Past exam of the quantum field theory course of the University of Oxford 2019 3 b Solution 2026-10-25
Variation of the action with respect to the independent Dirac adjoint gives . The gamma matrices chosen in a make the Dirac equationMultiplication by gives the equivalent Dirac Hamiltonian formFor a plane wave , where is the signed one-dimensional momentum, the equation isA nonzero spinor exists precisely when the determinant vanishes:For , one possible unnormalized spinor solution is . Alternatively, follows from the Pauli matrix multiplication law, proving the same relativistic energy-momentum relation. Acting on the Dirac equation with also shows that each component satisfies , the Klein-Gordon equation.
Past exam of the quantum field theory course of the University of Oxford 2019 3 c Solution 2026-10-25
In the chirality basis of a, the two rows of the Dirac Hamiltonian equation giveThe Dirac mass term thus couples the two opposite chirality components. In particular, the Lagrangian density isFor , the coupling disappears and the massless Dirac equation splits into the independent transport equationsThese are the two chiral transport equations in two spacetime dimensions. The chiral projectors are and ; in this basis they simply select the upper and lower components.