Discrete symmetries and the propagator approach to coupled fermions in Quantum Field Theory. Generalities: The case of a single fermion-antifermion pair

Journal Article · Fri Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Annals of Physics (New York)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aop.2010.05.016· OSTI ID:21452952

Duret, Q ^[1]; Machet, B ^[1]

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1. LPTHE tour 13-14, 4eme etage, UPMC Univ Paris 06, BP 126, 4 place Jussieu, F-75252 Paris Cedex 05 (France)

Starting from Wigner's symmetry representation theorem, we give a general account of discrete symmetries (parity P, charge conjugation C, time-reversal T), focusing on fermions in Quantum Field Theory. We provide the rules of transformation of Weyl spinors, both at the classical level (grassmanian wave functions) and quantum level (operators). Making use of Wightman's definition of invariance, we outline ambiguities linked to the notion of classical fermionic Lagrangian. We then present the general constraints cast by these transformations and their products on the propagator of the simplest among coupled fermionic system, the one made with one fermion and its antifermion. Last, we put in correspondence the propagation of C eigenstates (Majorana fermions) and the criteria cast on their propagator by C and CP invariance.

• OSTI ID: 21452952
• Journal Information: Annals of Physics (New York), Vol. 325, Issue 10; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.aop.2010.05.016; PII: S0003-4916(10)00107-7; Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; ISSN 0003-4916
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
C INVARIANCE
CP INVARIANCE
EIGENSTATES
FERMIONS
LAGRANGIAN FUNCTION
LORENTZ INVARIANCE
P INVARIANCE
PARITY
PROPAGATOR
QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
SPINORS
SYMMETRY
T INVARIANCE
TRANSFORMATIONS
WAVE FUNCTIONS
FIELD THEORIES
FUNCTIONS
INVARIANCE PRINCIPLES
PARTICLE PROPERTIES