Relativistic quantum field

Microcausality requires local bosonic observables at spacelike separation to commute. For a free real scalar field, the field commutator is the difference of its two Wightman functions; it vanishes at equal time and, by Lorentz invariance, at every spacelike separation. Nonzero spacelike vacuum correlations do not violate this condition, since a correlation is different from the response to a local intervention. Odd fermionic fields satisfy a corresponding spacelike anticommutation condition, while physical even local observables commute.

For a free complex scalar field, independent particle annihilators and antiparticle creators giveThe invariant mass shell integral vanishes at spacelike separation: transform to equal time, then reverse the spatial momentum in one term. Retaining only the particle-annihilation term would leave a Wightman function, which is generally nonzero even at spacelike separation. Thus both frequency branches are needed for a local relativistic field. For a real scalar field, the creation term supplies the same cancellation but creates the same self-conjugate particle species.

A free massive spin-two field is a symmetric tensor obeying a massive Klein-Gordon equation, vanishing divergence, and vanishing trace. Its rest-frame polarizations form the symmetric traceless square of the $SO(D-1)$ vector, with $(D-2)(D+1)/2$ degrees of freedom.

When ${\partial }_{-}$ is invertible, divergence determines components with a plus index from $h_{--},h_{-I},h_{IJ}$. The trace constraint fixes the trace of $h_{IJ}$. The remaining transverse group representations are a symmetric traceless square, a vector representation, and a scalar.

In units with $\hslash =1$, the inverse lifetime of an unstable particle. A neutral meson mixing effective Hamiltonian operator incorporates decay through its anti-Hermitian part $-i\Gamma /2$.

The sum of the partial decay widths over mutually exclusive final channels. It determines the unstable state's mean lifetime through $\tau =\hslash /{\Gamma }_{\mathrm{tot}}$. A new open channel increases the total width even when an existing channel's partial width remains unchanged.

The normalized difference of two decay rates. An asymmetry between different final states is not automatically a test of CP violation; the physical meaning depends on which rates are compared.

The contribution of a specified decay channel to the total decay width. In an exponential-decay description, its probability rate is ${\lambda }_i={\Gamma }_i/\hslash$, the total width is $\Gamma ={\sum }_i{\Gamma }_i=\hslash /\tau$, and its branching fraction is ${\Gamma }_i/\Gamma$. Channels must be specified consistently, including any inclusive treatment of unresolved radiation. A partial decay width has energy units rather than inverse-time units.

For an unstable particle undergoing exponential decay in its rest frame, the decay waiting time has an exponential distribution with mean $\tau$. Its probability of surviving to time $t\ge 0$ is $e^{-t/\tau }$, and its total decay width is $\Gamma =\hslash /\tau$. In units $\hslash =1$, $\tau =1/\Gamma$.

The mean lifetime of an unstable particle measured in its rest frame, using elapsed proper time. In the exponential decay model, survival to proper time $\tau$ has probability $e^{-\tau /{\tau }_0}$. For constant Lorentz factor $\gamma$, time dilation gives laboratory mean lifetime $\gamma {\tau }_0$. A mean lifetime is a statistical mean, rather than a fixed decay time.

For a freely moving unstable particle of fixed speed $v=\beta c$ and proper mean lifetime ${\tau }_0$, the mean travelled distance before decay is ${\ell }_d=v\gamma {\tau }_0$. Survival beyond distance $L$ has probability $e^{-L/{\ell }_d}$, since elapsed proper time is $L/(\gamma v)$. For rest mass $m$ and three-momentum magnitude $p$, ${\ell }_d=p{\tau }_0/m$.

A branching fraction is the probability that a decay occurs through a particular mutually exclusive channel, equal to its partial decay width divided by the total decay width. Inclusive channel fractions sum to one. Rounding displayed fractions can make their numerical sum differ from one.

An inclusive branching fraction sums many exclusive final states. A clean reconstruction mode can be experimentally attractive without dominating the total decay rate. For example, the J/psi has useful electron-pair and muon-pair decays, but predominantly decays to hadrons inclusively. Detector acceptance, branching fraction and background rejection jointly determine the usefulness of a channel.^[ref]

The invariant decay amplitude is the transition matrix element for one incoming particle and a specified on-shell final state, with the overall momentum delta function factored out. For covariantly normalized states, write the connected S-matrix element as $i(2\pi {)}^4{\delta }^4(p_i-p_f)\mathcal{M}(i\to f)$. Its overall phase does not affect the decay width. The rate is $\Gamma =(2M_i{)}^{-1}{\sum }_{\mathrm{spins}}\int d{\Phi }_f|\mathcal{M}{|}^2$, with the initial spin average included when the initial state is unpolarized. For a spin-zero parent and an angle-independent two-body amplitude, the two-body Lorentz-invariant phase space gives $\Gamma =|\mathbf{k}|\sum |\mathcal{M}{|}^2/(8\pi M_i^2)$. In leptonic pion decay, contracting the axial hadronic matrix element with the chiral weak charged current makes this amplitude proportional to the charged-lepton mass, proving helicity suppression.

