Effect of the choice of wave functions on theoretical predictions for symmetry breaking processes: a view from the DKP formalism

Conference · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-09238-2_83· OSTI ID:6499891

Nieto, M M

When considering an elementary particle matrix element, of necessity one must make an assumption, which often goes unnoticed, as to what formalism should be used for the wave functions. A current or interaction Lagrangian-density matrix-element is of the form V = anti psi/sub out/GAMMA psi/sub in/, where psi/sub in/ and anti psi/sub out/ represent the physical ingoing and outgoing particles, and GAMMA represents the vertex function. A current must have the dimensions of (length)/sup -3/ = (mass)/sup 3/ in units of h = c = 1. psi/sub in/ and anti psi/sub out/ must be described in terms of the physical on-shell masses or else one has no phase space. It is only the vertex function which can be symmetric in the internal symmetry under consideration. The decision as to how much of the matrix element will be taken to be symmetric and how much of the matrix element will be taken to be associated with on-mass-shell wave functions is a fundamental assumption. Depending on how the assumption is made, different results will be predicted. Normally first-order Dirac wave functions, with dimensions (length)/sup -3///sup 2/ and second-order Klein--Gordon wave functions with dimensions (length)/sup -1/ are considered for spin-/sup 1///sub 2/ fermions and spin-O bosons, respectively. The types of new results which are obtained if, on the contrary, one chooses to consider bosons in the first-order Duffin--Kemmer--Petiau formalism are discussed. It is argued that the DKP formalism represents a complementary viewpoint to the spectrum generating approach. Both challenge the standard phenomenology: DKP by changing the wave function, spectrum generating by changing the vertex function.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6499891
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-78-2433; CONF-780970-2; TRN: 79-003683
• Resource Relation: Journal Volume: 94; Conference: Colloquium on group theoretical methods in physics, Austin, TX, USA, 11 Sep 1978
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
BOSONS
SYMMETRY BREAKING
FERMIONS
KAONS
LEPTONIC DECAY
WAVE FUNCTIONS
CURRENTS
DENSITY MATRIX
DIMENSIONS
FUNDAMENTAL CONSTANTS
KLEIN-GORDON EQUATION
LAGRANGIAN FUNCTION
MASS
MATRIX ELEMENTS
PLANCK LAW
VERTEX FUNCTIONS
BASIC INTERACTIONS
DECAY
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EQUATIONS
FUNCTIONS
HADRONS
INTERACTIONS
MATRICES
MESONS
PARTICLE DECAY
PSEUDOSCALAR MESONS
STRANGE PARTICLES
WAVE EQUATIONS
WEAK INTERACTIONS
WEAK PARTICLE DECAY
645301* - High Energy Physics- Particle Invariance Principles & Symmetries- General- (-1987)