Past exam of the quantum field theory course of the University of Oxford / 2018 / 1

Divide the infinitesimal variation by its constant parameter $\alpha$, so the transformation generator is $(\delta {\varphi }_1,\delta {\varphi }_2)=({\varphi }_2,-{\varphi }_1)$. The variation of the kinetic term isand that of ${\varphi }_1^2+{\varphi }_2^2$ is $2{\varphi }_1{\varphi }_2-2{\varphi }_2{\varphi }_1=0$. Thus the Lagrangian density is invariant pointwise, without a nonzero boundary current. The finite transformation is a rotation of the two real scalar fields, giving an SO(2) global symmetry in field theory.

Noether's theorem supplies the parameter-independent Noether currentIts divergence is ${\partial }_{\mu }{j}^{\mu }={\varphi }_2\square {\varphi }_1-{\varphi }_1\square {\varphi }_2$, since the first-derivative terms cancel. Both fields obey the same Klein-Gordon equation, so this vanishes on solutions. With spatial boundary conditions giving zero flux at infinity, the Noether charge isA finite box with periodic boundary conditions works as well. The spatial integral is conserved because the local continuity equation converts its time derivative into a boundary flux; neither vanishing local current nor constant individual fields is required. Equivalently, $\Phi =({\varphi }_1+i{\varphi }_2)/\sqrt{2}$ transforms as $\Phi \mapsto e^{-i\alpha }\Phi$, exhibiting the equivalent global U(1) symmetry and fixing the sign of the generator.

The canonical momenta are ${\pi }_k={\dot{\varphi }}_k$, soDifferent species commute at equal times, so these products have no ordering ambiguity and $Q$ is Hermitian. Write ${\int }_{\mathbf{p}}=\int d^{3}p/(2\pi {)}^3$. Substituting the mode expansion of a free field and using the spatial Fourier transform identity givesSubtract the expression with species interchanged. The two-annihilator terms cancel after $\mathbf{p}\mapsto -\mathbf{p}$, as do the two-creator terms. Commuting different species in the remaining terms yieldsThere is no infinite vacuum contribution to the Noether charge to subtract: the contractions that would generate a species-diagonal constant are absent.

The bosonic canonical commutation relations giveDefine the creation operatorsTheir commutators with $Q$ are $[Q,c_{\pm }^{†}]=\pm c_{\pm }^{†}$. Since $Q|0⟩=0$, the one-particle states haveThe fixed-momentum states are delta-function normalized; a square-integrable wave packet of either species is a normalizable state with the same Noether charge eigenvalue. In this basis $Q={\int }_{\mathbf{p}}(c_{+}^{†}{c}_{+}-c_{-}^{†}{c}_{-})$, so it measures a difference of occupation numbers. The equal-time identity $i[Q,{\varphi }_1]={\varphi }_2$, $i[Q,{\varphi }_2]=-{\varphi }_1$ independently checks the sign against a.

Take the free squared mass $m^2\ge 0$, as for the ordinary massive free theory. The quartic part of the scalar potential can be writtenIt is nonnegative for every real field value exactly whenNecessity follows from the axis ${\varphi }_2=0$ and the diagonal ${\varphi }_1={\varphi }_2$: a negative coefficient on either ray makes $V$ tend to minus infinity under rescaling. The displayed sum proves sufficiency, since $m^2({\varphi }_1^2+{\varphi }_2^2)/2$ is also nonnegative. This is a copositive matrix condition on the quadratic form in the nonnegative variables $({\varphi }_1^2,{\varphi }_2^2)$, rather than positive definiteness on all independent signed variables.

The strict inequalities $\lambda >0$, $\kappa >-\lambda$ make the quartic part grow in every nonzero direction. They are not necessary for a stable vacuum when $m^2>0$. For example, $\lambda =\kappa =0$ gives two stable free massive fields; $\lambda >0$, $\kappa =-\lambda$ has a flat quartic diagonal but a confining quadratic term. If $m^2=0$, boundary cases have flat vacuum directions and need not have a unique isolated minimum. If one instead allows negative squared mass, a flat quartic ray makes the full potential unbounded below; the stability conditions must then be strengthened. This distinguishes boundedness from strict quartic coercivity.

Under the generator of a, the variation isIt vanishes identically if and only if $\kappa =\lambda$. In that case $V_4=\lambda ({\varphi }_1^2+{\varphi }_2^2{)}^2$ preserves the entire global U(1) symmetry. More explicitly, the interacting Euler-Lagrange equations giveHenceA special solution lying on an axis does not establish an operator conservation law. Among the stable couplings, the symmetry-preserving line is $\kappa =\lambda \ge 0$.