An absorptive phase arises from physical intermediate states or rescattering in a decay amplitude. For a pair of CP symmetry conjugate reactions with otherwise symmetric dynamics, this phase is the same in both amplitudes, whereas a weak phase changes sign. Their differing transformation laws allow interference to produce a direct CP asymmetry.

An unpolarized decay of a massive spin-one particle averages the squared amplitude over three parent spin states. Its polarization sum is $-{\eta }_{\mu \nu }+p_{\mu }{p}_{\nu }/m^2$. For a conserved external current the longitudinal $p_{\mu }{p}_{\nu }$ term drops out, but this does not replace the spin average by $1/2$: the physical massive parent still has three states.

For a pseudoscalar meson of mass $M$ decaying into a pseudoscalar meson of mass $m$ and two massless leptons through a weak charged current, the transverse massless leptonic current selects $f_{+}(s)$. With hadronic current normalized as $(p+k{)}^{\mu }{f}_{+}(s)+(p-k{)}^{\mu }{f}_{-}(s)$ and flavour coefficient $V$,The Källén function has mass dimension four, and the coefficient has mass dimension $-7$. This decay rate assumes the stated form-factor normalization and no additional isospin factor. It follows by the integrated massless leptonic tensor and the pion momentum change of variable in the parent's centre-of-momentum frame.

For two outgoing particles the Lorentz-invariant phase space is $d{\Phi }_2=(2\pi {)}^4{\delta }^{(4)}(p-k-k^{\prime })d^{3}k/((2\pi {)}^{3}2E_k)d^3{k}^{\prime }/((2\pi {)}^{3}2E_{k^{\prime }})$. With massless daughters in their center-of-mass frame, $d{\Phi }_2=d\Omega /(32{\pi }^2)$ and $\int d{\Phi }_2=1/(8\pi )$. This fixes normalization factors in decay widths and scattering rates.

A display of three-body final states in two independent pairwise squared invariant masses. For a parent of mass $M$ decaying into daughters of masses $m_1,m_2,m_3$, four-momentum conservation gives $s_{12}+s_{13}+s_{23}=M^2+m_1^2+m_2^2+m_3^2$. A narrow intermediate two-body resonance fixes one pairwise invariant mass and appears as a band.

At fixed $s=s_{13}$, use $E_2^{\ast }=(M^2-m_2^2-s)/(2\sqrt{s})$ and $E_3^{\ast }=(s+m_3^2-m_1^2)/(2\sqrt{s})$ in the 13-pair rest frame. The endpoint values of its relative cosine give the displayed Dalitz plot boundary. The momenta are fixed by the Källén function; $(m_1+m_3{)}^2\le s\le (M-m_2{)}^2$. Integrating $s_{23}^{+}-s_{23}^{-}$ gives the invariant-coordinate area, whose phase-space normalization still contains $M^{-2}$.

After integrating the overall orientation of a scalar-parent three-body decay, the Lorentz-invariant phase space is constant in two pairwise squared invariant masses. The two-body factorization $d{\Phi }_3=dsd{\Phi }_2(M;\sqrt{s},m_2)d{\Phi }_2(\sqrt{s};m_1,m_3)/(2\pi )$ and the relative-angle Jacobian give the displayed density. The event density includes $|\mathcal{M}{|}^2/(2M)$ and need not be flat: a resonance produces bands. Identical-particle counting supplies its usual global symmetry factor.

For three massive daughters with a smooth nonzero decay amplitude at the decay threshold, the integrated Lorentz-invariant phase space vanishes as $Q^2$, where $Q$ is the parent's mass minus the sum of daughter masses. The spatial Dirac delta function leaves six independent momentum coordinates. Rescaling each by $Q^{1/2}$ contributes $Q^3$, while the conservation of energy Dirac delta function contributes $Q^{-1}$. The factors $1/(2E)$ are smooth nonzero constants at the decay threshold. Thus the decay width also scales as $Q^2$ when the decay amplitude has a nonzero constant term. A vanishing decay amplitude, a massless daughter, or a threshold singularity can change this law. In three spatial dimensions the same argument gives $Q^{(3N-5)/2}$ for $N$ massive daughters.

