Assignment 3: Relativistic Quantum Mechanics

The problems marked with asterisk were discussed in the class.

1. Klein-Gordon equation
(a) From t 0 = γ(t − v x), x 0 = γ(x − v t ), show that the operator ∂2 /∂t 2 − ∂2 /∂x 2 is invariant under such a
Lorentz transformation, i.e., show that

∂2 ∂2 ∂2 ∂2
− = − .
∂t 2 ∂x 2 ∂t 0 2 ∂x 0 2
µ
Prove the same directly from the transformation property of a four-vector: x µ → x 0 = Λµ ν x ν , and
µ
Λµ ν Λν α = δα .
(b) Starting from the Klein-Gordon Lagrangian density

1 1
L = (∂µ φ)(∂µ φ) − m 2 φ2 ,
2 2

find the momentum canonically conjugate to φ, given by π = ∂L /∂φ̇. Hence show that the Hamilto-
nian density H = πφ̇ − L is given by

1 1 1
H = φ̇2 + ∇ φ · ∇ φ + m 2 φ2 .
2 2 2

2. Playing with the γ-matrices

(a) Prove the following identities:
(i) Tr(γ5 ) = 0 [Hint: Write γ5 = i γ0 γ1 γ2 γ3 and apply cyclicity of trace.]
(ii) Tr(γµ γ5 ) = 0
(iii) Tr(γµ γν γ5 ) = 0 [Hint: Do this first for µ = ν and then for µ 6= ν.]
*(iv) Trace of the product of any odd-numbered γ-matrices is zero. [Hint: Use the fact γ25 = 1. Write
γµ γν ....γα as γ25 γµ γν ....γα , push one γ5 to the right using {γµ , γ5 } = 0, and then use the cyclicity of
trace.]
*(v) Tr γµ γν γα γβ = 4 g µν g αβ − g µα g νβ + g µβ g να
¡ ¢ ¡ ¢

*(vi) γµ γα γβ γρ γµ = −2γρ γβ γα
¢† ¢† ¢†
(b) Show that ψ1 ψ2 = ψ2 ψ1 , ψ1 γµ ψ2 = ψ2 γµ ψ1 , and ψ1 γµ (1 − γ5 )ψ2 = ψ2 γµ (1 − γ5 )ψ1 .
¡ ¡ ¡

T
(c) The charge-conjugated Dirac wavefunction ψC can be written as ψC = C γ0 ψ∗ = C ψ where
C γ0 γµ ∗ = −γµC γ0 . It has been shown that C = i γ2 γ0 is a good choice in the Dirac-Pauli represen-
tation. From this, show that C −1 = C T = C † = −C .
(d) Show that ψC = −ψT C −1 .

3. Helicity and chirality

*(a) In the Weyl representation,
−σ 0
µ ¶ µ ¶
0 1
α= , β= .
0 σ 1 0
Here, all the blocks denoted in bold are 2 × 2 matrices themselves. Find the matrix representation of
γ5 in the Weyl representation.
(b) What similarity transformation takes you to the Weyl representation from the Dirac-Pauli repre-
sentation? [Hint: Find which matrix is diagonal in the Weyl representation. You just have to diago-
nalise the corresponding matrix in the Dirac-Pauli representation.]

1
 *(c) Write the Dirac wavefunction as the direct sum of two 2-component wavefunctions ψR and ψL so
that
ψL
µ ¶
ψ= , P L ψ = ψL , P R ψ = ψR .
ψR

Show that ψL = ψP R , and ψR = ψP L . Hence show that

ψψ = ψR ψL + ψL ψR , ψγµ ψ = ψR γµ ψR + ψL γµ ψL .

(d) Show that the Dirac Hamiltonian can be written as H = γ0 γ · p + γ0 m. Hence show that the chi-
rality projection operators P R and P L do not commute with H . (It is enough to show that [H , γ5 ] 6= 0.)
However, show that [H , γ5 ] = 0 for a massless spin- 21 fermion. This shows that chirality is not a good
quantum number unless the fermion is massless.
(e) You have already shown that [H , S] = 2i α × p, where

σ 0
µ ¶
S= .
0 σ

From this, show that the helicity operator h = 12 S · p̂ commutes with the Dirac Hamiltonian:
[H , h] = 0. This shows that helicity is a good quantum number, but for a massive fermion, it is not
Lorentz invariant.

4. Dirac equation
*(a) Show that, with ψ(x) ∼ u(p)e −i px , the Dirac equation (i γµ ∂µ − m)ψ(x) = 0 can be written as
± ±
(p −m)u(p) = 0. Also show that the adjoint equation gives u(p)(p −m) = 0. What are the correspond-
ing equations for the negative energy solutions ψ(x) ∼ v(p)e i px ?
(b) Suppose you start with a Lagrangian L = ψ(i ∂µ γµ +m)ψ, i.e., a Lagrangian with a wrong-sign mass
term. Show that by the chiral rotation defined as ψ0 = γ5 ψ, one can get a right-sign mass term written
in terms of ψ0 . Use the properties of γ5 . As ψ0 is as good a spinor as ψ, this shows that the sign of the
mass term in the Dirac Lagrangian is not important; it can always be fixed with a chiral rotation. This
is obviously not true for a spin-0 particle satisfying the KG equation.
(c) Show that, for charge conjugation and parity,

(ψC )L = (ψR )C , (ψP )L = (ψR )P .

(d) From the form of γ0 in the Weyl representation, show that under the parity transformation, ψL
goes to ψR and vice versa.
*(e) A meson (or a positronium) is a fermion-antifermion bound state. Parity of this state is defined as
the orbital parity times the intrinsic parities of the two components. Show that the parity eigenvalue
is −(−1)L , where L is the orbital angular momentum. Why doesn’t the spin play a part here?

5. The completeness relation

*(a) You have learnt that the momentum-space wavefunctions u(p) can be written as

φ(i ) p
µ ¶ µ ¶ µ ¶
1 0
u (i ) (p) = N σ.p (i ) , with N = E + m , φ(1)
= , φ(2)
= .
E +m φ 0 1

(i ) † (i )
i =1,2 φ φ = 1, the 2 × 2 unit matrix.
P
First, show that

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 *(b) Show that in the Dirac-Pauli representation,
µ ¶
E −σ.p
p = p µ γµ = E γ0 − γ.p =
±
.
σ.p −E

*(c) Hence prove the completeness relation

u (i ) (p)u (i ) (p) = p + m
X ±
i =1,2

where u = u † γ0 .
(d) Find the completeness relation for the antiparticle wavefunction v(p).

6. Playing with bilinear covariants

*(a) Show that the V − A current ψγµ (1 − γ5 )ψ becomes a V + A current under parity.
(b) Show that ψC γ5 ψC = ψγ5 ψ and ψC γµ γ5 ψC = −ψγµ γ5 ψ. Hence show that the V − A current
changes to V + A under charge conjugation.
(c) Convince yourself that under the combined operation C P (or PC , the order is irrelevant) the V − A
current retains its form.
2
(d) If u(p) and u(p 0 ) are two momentum-space wavefunctions for real particles, i.e., p 2 = p 0 = m 2 ,
show that
1
u(p 0 )γµ u(p) = u(p 0 ) (p + p 0 )µ − i σµν (p − p 0 )ν u(p) .
£ ¤
2m
This is known as Gordon decomposition. Note that σµν = 2i γµ , γν . [Hint: Start from the second term
£ ¤

on the r.h.s. and apply Dirac equation (p − m)u(p) = 0, u(p 0 )(p 0 − m) = 0, wherever possible.]
± ±