Lecture 10 8.

324 Relativistic Quantum Field Theory II Fall 2010

8.324 Relativistic Quantum Field Theory II

MIT OpenCourseWare Lecture Notes
Hong Liu, Fall 2010

Lecture 10

2.4: UNSTABLE PARTICLES AND RESONANCES

We recall from previous lectures that the Feynman propagator for a general interacting theory is given by

GF (p2 ) = Γ(s = −p2 + iϵ), (1)

where
∑ ˆ ∞
iZj i
Γ(s) = + dµ2 σ(µ2 ) , (2)
j
s − m2j 4m21 s − µ2

and the spectral density function is given by

1
ρ(µ2 ) = Im( iGF (p2 ) p2 =−µ2 )
π
∑
= Zj δ(µ2 − m2j ) + σ(µ2 ).
j

1
For µ2 > 4m21 , we have that ρ(µ2 ) = σ(µ2 ) = 2π Disc( Γ(s)|s=µ2 ). The reason for this is that we cannot have

Im(s) ρ(μ2)

Re(s) m21 m22 4m12 μ2

m21 m22 4m12

Figure 1: Plots of the function Γ(s) on the complex plane and the spectral density function ρ(µ2 ).

m2j > 4m21 for any particle j which interacts with the others. We can imagine changing the parameters of the
theory, so that the pole moves beyond the branch point and sits on the branch cut. We will consider what happens
in this case. Consider the Lagrangian
1 1 1 1 1
L = − (∂ϕ)2 − (∂χ)2 + m2ϕ ϕ2 + m2χ χ2 + gϕ ϕ3 + · · · , (3)
2 2 2 2 2
and examine the Feynman propagator GϕF (p2 ). Suppose that 2mχ > mϕ > mχ . Then, perturbatively,
1
iGϕF (p2 ) = . (4)
p2 + m2ϕ − Π(ϕ) (p2 ) − iϵ

The three-point vertex rule is given by

ϕ
= ig, (5)
χ
ϕ
and hence, to lowest order,

Π(ϕ) (p2 ) = , (6)

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Lecture 10 8.324 Relativistic Quantum Field Theory II Fall 2010

and we see that Π(ϕ) (p2 ) becomes imaginary if −p2 > 4m2χ . Naively, the pole just sits on the branch cut. But, as
we will show, the pole, in fact, moves to the other sheet of the complex plane. Physically, the particle becomes
unstable since it can decay ϕ −→ 2χ, where the imaginary part of the pole is proportional to the decay rate. In the
Hilbert space of physical states, no states correspond to a single ϕ-particle. It becomes a resonance.
Im(s) Im(s)

Re(s) 2 Γ Re(s)
m2φ 4mχ2 4mχ
(Second sheet unstable resonance)
m2φ

ρ(μ2) ρ(μ2)

μ2 2
4mχ m2φ μ2
m2φ 4mχ2

Figure 2: Formation of an unstable resonance for mϕ > 2mχ .

From the last lecture, after subtracting divergences using counter-terms,

Π(ϕ) (p2 ) =
ϕ
ˆ
α 1
= dx D log D − a′ p2 − b′ m2ϕ , (7)
2 0
2
′ ′
where α ≡ (4π)
g
3 , D = mχ + x(1 − x)p , and a and b are finite real constants, determined by the physical mass
2 2

and physical field conditions:

Π(p2 = −m2 ) = 0,
dΠ 2
(p = −m2 ) = 0.
dp2

But, for m2ϕ > 4m2χ , log D is complex at p2 = −m2ϕ , and there is no way to satisfy these two conditions for real a′
and b′ . Therefore, GF (p2 ) cannot have a pole on the real axis. Physically, ϕ cannot be a physical single-particle
(ϕ)

state in H . What can be done to resolve this is to modify the physical mass and physical field conditions to:
( )
Re Π(p2 = −m2 ) = 0,
( )
dΠ 2
Re (p = −m ) = 0.
2
dp2

which gives suitable real solutions for a′ and b′ . We then have

ˆ
α 1 D α
Π(p2 ) = dx D log − (p2 + mϕ2 ) (8)
2 0 |D0 | 12

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Lecture 10 8.324 Relativistic Quantum Field Theory II Fall 2010

with D0 = D(p2 = −m2ϕ ) = m2χ − x(1 − x)m2ϕ . Let us define mϕ Γ̃ ≡ ImΠ(p2 ) p2 =−m2ϕ
. Then, near p2 = −m2ϕ , we
have
1
iGF (p2 ) =
p2
+ − Π(p2 ) − iϵ
m2ϕ
1
= .
p + mϕ − imϕ Γ̃
2 2

