Past exam of the theoretical physics major option course of the University of Oxford / 2017 / 6 / a

Introduce three independent local parameters ${\alpha }_j(x)$. A consistent convention for the three Abelian gauge transformations isIndeed, $g(B_{\mu }^k-q{B}_{\mu }^{k+1})$ shifts by $-{\partial }_{\mu }({\alpha }_k-q{\alpha }_{k+1})$, cancelling the derivative of the scalar phase. Thus $D_{\mu }{\varphi }_k$ transforms by the same phase as ${\varphi }_k$. The two kinetic terms, the absolute-value potentials and all Abelian field strengths are invariant.

In units where the gauge coupling is $g$, the charge vectors under the three factors areLocally this is the gauge algebra of $U(1{)}^3$. To interpret it globally as three compact circle groups, the charges must belong to a compatible charge lattice: in the stated unit-charge convention integer $q$ is sufficient, while arbitrary irrational $q$ is not a single-valued compact-group representation. The local transformations and mass calculation remain meaningful for general positive real $q$ as a Lie-algebra calculation, or with noncompact Abelian factors.