Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2007/ii/paper-2/32d/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 ii Paper 2 32D Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Write for product spin states, and . A highest-weight state is killed by . For the unique state is . In the subspace, kills exactly when . In the subspace it kills exactly when . Normalizing givesThe left states are coupled states and the right states are product states. Lowering commutes with particle interchange, so the whole spin- multiplet has the exchange sign of its highest-weight state: for and for , or . Integer-spin identical particles are bosons; their spatial partial wave changes by under interchange. Symmetry of the full state therefore requires even.
For decay from total angular momentum one, coupling requires . The case forces and violates Bose symmetry. For , the allowed range is and symmetry leaves . For , the range is and symmetry leaves . The identical particles' intrinsic parity product is , so total final parity is . HenceThis uses the stated massive-spin angular-momentum model; no additional restrictions for massless transverse vector particles have been assumed.
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