The CPT Theorem

Nils Kanning January 8, 2009

Abstract
In the context of classical mechanics and eld theory continuous symmetry transformations and the associated conserved quantities were discussed. These continuous symmetries were also analyzed in quantum eld theory. In contrast the CPT theorem is a statement about discrete symmetry transformations. It can be shown that under few assumptions a quantum eld theory is symmetric with regard to the combination of the inversion of spatial coordinates (P), the inversion of charge (C) and the inversion of the direction of time (T). Before this theorem is discussed and a proof is illustrated, a brief introduction to symmetries in quantum eld theory is given and discrete symmetries are studied.

Second the equality of transition probabilities should also hold after the time evolution of the states: | |eiH(t t ) | | = | |eiH(t t ) | | (2)

Therefore it is imposed that the mapping commutes with the Hamiltonian [U, H] = 0.1

1.2

How are Quantum Fields transformed by a Symmetry?

A symmetry transformation in classical eld theory is given by the transformation of the spacetime points x x = x and the according transformation of the eld: (x) (x) = U ()(1 x) (3)

Symmetries in Quantum Field Theory

What is a Symmetry?

1.1

In quantum eld theory a symmetry transformation is a one-to-one mapping U of states | | = U| , (1)

given that two conditions hold. First the transition probabilities between two states | and | have to be conserved: | | | = | | |

The expression U () has the structure of a matrix, possibly mixing the components of the eld e.g. vector components of vector elds or spinor components of spinor elds. In case of a scalar eld it is a number. It is assumed that in quantum eld theory this symmetry transformation is implemented by a unitary operator U transforming the states as introduced in Eq. 1. To arrive at the transformation of the quantum eld operators, a set of states is applied to Eq. 3, now interpreted as quantum elds: |U ()(1 x)| = | (x)|
1

= |(x)|

Eq. 2 does not hold for transformations inA theorem of Wigner then implies that volving the time variable especially time rethe mapping U is either unitary or an- versal. But [U , H] = 0 is imposed in this case too. tiunitary.

The last equality is demanded from the is denoted by P. Then Eq. 4 is emphysical point of view. From this equa- ployed to get the transformation of the tion the desired transformation law can quantum eld: be extracted using the unitarity of U: P(x)P = P (t, x) 1 U(x)U = U ()( x) (4) Using a plane wave decomposition This formula is of importance for the further analysis. (x) = dk a(k)eikx + b (k)eikx

the transformation laws for the creation and annihilation operators a (k), b (k), Discrete symmetry transformations are a(k) and b(k) can be derived. The operstudied exemplary using the spatial in- ator P can then be explicitly constructed version (P) in the case of the charged free in terms of creation and annihilation opscalar eld. The C and T symmetries are erators and it can be veried that it comonly briey discussed for this eld. mutes with the Hamiltonian. So the parity transformation is a symmetry of the free scalar eld theory. 2.1 Scalar Fields 2.1.1 Parity (P) 2.1.2 Charge Conjugation (C)

Discrete Symmetries

In a classical theory P is a symmetry if, For the classical charged free scalar eld given a trajectory, the trajectory with inthe charge conjugation is achieved by a verted spatial coordinates also solves the complex conjugation of the solution (cf. equations of motion (cf. Fig. 1). Fig. 2 for a mechanical system). It is then shown that the conjugated solution t also solves the Klein-Gordon equation. The unitary operator implementing this symmetry is labeled C. x (t) x(t) = x(t) t x Figure 1: Parity transformation x (t) of a trajectory x(t) in classical mechanics x(t) Q j j Q

x (t)= x(t)

x In the context of classical eld theory the scalar eld (x) transforms accordFigure 2: Charge conjugation in classical ing to: mechanics: inversion of the charge Q and the current j (x) (x) = (t, x)
P

Here the phase P remains a free parameter. It is easy to check that the new 2.1.3 Time Reversal (T) eld solves the Klein-Gordon equation and thus is a symmetry of the classical In case of the Klein-Gordon equation the time reversed solution is obtained theory: by inverting the sign of the time argument. To get the right current vector ( + m2 ) (x) = (t, x) = 0 also a complex conjugation is needed for The unitary operator implementing charged elds (cf. Fig. 3 for the mechanthis transformation in quantum theory ical problem). 2

x2 j Q x(t) Q j x (t) = x(t) x1

2.2.1

Scalar Field (Spin 0) P(x)P = P (t, x) C(x)C = C (t, x) T (x)T = T (t, x)

2.2.2 Figure 3: Time reversal of a mechanical system: same charge Q and inversion of the current j

Vector Field (Spin 1) PA (x)P = P A (t, x) CA (x)C = C A (t, x)