Thus, there is a pole at p2 = −m2ϕ + imϕ Γ̃. In terms of the complex function Γ(s), there is a pole at

s = m2ϕ − imϕ Γ̃, (9)

and so, around the ϕ-mass, the spectral density function takes the form

1 1 mϕ Γ̃
ρ(µ2 ) µ2 ≈m2ϕ
= Im(iGF (p2 )) = + ··· . (10)
π π (µ − m2ϕ )2 + mϕ2 Γ̃2
2

Now we proceed to calculate Γ̃ :

ˆ 1
α D0
Im( Π(p2 ) )= dx Im(D0 log ), (11)
p2 =−m2ϕ 2 0 |D0 |

where D0 = m2χ − x(1 − x)m2ϕ − iϵ. Now, D0 < 0 for the range
√ √
1 1 4m2χ 1 1 4m2χ
− 1− 2 <x< + 1− , (12)
2 2 mϕ 2 2 m2ϕ
√
4m2χ
and in this region, log D0
|D0 | = −iπ. Therefore, letting β = 1− m2ϕ
, we have

ˆ 1
απ 2 (1+β)
Im(Π(−m2ϕ )) =− dx (m2χ − x(1 − x)mϕ2 )
2 12 (1−β)
πα
= m2ϕ β 3 ,
12
and hence,
˜ = πα mϕ β 3 .
Γ (13)
12
In the problem set, we will see that when mϕ > 2mχ , we have

πα 4m2χ 3
Γ̃ϕ→2χ = mϕ (1 − 2 ) 2 , (14)
12 mϕ

˜=Γ
and so Γ ˜ ϕ→2χ . We now consider a couple of additional points.

Remarks:

1. Consider the function log z. The function increases by 2π as we wrap around the origin each time. This
introduces a discontinuity if we try to plot the function on one sheet of the complex plane. Instead,
we have to plot the function on multiple sheets, introducing a branch cut, for example on the first
sheet at Im (log(−x + iϵ)) = iπ, Im (log(−x − iϵ)) = −iπ. Similarly, with Γ(s), there is a branch cut at
x = 4m2χ . When we calculated
1
GF (p2 ) = (15)
p + mϕ − imϕ Γ̃
2 2

we treated it as an analytic function across the real axis. In other words, we have done the analytic
continuation below the cut, and so, the pole lies on the second sheet.

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Lecture 10 8.324 Relativistic Quantum Field Theory II Fall 2010

Im(s)
log(s)

Re(s)

Figure 3: The branch cut in log(s) and the additional sheets needed to plot the function smoothly.

Im(s)
Γ(s)

4m1
2 Re(s)

Figure 4: The branch cut in Γ(s) with the second sheet on which the pole lies.

2. One can show that, as a consequence of the optical theorem,

Im(Π(p2 )) =

= , (16)

where the propagators are put on shell, replaced by 2πδ(p21 + m2χ )Θ(p01 ). This will be discussed in the
problem set.
3. Considering the propagation of an unstable particle, for t > 0,
ˆ
dw −iωt 1
GF (t, p⃗) = ⟨ϕ(t, p⃗)ϕ(0, p⃗)⟩ = e , (17)
2π p2 + m2 − imΓ̃
with p2 = −ω 2 + p⃗2 . Hence, √
−i ω 2 −im�
˜t
e p
⃗
GF (t, p⃗) = √ (18)
ωp⃗2 − imΓ̃
√ 2
ωp
with ωp⃗ ≡ p⃗2 + m2 . Now, for the case that Γ̃ ≪ ⃗
m, this reduces to
˜
1 −iωp⃗ t− 2ω
m�
t
GF (t, p⃗) = e p
⃗
2ωp⃗
1 −iωp⃗ t− 2τt(⃗p)
= e
2ωp⃗
−1
Γ̃−1 ,
ωp
p) ≡
where we have defined the lifetime τ (⃗ ⃗
m Γ̃ = √ 1
1−v 2
which we recognise as the effect of time
−1
dilation, where Γ̃ is the lifetime of the particle in its rest frame.

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http://ocw.mit.edu

8.324 Relativistic Quantum Field Theory II

Fall 2010

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