Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-gauge-field-theory-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2012/paper-1/1/solution
Past exam of the gauge field theory course of the University of Cambridge 2012 Paper 1 1 Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-20
The gauge fields require their own Yang-Mills Lagrangian, . The non-Abelian field strength contains a term quadratic in the gauge potentials, so squaring it produces three-vector and four-vector self-interaction vertices, with derivative momentum factors in the cubic vertex and SU(2) structure constants in both. They exist in either scalar phase and must be added to the scalar-generated vertices. A gauge-fixed quantum calculation also has gauge-fixing and, where applicable, ghost terms; those are not extra physical boson species.
For , the global phase transformation leaves both the scalar potential and the covariant kinetic term unchanged while leaving fixed. Its Noether charge counts scalar particles minus antiparticles. Thus and are compatible with this charge, whereas is forbidden: its initial charge is two and final charge zero. Charge conservation is necessary, not sufficient, for a particular amplitude to be nonzero; other quantum numbers and kinematics still apply.
After adding the hypercharge field, the neutral-vector mass term becomesIts mass matrix has zero determinant. With , the orthonormal combinations areThe unbroken generator is electric charge, , because the lower doublet component has and . The charged combinations keep mass .
The observed charged weak interaction couples left-chiral fermions within SU(2) doublets. In the Standard Model, and are doublets, while are singlets. A vectorlike assignment would also give right-handed charged weak currents, contrary to this observed chiral structure. Once the measured electric charges are specified, fixesAn optional right-handed neutrino is a singlet with . Conjugate left-chiral fields have the opposite hypercharges to these right-chiral fields. These assignments permit gauge-invariant Yukawa interactions; they are not obtained by assigning one common hypercharge to every chirality.
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