Lagrangian Gauge Transformation Q

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the Lagrangian formulation in the context of gauge transformations, specifically focusing on a U(1) gauge transformation applied to a scalar field. Participants explore the implications of this transformation on the Lagrangian and the conditions for gauge invariance.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant presents a Lagrangian and questions whether it remains invariant under a specified U(1) gauge transformation, proposing a modified form of the Lagrangian.
  • Another participant agrees with the initial assessment and emphasizes the importance of gauge invariance, discussing how the transformation affects derivatives of the field.
  • A subsequent reply raises a question about the nature of the transformation, suggesting it resembles an equivalence relation from group theory.
  • Another participant confirms this observation, linking the transformation to group action in the adjoint representation.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the nature of gauge transformations and their implications for the Lagrangian, but there are nuances in understanding the specific mathematical representations and their interpretations.

Contextual Notes

The discussion involves assumptions about the properties of gauge transformations and their mathematical representations, which may not be fully articulated. The dependence on specific definitions of gauge invariance and the role of additional fields is also implied but not resolved.

div curl F= 0
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Dear All,

I'd be grateful for a bit of help with the following problems:

Consider the Lagrangian:
[tex]\displaystyle \mathcal{L} = (\partial_{\mu} \phi) (\partial^{\mu} \phi^{\dagger}) - m^2 \phi^{\dagger} \phi[/tex]
where [tex]\phi = \phi(x^{\mu})[/tex]

Now making a U(1) gauge transformation:
[tex]\displaystyle \phi \longmapsto e^{i \Lambda(x^{\mu})} \phi[/tex]

does the Lagrangian become:

[tex]\displaystyle \mathcal{L} = (\partial_{\mu} \phi) \cdot (\partial^{\mu} \phi^{\dagger}) - m^2 \phi^{\dagger} \phi + \phi \phi^{\dagger} (\partial_{\mu} \Lambda) \cdot (\partial^{\mu} \Lambda) + i \partial_{\mu} \Lambda \cdot (\phi \partial^{\mu} \phi^{\dagger} - \phi^{\dagger} \partial^{\mu} \phi)[/tex] ?

I realize you can add in another field to counteract the gauge transformation so the Lagrangian becomes gauge invariant, but how exactly would you determine the field to "add in" by inspection?

Thanks for any replies
 
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Uhm, looks right. The point of gauge invariance is that you want a gauge transformation that commutes with the derivative. In other words, if
[tex]\phi \to g \phi[/tex],
then
[tex]\partial_\mu \phi \to g \partial_\mu \phi + (\partial_\mu g) \phi[/tex]
whereas we would like covariance:
[tex]D_\mu \phi \to g D_\mu \phi[/tex]
which implies that
[tex]D_\mu \to g D_\mu g^{-1}[/tex] (the derivative now acts on everything to its right).
 
Thanks for your reply lbrits.

That transformation: [tex]D_{\mu} \to g D_{\mu} g^{-1}[/tex]
looks suspiciously like an equivalence relation from group theory?
 
Yes, [tex]g X g^{-1}[/tex] is group action in the adjoint representation.
 

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