Past exam of the quantum field theory course of the University of Oxford 2023 2 d i Solution 2026-10-25
Four external lines require four cubic interaction vertices, since each such interaction vertex contains only one heavy field. Their other eight endpoints must form four light internal lines. A connected Feynman diagram therefore has and : the leading contribution is a one-loop box diagram, of order , with four scalar propagators. Charge-two incoming and outgoing heavy lines attach alternately around the box, as shown in panel (d) of b's figure. Each incoming heavy line supplies the two outgoing light-charge arrows at its corner, and each outgoing heavy line absorbs them. With external labels fixed there is one such box and its symmetry factor is one.
For , the external energies are also small compared with , so expand the loop integrand in all external four-momenta. Its leading term isA Wick rotation and the Euclidean massive loop integral giveHence, more precisely than just its requested scaling,The mass dimension makes dimensionless, as a four-dimensional scattering amplitude should be. The leading amplitude has no extra identical-particle multiplicity.
Past exam of the quantum field theory course of the University of Oxford 2024 3 b Solution 2026-10-25
Let count internal scalar and fermion lines and count independent loops in a connected amputated Feynman diagram. At large loop momentum, the scalar propagator falls as and the Dirac propagator falls as , including its numerator. Each loop integration is . The nonderivative interaction vertices add no powers. ThereforeCount endpoints of each kind of line and use the connected-graph loop order identity:Eliminating givesThe cancellation of reflects their dimensionless couplings; every insertion of the positive-dimensional improves the superficial degree of divergence by one.
The printed exact homogeneity is shorthand for ultraviolet power counting, not an identity for a massive integrated correlation function. For example, even the free amputated scalar two-point vertex obeys , which differs from when . Logarithmic divergences, actual numerator cancellations and ultraviolet subdivergences also require separate treatment.
Past exam of the quantum field theory course of the University of Oxford 2025 2 a Solution 2026-10-25
Independent global phase symmetries would rotate and . The cubic interaction vertex preserves only modulo . The continuous internal symmetry of a classical field theory is therefore the circle groupNormalize the Noether charge so that . Then , and . The Noether current iswhere . For example, the Euler-Lagrange field equations givewhich cancel with the relative coefficient . The quartic interaction vertex separately preserves both original phase rotations.
There is also a discrete charge conjugation symmetry for these real couplings. Including it, the internal symmetry is , with charge conjugation reversing the Noether charge. The connected symmetry and its conserved current are the above.
Past exam of the quantum field theory course of the University of Oxford 2025 2 b Solution 2026-10-25
The nonzero free scalar propagators join a field to its adjoint:Contractions , and mixed-species contractions vanish. With all momenta incoming, the Feynman vertices areThe two identical light legs cancel the in each cubic interaction vertex; there is no remaining factor in its Feynman rule. Multiply each Feynman vertex by , and integrate an internal unconstrained four-momentum with .
Charged scalar propagators and vertices, with arrows following positive conserved charge and heavy arrows carrying two units
. Details. The arrows in the figure follow positive Noether charge: a light arrow carries one unit and a heavy arrow two. Consequently a heavy particle travels opposite its charge arrow, whereas its antiparticle travels along it. At a Feynman vertex, two unit-charge arrows enter and a two-unit arrow leaves; the conjugate Feynman vertex reverses every arrow. The quartic Feynman vertex has one incoming and one outgoing arrow of each weight. These rules prevent attaching a propagator between two unconjugated fields.
Past exam of the quantum field theory course of the University of Oxford 2025 2 c ii Solution 2026-10-25
Keep the particle labels specified under 2. There are two connected tree-level Feynman diagrams: the quartic contact interaction vertex and an -channel light antiparticle exchange. The initial Noether charge is , exactly the charge of . At the first cubic Feynman vertex, the incoming and leave the second leg internal; the conjugate Feynman vertex supplies both outgoing particles.
Scattering of a light particle and a heavy particle, with contact and s-channel light-antiparticle exchange diagrams
. Details. The distinction from antiparticles matters. If the paper's heavy “ particle” is instead intended to mean the charge- state , so that its printed decay into is allowed, the exchange diagram is crossed. For that alternative physical process,This is a consistent alternative naming convention only if it is also applied to the decay in iii; one cannot use the same heavy particle label for both charge assignments.
Set , so . Expanding the minimally coupled Lagrangian density givesThus there is a derivative cubic interaction vertex of order , and a quartic interaction vertex of order . There is no pure contact term in this minimal coupling theory, nor an Abelian three-photon interaction vertex.
Cubic and quartic charged-vector vertices, and the two photon-exchange channels for identical charged vector bosons
. Details. The straight arrowed lines in the original schematic denote charged massive vector bosons; the wavy lines denote photons. For two identical positively charged vector bosons, the leading scattering amplitude has the order- -channel photon-exchange Feynman diagram, together with its -channel interchange required by identical bosons. A quartic interaction vertex cannot directly attach four external massive vector bosons. For a particle-antiparticle incoming pair, the leading channels instead are -channel exchange and -channel photon annihilation. The shown arrows track charge flow; an outgoing charged particle corresponds to the conjugate field at a vertex.
Slavnov-Taylor identity 2026-10-25
A Slavnov-Taylor identity is a BRST symmetry constraint relating correlation functions or interaction vertices in a gauge-fixed Non-Abelian gauge theory. Unlike a simple statement that every open gauge index is transverse, the general identities include Faddeev-Popov ghost fields. After putting external legs on shell and making all the other external states physical, they imply decoupling when one massless vector polarization vector is replaced by its four-momentum. They also control cancellations of auxiliary covariant components needed for physical unitarity.


