What is the significance of pions as Goldstone bosons in quantum field theory?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the role of pions as Goldstone bosons resulting from the spontaneous symmetry breaking of chiral symmetry in quantum field theory, as explained in Zee's book. The weak decay process of the pion, represented by the equation <0|J^{\mu}_{5}|k>=f k^{\mu}, illustrates the relationship between the axial current and the pion's momentum. The analysis concludes that the pion, treated as a massless spin-0 particle, is a valid Goldstone boson candidate due to the condition \partial_{\mu} J_{5}^{\mu} = 0. The discussion also clarifies the nature of the currents involved, emphasizing the distinction between vector and pseudovector quantities.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of quantum field theory concepts, particularly Goldstone bosons.
  • Familiarity with chiral symmetry and its spontaneous breaking.
  • Knowledge of weak decay processes in particle physics.
  • Proficiency in interpreting quantum current operators, specifically axial and vector currents.
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  • Study the implications of spontaneous symmetry breaking in quantum field theory.
  • Learn about the properties and roles of Goldstone bosons in various physical theories.
  • Explore the mathematical formulation of weak decays and their significance in particle physics.
  • Investigate the differences between vector and pseudovector quantities in quantum mechanics.
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This discussion is beneficial for theoretical physicists, graduate students in particle physics, and anyone interested in the foundational aspects of quantum field theory and the significance of symmetries in particle interactions.

shakespeare86
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I'm reading Zee book on quantum field theory.
He wants to explain that pion is the goldstone boson arising from the spontaneous symmetry breaking of the chiral symmetry.
So he
start with the weak decay
\pi^{-} \rightarrow \bar{\nu} + e^{-}
and write this equation
&lt;0|J^{\mu}_{5}|k&gt;=f k^{\mu} (1),
where k is the momentum of the pion.

Then, of course, if you act with k_{\mu} on the left, you get
k_{\mu }&lt;0|J^{\mu}_{5}|k&gt;=f m _{\pi} (2)
and we see that if we consider the pion as a massless spin 0 particle, it is a good candidate for a goldstone boson associated with the spontaneous breaking of the chiral symmetry, because it then follows that
\partial_{\mu} J_{5}^{\mu} = 0

My questions are:
-why in (1) he wrote only the axial current and he doesn't write something like
&lt;0|J^{\mu}-J^{\mu}_{5}|k&gt;
?
-why the right hand side of (1) is just a vector while the left hand side is a pseudovector?

Thank you!
 
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The answer to my second question may be that under spatial riflession \pi is a pseudo scalar and thus, the first member is a vector too. And so follows the answer to the first question: the expectation value of the vector part of the current vanishes because it's a pseudovector and it's impossible to form a pesudo vector with the only vector k.
 
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