Past exam of the theoretical physics I course of the University of Cambridge / 2018 / 4 / b

Use $x^{\mu }=(t,x)$ and Minkowski metric ${\eta }^{\mu \nu }=\mathrm{diag}(1,-1)$, with the wave speed equal to one. Regarding $\varphi$ as a scalar field, the symmetric canonical stress-energy tensor isIt obeys ${\partial }_{\mu }{T}^{\mu \nu }=0$ on the wave equation. For a scalar field the intrinsic spin current vanishes. The total orbital Lorentz current and its integrated angular-momentum tensor areBecause there is only one spatial dimension, its only independent possibly nonzero component iswhere $P=\int pdx$. The corresponding flux is ${\mathcal{J}}^{101}=t\mathcal{E}-xp$. Symmetry and conservation of $T$ giveThus $J^{01}$ is conserved provided the boundary flux vanishes and the integrals exist. For example, localized wave packets on an infinite line have this property. One can also check directly that $d\int x\mathcal{E}dx/dt=P$, so the two terms in $J^{01}$ have cancelling derivatives.

The significance is the boost charge of a one-dimensional scalar field. There is no independent spatial rotation or ordinary spatial angular-momentum component in one dimension. Instead, the action has the mathematical Lorentz invariance of a massless wave field with invariant speed $c_s=1$, and $J^{01}$ generates its boost. Its conservation says that the center of energy moves uniformly. This is a symmetry of the ideal wave-field model, rather than an assertion of fundamental vacuum Lorentz symmetry for a material rod. Fixed boundaries can break it, and a general solution with nonvanishing boundary flux need not conserve the integrated charge.