For one daughter of mass $m$ and two massless daughters, set $r=m^2/M^2$, where $M$ is the parent mass. In natural units, integrating over all directions and all kinematically allowed final momenta givesThis follows by splitting the final state into a massless spectator and a two-particle cluster of invariant squared mass $s$, and using $d{\Phi }_3=d{\Phi }_2(M;\sqrt{s},0)d{\Phi }_2(\sqrt{s};m,0)ds/(2\pi )$. The expression counts phase space alone; a physical decay rate must weight it with the squared decay amplitude. Near threshold the dimensionless factor vanishes as $(1-r{)}^3/3$.

For two distinct massless final particles in their centre-of-momentum frame, integrating the energy-momentum delta function gives $d{\Phi }_2=d\Omega /(32{\pi }^2)$. A massless two-particle initial state has flux $2s$, hence $d\sigma /d\cos \theta =\overline{|\mathcal{M}{|}^2}/(32\pi s)$. Average only over the initial spin states physically present.

For two distinct massless final particles, $d{\Phi }_2/d\Omega =1/(32{\pi }^2)$ in the centre-of-mass frame. The invariant initial flux is $4p_1\cdot p_2=2s$. Their ratio gives the displayed differential cross-section. Equivalently the denominator is $128{\pi }^2{p}_1\cdot p_2$. Initial spins are averaged and final spins and colors summed when defining an inclusive unpolarized cross-section; averaging final colors would change the observable.

A Lorentz four-vector coefficient selecting a spin-one polarization in a mode expansion of a free field. Its allowed components depend on the field equations and gauge fixing.

The sum over the two physical transverse photon polarization vectors is not the full tensor $-{\eta }_{\mu \nu }$. It differs by gauge-dependent terms proportional to the photon four-momentum. When the amplitude satisfies the Ward identity, those terms vanish on contraction and one may use $-{\eta }_{\mu \nu }$ as a replacement inside the squared amplitude. This replacement must not be mistaken for a free-standing equality of physical polarization tensors.

A physical polarization of a massive spin-one gauge boson whose spatial polarization points along its spatial momentum. Together with two transverse polarizations it supplies the three physical spin states. In the Higgs mechanism, a broken-direction Goldstone boson supplies this extra state as the gauge boson acquires mass.

Two orthonormal transverse polarization vectors span the plane perpendicular to a nonzero momentum. Summing their dyadic products gives the spatial transverse projector. It has trace and rank two and acts as the identity on physical photon polarizations.

For $m>0$, the three physical polarization vectors are transverse to $k$ and have norm $-1$ in metric $(+---)$. In the rest frame their sum is $\mathrm{diag}(0,1,1,1)$; Lorentz covariance then gives the displayed expression for $k^2=m^2$. This includes the longitudinal mode. It cannot be specialized to $m=0$ by setting its denominator to zero.

A timelike basis polarization in covariant photon quantization has positive Minkowski metric squared length, conventionally ${ϵ}^{0\mu }=(1,0)$ with signature $(+,-,-,-)$. It is distinct from the spatial longitudinal polarization ${ϵ}^{3\mu }=(0,\hat{\mathbf{p}})$. The extra minus sign in the covariant oscillator commutator makes its one-photon state a negative-norm photon state. Neither this temporal polarization nor an isolated longitudinal photon survives the Gupta-Bleuler null-state quotient.

The Fierz-Pauli equations describe a free massive spin-two field. A symmetric tensor $h_{\mu \nu }$ obeys the Klein-Gordon equation together with ${\partial }^{\mu }{h}_{\mu \nu }=0$ and $h^{\mu }{}_{\mu }=0$, leaving five propagating polarizations in four dimensions.

A free Dirac field has Lagrangian density $\mathcal{L}=i\bar{\psi }{\gamma }^{\mu }{\partial }_{\mu }\psi -m\bar{\psi }\psi$ and obeys the Dirac equation.

For Minkowski metric $\mathrm{diag}(1,-1)$, the displayed gamma matrices satisfy the Clifford algebra and ${\gamma }^5={\gamma }^0{\gamma }^1$ has chirality eigenvalues $+1,-1$. Ordering the spinor as $({\psi }_R,{\psi }_L{)}^{\mathsf{T}}$ gives $i({\partial }_t+{\partial }_x){\psi }_R=m{\psi }_L$ and $i({\partial }_t-{\partial }_x){\psi }_L=m{\psi }_R$. A plane wave has the Dirac Hamiltonian $p{\sigma }_3+m{\sigma }_1$, whose square is $(p^2+m^2)1$, proving $E^2=p^2+m^2$.

