Damping rate of a fermion in a medium

Journal Article · Fri Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1995 · Physical Review, D

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.52.2987· OSTI ID:115944

D`Olivo, J C ^[1]; Nieves, J F ^[2]

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1. Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Apartado Postal 70-543, 04510 Mexico, D.F. (Mexico)
2. Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, Departrment of Physics, P.O. Box 23343, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico 00931-3343 (United States)

We examine the relation between the damping rate of a massless, chiral fermion that propagates in a medium, and the rate {Gamma} of approach to equilibrium. These quantities are equal, which is proven by showing that they are given by the same formula in terms of the imaginary part of the self-energy evaluated at the energy of the propagating fermion mode. This result is valid provided {Gamma} is defined by using the appropriate wave functions of the mode.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 115944
• Journal Information: Physical Review, D, Journal Name: Physical Review, D Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 52; ISSN 0556-2821; ISSN PRVDAQ
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
CHIRAL SYMMETRY
DAMPING
DISPERSION RELATIONS
EQUILIBRIUM
FERMIONS
MASSLESS PARTICLES
SELF-ENERGY
WAVE FUNCTIONS