describe the behavior of the system.

4. Can the Noether current be generalized to other QFT systems?

Yes, the Noether current can be generalized to other QFT systems that exhibit a symmetry under a continuous transformation. In fact, Noether's theorem is a fundamental principle in theoretical physics and is applicable to a wide range of physical systems, including classical mechanics, quantum mechanics, and field theory.

5. How is the Noether current used in practical applications of QFT?

The Noether current is used in practical applications of QFT to calculate conserved charges and to study the symmetries of a physical system. It is also an important tool in theoretical physics for understanding the fundamental principles that govern the behavior of physical systems. Additionally, the Noether current plays a crucial role in the development and validation of theories, such as the Standard Model of particle physics.

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