Quantum Field Theory I (HE 395)

Homework 1

Due Date: 4 September 2019

1 Units and Special Relativity

1. In General Relativity, one often uses the system of units GN = c = 1, where GN is Newton’s

gravitational constant.

(a) Work out the system of units in this case.

(b) What is the mass of the sun in km according to this system?

2. Prove the following property of Lorentz transformations: Λµρ Λν σ η ρσ = η µν .

3. Hence prove that Λµν and Λµν are inverse transformations (η µν = diag(+1, −1, −1, −1)).

2 Real and Complex Scalar Field Theories

1. The Lagrangian of the real scalar field is given by:

1 1
L= (∂µ φ(x))2 − m2 φ2 (x). (1)
2 2

(a) Write down the classical Hamiltonian.

(b) Consider the Fourier expansion of the classical field:

d3 p h
Z i
φ(t, x) = 3
Ap e−i(ωp t−p·x) + A∗p ei(ωp t−p·x) . (2)
(2π)

1
 Here Ap and A∗p are just numbers. By substituting this into the expression for the Hamiltonian

written above, prove that the time dependence drops out and that the total energy is given by

d3 p 2
Z
H=2 ω |Ap |2 . (3)
(2π)3 p

(c) Verify that the total momentum operator is given by

d3 p
Z Z
d3 xT 0i = p a†p ap , (4)
(2π)3

where T µν is the energy-momentum tensor.

(d) Verify that the time-ordered propagator:

DF (x − y) = θ(x0 − y 0 )h0|φ(x)φ(y)|0i + θ(y 0 − x0 )h0|φ(y)φ(x)|0i, (5)

is a Green’s function by calculating ( + m2 )DF (x − y).

2. The complex scalar field has the Lagrangian:

L = (∂µ φ(x))(∂ µ φ∗ (x)) − m2 φ∗ (x)φ(x)

1 1 1 1
= (∂µ ϕ1 (x))2 − m2 ϕ21 (x) + (∂µ ϕ2 (x))2 − m2 ϕ22 (x). (6)
2 2 2 2

√
Here ϕ1 (x) and ϕ2 (x) are real scalar fields and φ, φ∗ = (ϕ1 ± iϕ2 )/ 2.

√
(a) From the expressions ap = (a1p + ia2p )/ 2, etc. derived in class, verify the following commu-

tation relations: (i) [ap , a†q ] = [bp , b†q ] = (2π)3 δ (3) (p − q), (ii) [ap , aq ] = [ap , bq ] = 0.

(b) Prove that [H, ap ] = −ωp ap and that [H, bp ] = +ωp bp .

(c) Verify that [Q, H] = 0 where

d3 p d3 p
Z Z
a†p ap − b†p bp ωp a†p ap + b†p bp .



Q= 3
and H= 3
(7)
(2π) (2π)