Problem Sheet 3, Gauge Theories in Particle

Physics
Lecture: Prof. Michael Krämer
Tutorials: M.Sc. Colomba Brancaccio, Dr. Silvia Manconi

Winter Term 2020/2021

Deadline: 27 November 2020 at 1 p.m.

Problem 1: Time ordering [5 points]

Consider a quantum field fˆ(t), where space coordinates are suppressed, and
show that:
Z ∞
1 ∞
Z t1 Z Z ∞
dt1 ˆ ˆ
dt2 f (t1 )f (t2 ) = dt1 dt2 T (fˆ(t1 )fˆ(t2 ))
−∞ −∞ 2 −∞ −∞

where

T (fˆ(t1 )fˆ(t2 )) = fˆ(t1 )fˆ(t2 ) f or t1 > t2

= fˆ(t2 )fˆ(t1 ) f or t2 > t1 .

Problem 2: Phase Space [15 points]

The differential Lorentz-invariant phase space dφn for n final-state particles of
momenta p1 , ..., pn is defined as

d3 p~1 d3 p~2 d3 p~n

dφn = (2π)4 δ (4) (P − p1 − . . . − pn ) 3 3
... ,
(2π) 2E1 (2π) 2E2 (2π)3 2En

where P is the sum of the initial momenta (the invariant mass P 2 is usually
denoted by s).

2.1 Show that the one-particle phase space for a particle of mass m is

m2
 
1
dφ1 = (2π) δ 1 − Θ(P0 ).
s s

1
2.2 Show that the phase space for two particles of mass m1 and m2 in the
center-of-mass frame reads
1 |~p1 |CM
(dφ2 )CM = dΩ θ(ECM − m1 − m2 ),
4(2π)2 ECM

where dΩ is the infinitesimal solid angle and ECM is the total energy in
the center-of-mass frame.
2.3 Show that dφ2 can actually be written in terms of Lorentz-invariant quan-
tities as
1 √
dφ2 = 2
λ1/2 (s, m21 , m22 ) dΩ θ( s − m1 − m2 ),
8(2π) s

where λ(a, b, c) = a2 + b2 + c2 − 2ab − 2ac − 2bc is the Källén function.

2.4 Calculate dφ2 in the three cases {m1 = m2 }, {m1 6= 0, m2 = 0}, {m1 =
m2 = 0}.