For the coordinate Lorentz boost $t^{\prime }=t\cosh \alpha +x\sinh \alpha$, $x^{\prime }=t\sinh \alpha +x\cosh \alpha$, the spinor convention ${\psi }^{\prime }(x^{\prime })=S\psi (x)$ gives $S=\exp (\alpha {\gamma }^5/2)$. In the Dirac field in two spacetime dimensions basis, this yields the displayed weights. The derivatives ${\partial }_t+{\partial }_x$ and ${\partial }_t-{\partial }_x$ scale by $e^{-\alpha }$ and $e^{\alpha }$, respectively, so the two kinetic terms are invariant. Opposite weights cancel in the Dirac mass term. Reversing the coordinate boost convention reverses both exponents.

The massless Dirac equation in one spatial dimension separates into opposite chirality sectors. Its initial profiles evolve as ${\psi }_R(t,x)=f(x-t)$ and ${\psi }_L(t,x)=h(x+t)$, by the chain rule along the straight characteristics. Thus wave packets translate without distortion at the speed of light. A nonzero Dirac mass term couples the two sectors, so these separate rigid-translation formulas do not apply to a massive field.

For gamma matrices ${\gamma }^0={\sigma }_3$, ${\gamma }^1=i{\sigma }_1$, ${\gamma }^2=i{\sigma }_2$ and Minkowski metric $\mathrm{diag}(1,-1,-1)$, a one-axis spatial reflection acts with ${\gamma }^1$ on the two-component Dirac field. It preserves the kinetic term and reverses the Dirac mass term. Time reversal acts with ${\gamma }^2$ and includes conjugation of the operator coefficients; it has the same mass reversal. Their composition preserves a real mass. Charge conjugation can use ${\psi }_C={\gamma }^1{\psi }^{\ast }$, because ${\gamma }^{\mu }{\gamma }^1=-{\gamma }^1{\gamma }^{\mu \ast }$. The mass bilinear is charge-conjugation even when Grassmann field exchange signs are included, and the kinetic action is invariant up to a boundary term. These statements concern the classical free action.

For a Dirac field with a global phase symmetry, fermion number is the vacuum-subtracted charge of the Dirac current. In a mode expansion it counts particles minus antiparticles, with the overall sign fixed by the chosen generator convention. It is distinct from the total number of fermionic excitations and from fermion parity, which can survive even when interactions violate the continuous charge.

A Dirac field theory invariant under $\psi \mapsto e^{i\alpha }\psi$, $\bar{\psi }\mapsto e^{-i\alpha }\bar{\psi }$ has a conserved global charge, subject to the quantum theory preserving the symmetry. In particle language this charge counts particles minus antiparticles. When the S-matrix commutes with it, a scattering amplitude between states of different charge vanishes. A neutral scalar and a Yukawa interaction preserve the charge, so a process with one incoming Dirac particle and only one outgoing Dirac antiparticle plus neutral particles is forbidden. This net charge is distinct from a sum of positive occupation numbers for all particle and antiparticle modes.

A local expression containing two fermion fields and a matrix acting on Dirac spinor indices. The choices $\Gamma ={\gamma }^{\mu }$ and $\Gamma ={\gamma }^{\mu }{\gamma }^5$ give the Dirac current and axial current.

A fermion bilinear transforming as a Lorentz four-vector. For a single Dirac field this is the Dirac current; distinct flavours can give a charged or flavour-changing current.

The mode expansion of a free Dirac field decomposes it into positive-frequency particle modes and negative-frequency antiparticle modes:The operators $b^s$ and $d^s$ obey fermionic anticommutation relations.

The positive occupation operators are $N_e={\sum }_s\int d^{3}p{a}_{\mathbf{p}}^{s†}{a}_{\mathbf{p}}^s/(2\pi {)}^3$ and $N_{\bar{e}}={\sum }_s\int d^{3}p{b}_{\mathbf{p}}^{s†}{b}_{\mathbf{p}}^s/(2\pi {)}^3$. Both commute with the free Hamiltonian. The normal-ordered local density integral $\int :{\psi }^{†}\psi :d^{3}x$ is their difference, not their sum. It generates the global phase symmetry. For electron charge $-e$, electric charge is $-eQ$. Pair creation can change total occupation while preserving this net charge.

An antiparticle has the same mass and spin as its particle and opposite additive internal charges. In a relativistic quantum field, antiparticles are created by the negative-frequency part of the field expansion.

The antiparticle of a fermion. In a Dirac field, its external wavefunctions are the negative-frequency $v$ spinors, while its physical energy is positive. Fermion-number arrows on Feynman diagrams run opposite an antifermion's physical momentum.