T A (x)T = T A (t, x) The implementation of this transformation in quantum theory diers from 2.2.3 Spinor Field (Spin 1/2) the two symmetries discussed above. It is assumed that time reversal is implemented by an operator T such that P(x)P = P 0 (t, x) T | = | and [T , H] = 0. The time T C(x)C = C C (t, x) evolution of the states is generated by the Hamiltonian: T (x)T = T A(t, x) The convenient notation = 0 and the convention 5 = i 0 1 2 3 are | (t) = eiHt T | used. Furthermore C and A are matriNext using the physical interpretation of ces acting on the spinor components with T one can identify T |(t) = |(t) . the properties: Thus if T would be unitary: T C C 1 = iHt | (t) = T e | C 1 = C T = C = eiHt T | = | (t) Consequently T cannot be unitary and has to be an antiunitary operator, which in this case causes a complex conjugation in the exponential and leads to the correct result | (t) . A = i 5 C In the Dirac representation C becomes: C = i 0 2 |(t) = eiHt |

2.3

Consequences and Outlook

As illustrated using the P transformation for the scalar eld, it can be shown that Because for the discussion of the CPT C, P and T are symmetries of the free theorem the transformations laws for quantum elds. This means that the corscalar, vector and spinor elds are responding unitary or antiunitary operneeded, a summary of the results is given ators commute with the Hamiltonian of these systems. here.2 It also turns out that these three transIt can be shown that the phases P , C and T are arbitrary for charged elds formations are symmetries of quantum electrodynamics. So the operators also and real for neutral elds.3 commute with the Hamiltonian of quan2 The computations are worked out in some tum electrodynamics including the interdetail in [2]. The results for the spinor eld are action between the electron and the phoalso derived in [1]. 3 This remark is veried in [2]. ton eld. 3

2.2

Summary of Transformation Laws

But one can imagine interaction terms causing a violation of these symmetries. This eect is also realized in nature. For example the weak interaction violates the P symmetry. However, the combination of all three transformations, called CPT, remains a symmetry of almost every quantum eld theory. This result is discussed in the following section.

3.1.1

Transformation of the Lagrange density

Because the Lagrange density is Lorentz invariant, it has to be a Lorentz scalar. So all Lorentz indices are contracted and no spinor index remains either. The idea is then to show that every quantity8 : T 1 ...m (x) : in the Lagrange density involving m Lorentz indices transforms under to: : T 1 ...m (x) :

CPT Theorem

= (1)m : T 1 ...m (x) :

(5)

The theorem states that the CPT transformation is a symmetry of a quantum eld theory if two conditions are fullled. First the theory has to be described by a Lagrange density which is Lorentz invariant4 , local5 , hermitian and normal ordered. Second the theory is quantized according to the spin-statistics theorem. Integer spin elds commute and half integer spin elds anticommute.

Since in the Lagrange density all indices are contracted, the total number of indices is even and using Eq. 5 follows: L(x) = L (x) = L(x) Where the last equality holds because L is assumed to be hermitian. Next the behaviour according to Eq. 5 is checked for the quantities appearing in the Lagrange density. Transformation of Fields Using the results summarized in Sec. 2.2 the transformation of the elds can be computed. For the scalar elds one gets: (x) = CPT (x)T P C = C P T (x) = (x) Remembering the remark about the phases in Sec. 2.2, all phases are chosen to be 1. The result agrees with Eq. 5 since there is no Lorentz index and accordingly no overall minus sign. The calculation for the vector eld reveals as desired: A (x) = A (x) Computing the transformation of the spinor eld one gets:9 (x) = i 5 (x) And for the adjoint eld: (x) = i T (x) 5
8 The 9 The

3.1

Proof

The proof illustrated here6 only includes scalar (spin 0), vector (spin 1) and spinor elds (spin 1/2), but the statement of the theorem is true for higher spins too.7 The CPT transformation is represented by the operator = CPT . This operator is antiunitary since C and P are unitary and T is antiunitary. The overall structure of the proof is to show that the transformation of the Lagrange density L is given by L(x) = L(x). Then it can be concluded that commutes with the Hamiltonian H and thus is a symmetry.
4 Here Lorentz invariant means invariance under proper orthochronous Lorentz transformations. 5 A Lagrange density is local if the elds are all evaluated at the same spacetime point and only polynomials of the elds appear. 6 This way of proong the theorem is also chosen in [1] and [2]. 7 A more general proof is presented in [6].

(6)

(7)

colons indicate normal ordering. denotes complex conjugation.

