Lecture - SM 1-1 - Typed

Lecture 1-1: Types of Fields
• Scalar fields (x) describe spin-0 particles. These are scalar bosons.
A complex scalar field (x) 2 C has two real degrees of freedom which correspond to a
particle and its anti-particle. They carry opposite charges (i.e. a positive and a negative
electric charge). In total 2 real degrees of freedom, 2 = 1 (particle) + 1 (anti-particle).
A real-valued scalar field (x) 2 R has one real degree of freedom, it corresponds to a
particle = its anti-particle. This is a neutral particle, it carries no charges. In total 1 real
degree of freedom.
• Dirac Spinor fields (x) describe spin-1/2 particles.

A Dirac spinor is a complex-valued 4-component spinor. In the chiral basis for µ matrices,
(x) can be decomposed into two 2-component spinors, L (x) and R (x), called the left-
handed and the right-handed Weyl spinors.
0 1
1 ✓ ◆
B 2 C
B
(x) = @ C L
A= 3 R
4
L describes (creation and annihilation of) particles of helicity h = 1/2, while its
Hermitian-conjugate L† corresponds to its anti-particle. Thus 2 degrees of freedom for
Left-handed spinors.
R describes (creation and annihilation of) particles of helicity h = +1/2, while its
Hermitian-conjugate R† corresponds to its anti-particle. Thus 2 degrees of freedom for
Right-handed spinors.
In Total 4 degrees of freedom contained in the Dirac spinor field (x),
(1(left )+ 1(right)) · (1(particle)+1(anti-particle)) = 4.
Note that naively we have 8 real-valued degrees of freedom: 4 for the number of components
in the bi-spinor (x) times 2 because these components are complex-valued. However,
we need to remember that the spin operator for spinors is given by the Pauli matrices,
ŝi = i /2, which are 2 by 2 matrices. Hence each 2-component (complex) Weyl spinor
actually describes just 2 degrees of freedom, which agrees with the counting above. Another
equivalent way to say it is that the requirement that the Dirac equation is satisfied by
(x) amounts to only 4 independent real-valued degrees of freedom in (x).
PS: Helicity h is defined as the projection of the spin on the 3-momentum of a particle.
Particle of the left-handed helicity has h = 1/2 and its anti-particle has h = +1/2. For
right-handed particles and anti-particles we have the opposite signs.
Helicity is a good quantum number for mass-less particles (it is invariant under Lorentz
transformations). If the particle is massive, its helicity can be changed by performing a
Lorentz boost. Then instead of left- or right-handed helicity, in the massive case we just
use the fact that there are always 2 spin states ±1/2 for a spin-1/2 particle.
1
• Majorana fermion fields M (x) describe spin-1/2 particles which are their own anti-
particles.
Essentially in the Dirac fermion we identify R = L† and write,
✓ ◆ ✓ ◆
L
M (x) = † ⌘ †
L
• Vector fields Aµ (x) describe spin-1 particles known as vector bosons.

In all cases in QFT, vector fields originate from gauge fields, and these fields are real-
valued.
We will see later on in these lectures that when gauge symmetry is exact, all gauge fields
must be strictly massless, hence we get massless vector bosons, such as photons in QED
and gluons in QCD–the theory of strong interactions.
However, as we will see, the gauge symmetry of the theory can also be spontaneously
broken. In this case the Higgs mechanism becomes operational, and the gauge field becomes
massive. In this case we have a massive vector boson.
A priori, we have 4 real-valued degrees of freedom in Aµ (x) since this is a Lorentz 4-vector.
However, the fact that Aµ has to satisfy its Euler-Lagrange equations (Abelian or non-
Abelian Maxwell equations), this puts a constraint on the number of independent degrees
of freedom and reduces them to 3.
Furthermore, the requirement of exact gauge invariance dictates that one more degree
of freedom is unphysical, it corresponds to a choice of gauge and can be removed by
gauge-fixing.
Thus for a massless vector boson we are left with only 2 independent degrees of freedom.
They correspond to 2 transverse spin polarisations: essentially along the x- and y- direc-
tions for a particle moving in the z-direction. Often they are combined
p into the so-called
±
left-handed and the right-handed polarisations defined as A = 1/ 2(Ax ± iAy ). The lon-
gitudinal polarisation AL = Az (i.e. the one along the direction of momentum) is known
to decouple and can be neglected for massless vector fields.
On the other hand, the massive vector bosons have all 3 independent degrees of freedom.
This is because in this case gauge invariance is broken spontaneously and the longitudinal
component of the vector field no longer decouples from the system.
In summary, a massive vector boson (such as W ± and Z 0 bosons of weak interactions)
have 3 independent degrees of freedom and this is in agreement that particles of spin-1
must have precisely 3 independent spin-states (spin projections 0, ±1).
Massless vector bosons have only 2 independent states (transverse polarisations).

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Lecture 1-1: Types of Fields

• Dirac Spinor fields (x) describe spin-1/2 particles.

• Vector fields Aµ (x) describe spin-1 particles known as vector bosons.

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