The antiproton is the antiparticle of the proton: it has the same rest mass and spin $1/2$, with opposite electric charge and baryon number. A negative electric charge alone cannot identify an antiproton, because a negative pion also bends in that direction in a magnetic field. Combining magnetic rigidity with velocity determines a rest mass; agreement with the proton rest mass then makes the identification much more discriminating.

The mode expansion of a Dirac field explains how independent particle and antiparticle excitations enter a relativistic field description. It supplies a theoretical language for the antiproton, while the Chamberlain-Segrè antiproton identification supplies an experimental test. The proton is a composite baryon, so a free Dirac field is not a complete account of its internal dynamics or of antiproton production in a target.

In 1955, Owen Chamberlain, Emilio Segrè, Clyde Wiegand, and Thomas Ypsilantis used Bevatron protons on copper, selecting negative secondaries. Magnetic fields selected $p=1.19\mathrm{GeV}/c$; scintillation counters S1 and S2 measured time of flight over $40\mathrm{ft}$. Cherenkov detector C1 flagged $\beta >0.79$; C2 accepted $0.75<\beta <0.78$ after material losses. S3 checked traversal. The cuts rejected negative pions.^[ref]

Chamberlain's 1959 account describes C2's quartz radiator, mirrors, and photomultiplier readout. The trigger combined delayed scintillation counter signals with C2; photographed oscilloscope traces exposed fast particles and accidental coincidences through C1 pulses or extra pulses. Reversing the magnetic fields provided a positive-proton control and revealed an alignment error. Changing selected momentum at fixed velocity acceptance tested for a proton-mass peak.^[ref]

Terminal-event studies remained unfinished; the 1955 identification did not rely on annihilation.^[ref]

The logic is useful far beyond this experiment. A magnetic field separates electric charge signs and magnetic rigidity, but particles of different rest masses can share both. A time of flight signal adds velocity, while a Cherenkov detector independently checks whether that velocity is plausible. An accidental coincidence can imitate the delay of a slow particle without being one particle traversing the apparatus. Agreement between independent measurements is therefore part of the inference, rather than a redundant decoration.

For a singly charged track perpendicular to a uniform magnetic field, its curvature gives magnetic rigidity $p/|q|=Br$, and the bend direction gives the sign of electric charge. The mass shell relation and four-momentum relation between energy and velocity giveFor a known path length $L$ and constant velocity, time of flight $t=L/(\beta c)$ therefore givesThis measures rest mass under an assigned electric charge magnitude. Curvature alone measures $p/|q|$, so independent evidence for $|q|=e$ matters. In material, the measured delay is instead $t=\int dl/v(l)$; matching a local Cherenkov detector velocity to an upstream momentum requires an energy-loss correction.

As an original illustrative calculation, choose $p=1.20\mathrm{GeV}/c$ and $L=12.0\mathrm{m}$, with rounded input rest energies $m_p{c}^2=0.93827\mathrm{GeV}$ and $m_{\pi }{c}^2=0.13957\mathrm{GeV}$. Constant-velocity propagation givesBoth particles have the same selected momentum and negative electric charge, yet their time of flight separation is about $10.51\mathrm{ns}$. These are calculated values for a deliberately simplified example, not measured discovery events.

For example, the toy energy loss changes the central antiproton velocity from $0.7878c$ to $0.7745c$. Directly substituting the slower downstream value together with the upstream momentum would overestimate the rest mass. The two panels thus describe different stages of a deliberately specified model; their numerical consistency depends on propagating energy between stages. Likewise, the scattered-pion markers represent an erroneous C2 response, not actual slow pions; an upstream C1 signal still rejects them.

The fixed-target production threshold concerns the incident accelerator beam, whereas antiproton mass from momentum and velocity concerns an outgoing secondary beam. To see the distinction, consider a free proton hitting a stationary free proton, producingThe final electric charge is $+2e$ and final baryon number is $3-1=2$, as initially. Approximate all four final rest masses by the same proton rest mass $m$. With metric signature $(+---)$, define the squared centre-of-mass energy by $W^2=c^2(P_1+P_2{)}^2$. The incident proton has total energy $E=m{c}^2+K$, and the target four-momentum is $(mc,0)$. Four-momentum conservation and the mass shell relation giveAt threshold the four final particles have zero relative momentum in their centre-of-momentum frame, so $W_{\mathrm{thr}}=4m{c}^2$. HenceOnly $2m{c}^2$ of new rest energy is created. The larger incident kinetic energy is required because the final system must also carry the initial laboratory momentum. The incident total energy at threshold is $7m{c}^2$; neither this nor $K_{\mathrm{thr}}$ is the selected secondary momentum.