# Scale Invariant Classical Field Theory

spaghetti3451

## Homework Statement

A class of interesting theories are invariant under the scaling of all lengths by ##x^{\mu} \rightarrow (x')^{\mu}=\lambda x^{\mu}## and ##\phi(x) \rightarrow \phi'(x) = \lambda^{-D}\phi(\lambda^{-1}x)##.

Here ##D## is called the scaling dimension of the field.

Consider the action for a real scalar field given by ##S = \int d^{4}x\ \frac{1}{2}\partial_{\mu}\phi\partial^{\mu}\phi-\frac{1}{2}m^{2}\phi^{2}-g\phi^{p}##.

Find the scaling dimension ##D## such that the derivative terms remain invariant.

For what values of ##m## and ##p## is the scaling ##x^{\mu} \rightarrow (x')^{\mu}=\lambda x^{\mu}## and ##\phi(x) \rightarrow \phi'(x) = \lambda^{-D}\phi(\lambda^{-1}x)## a symmetry of the theory? How do these conclusions change for a scalar field living in an ##(n+1)##-dimensional spacetime instead of a ##3+1##-dimensional spacetime?

In ##3+1## dimensions, use Noether's theorem to construct the conserved current ##D^{\mu}## associated to scaling invariance.

## The Attempt at a Solution

Under the scaling of all lengths by ##x^{\mu} \rightarrow (x')^{\mu}=\lambda x^{\mu}## and ##\phi(x) \rightarrow \phi'(x) = \lambda^{-D}\phi(\lambda^{-1}x)##, where ##D## is called the scaling dimension of the field, the given action for the real scalar field transforms as follows:

##S = \int d^{4}x\ \frac{1}{2}\partial_{\mu}\phi(x)\partial^{\mu}\phi(x)-\frac{1}{2}m^{2}\phi^{2}(x)-g\phi^{p}(x)##

##\rightarrow \int d^{4}x\ \Big|\frac{1}{\lambda^{4}}\Big| \Big[ \frac{1}{2}({\Lambda^{\rho}}_{\mu}\lambda^{-D}\partial_{\rho}\phi)(\lambda^{-1}x)({\Lambda_{\sigma}}^{\mu}\lambda^{-D}\partial^{\sigma}\phi)(\lambda^{-1}x)-\frac{1}{2}m^{2}(\lambda^{-D}\phi)^{2}(\lambda^{-1}x)-g(\lambda^{-D}\phi)^{p}(\lambda^{-1}x)\Big]##, where the factor of ##\Big|\frac{1}{\lambda^{4}}\Big|## is the Jacobian for the coordinate transformation

Therefore, the scaling dimension ##D## such that the derivative terms remain invariant is found as follows:

##\Big|\frac{1}{\lambda^{4}}\Big| \Big[ \frac{1}{2}({\Lambda^{\rho}}_{\mu}\lambda^{-D}\partial_{\rho}\phi)(\lambda^{-1}x)({\Lambda_{\sigma}}^{\mu}\lambda^{-D}\partial^{\sigma}\phi)(\lambda^{-1}x)\Big]=\frac{1}{2}(\partial_{\nu}\phi)(\lambda^{-1}x)(\partial^{\nu}\phi)(\lambda^{-1}x)##

##\Big(\frac{1}{\lambda^{4}}\Big)(\lambda^{-D})(\lambda^{-D}) \Big[ \frac{1}{2}({\Lambda^{\rho}}_{\mu}{\Lambda_{\sigma}}^{\mu})(\partial_{\rho}\phi)(\lambda^{-1}x)(\partial^{\sigma}\phi)(\lambda^{-1}x) \Big]=\frac{1}{2}(\partial_{\nu}\phi)(\lambda^{-1}x)(\partial^{\nu}\phi)(\lambda^{-1}x)##

##\lambda^{-4-2D} \Big[ \frac{1}{2}{\Lambda^{\rho}}_{\mu}{(\Lambda^{-1})^{\mu}}_{\sigma}(\partial_{\rho}\phi)(\lambda^{-1}x)(\partial^{\sigma}\phi)(\lambda^{-1}x) \Big]=\frac{1}{2}(\partial_{\nu}\phi)(\lambda^{-1}x)(\partial^{\nu}\phi)(\lambda^{-1}x)##

##\lambda^{-4-2D} \Big[ \frac{1}{2}{\eta^{\rho}}_{\sigma}(\partial_{\rho}\phi)(\lambda^{-1}x)(\partial^{\sigma}\phi)(\lambda^{-1}x) \Big]=\frac{1}{2}(\partial_{\nu}\phi)(\lambda^{-1}x)(\partial^{\nu}\phi)(\lambda^{-1}x)##

##\lambda^{-4-2D} \Big[ \frac{1}{2}(\partial_{\rho}\phi)(\lambda^{-1}x)(\partial^{\rho}\phi)(\lambda^{-1}x) \Big]=\frac{1}{2}(\partial_{\nu}\phi)(\lambda^{-1}x)(\partial^{\nu}\phi)(\lambda^{-1}x)##

so that

##\lambda^{-4-2D}=\lambda^{0}##
##D=-2##

Am I correct so far?