Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-advanced-quantum-field-theory-for-particle-physics-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2019/2/a/ii/solution

Let here be a constant infinitesimal transformation parameter, unrelated to the dimensional regularization parameter in question 1. The matter and Maxwell terms undergo an ordinary infinitesimal gauge transformation with , and their variations cancel as before. The gauge fixing contribution is
The extra real scalar field kinetic term varies by
Adding the two gives a total derivative:
The last equality uses vanishing boundary contributions, for example sufficiently fast decay of the fields. No field equations were used. This gauge-scalar global symmetry of covariantly fixed QED leaves the action invariant even though the density need not be invariant pointwise; the scalar's variation supplies exactly the missing boundary-term cancellation.

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