These two results seem to disagree with Eq. 5, but since (x) is a spinor eld there are still spinor indices remaining. Because only Lorentz invariant bilinear products of spinors without remaining spinor indices can appear in the Lagrange density, their transformation behaviour is studied next. Transformation of Spinor Bilinear Products A spinor bilinear product is of the structure: : (x) B (x) : The new indices A and B are dierent spinor elds.10 The matrix is a 4 4 complex valued matrix acting on the spinor components. The transformation of the spinor bilinear product is displayed in detail here because it is an example of why normal ordering and the spin-statistics theorem are needed for the proof.
A

5 5 = 1, the expression in parenthesis can be rewritten: 5 0 5 = 5 5 0 (1)n+1 = 0 (1)n+1 If m is the number of remaining Lorentz indices in it can be concluded that (1)m = (1)n since a contraction involves an even number of indices. Which means: 5 0 5 = 0 (1)m+1 This is used to continue the transformation of the spinor bilinear product: : (x) B (x) : = (1)m+1 : A (x)( 0 ) B (x) :
A = (1)m+1 : (x)( 0 ) B (x) : A = (1)m+1 : (x)( 0 ) B (x) : T T A

The lower indices are the spinor components and summation with respect to these indices is to be understood. Finally the two elds are exchanged. A B Because of the quantization according to : (x) (x) : anticommutation relations an additional = : A (x) 0 B (x) : factor of 1 appears. Possible innities AT 5 0 5 B = : i (x) (i) (x) : due to -functions in the anticommutation relations are eliminated by the norFor this rst step Eq. 6, Eq. 7 and the mal ordering prescription. A antiunitarity of are needed. : (x) B (x) : 5 Next the Dirac representation of is A = (1)m : B (x)( 0 ) (x) : used to arrive at:11 : (x) B (x) : = : A (x)( 5 0 5 ) B (x) : The expression in parentheses has to be analyzed in detail. It can be shown that a basis of the 4 4 complex matrices can be constructed using Diracs -matrices and products of these. So can essentially be thought of as product of n matrices where = 0, . . . , 3. By making use of the property12 { 5 , } = 0 and
10 It has to be assumed that dierent half integer spin elds also anticommute. Furthermore dierent integer spin elds commute and integer spin elds commute with half integer spin elds. 11 In the Dirac representation the only nonvanishing entries of 5 are the secondary diagonal elements, which are equal to 1. 12 The braces denote the anticommutator.

= (1)m : (x) B (x)

Consequently also this term transform as desired in Eq. 5. Transformation of Complex Numbers Because is antiunitary a complex number is complex conjugated. This agrees with Eq. 5 too. Transformation of Dierential Operators By writing the action of a differential operator on a eld as a limit one can show that the operator is transformed to , which is in agreement with Eq. 5. This nally establishes the desired transformation behaviour for the whole Lagrange density. 5

3.1.2

Commutation with the Hamiltonian

Proceeding from the Lagrange density L to the Hamiltonian density H, one nds that the transformation behaviour stays the same: H(x) = H(x) The result for the Hamiltonian is now obtained via integration over the spatial dimensions: H(t) = = d3 x H(x) d3 x H(t, x)

[2] Greiner, W., Reinhardt, J.: Feldquantisierung Verlag Harri Deutsch, Thun, Frankfurt am Main, 1993 [3] Streater, R. F., Wightman, A. S.: PCT, Spin and Statistics, and All That W. A. Benjamin, New York, New York, 1964 [4] Greenberg, O. W.: Why is CPT fundamental? Arxiv preprint hepph/0309309 (2003) [5] Greenberg, O. W.: CPT Violation implies Violation of Lorentz Invariance. Arxiv preprint hepph/0201258 (2002) [6] Grawert, G., Lders, G., Rollnik, H.: The TCP Theorem and its Applications. Fortschr. d. Phys. 7, 291 (1959) [7] Yamamoto, H.: Discrete symmetries (Lecture Notes). http://www.awa.tohoku.ac.jp/ yhitoshi/particleweb/ptest-8.pdf (2009-01-08)

= H(t) = H Where the last equality holds because H is conserved. Restating the above means [, H] = 0 and thus is a symmetry of the theory.

3.2

Remarks and Consequences

The CPT theorem is a deep result of quantum eld theory because only few assumptions about the theory are needed. While the above proof is only formal, there also exists a proof of the CPT theorem in the framework of axiomatic quantum eld theory.13 Looking at the consequences of the theorem, it can be shown that the mass of a particle and the corresponding antiparticle are equal. The same holds true for the lifetimes. This points out possibilities to test the CPT theorem experimentally. A strong consequence of a possible CPT violation would be the violation of Lorentz invariance.14 But so far no CPT violation has been observed.

References
[1] Itzykson, C., Zuber, J.-B.: Quantum Field Theory Dover Publications, Mineola, New York, 1980
13 This 14 This

proof can be found in [3] and [4]. implication is proven in [5].