Advanced Quantum Field Theory: Examples 4

Solution prepared by K. Yamamoto & P. Zhao

1. Adjoint representation of Lie group and Lie algebra

Lets start by reviewing the basics of Lie groups and Lie algebras. A Lie group G is a manifold and its
tangent space at e G is called a Lie algebra g. The exponetial map exp : g G lets one go from the Lie
algebra to the Lie group. The Lie algebra g is equipped with an antisymmetric bilinear form [, ] : g g g,
known as the Lie bracket. The Lie bracket induces the adjoint representation of the Lie algebra, ad : g
GL(g), defined by ad(X) : Y 7 [X, Y ]. Every element X g can be written in terms of a basis {T a} as
X = X a T a . In coordinates, ad(T a )(T b ) = [T a , T b ] = f abc T c for some constant f abc , known as the structure
constant. Thus ad(T a )bc = f acb . This induces the adjoint representation of the Lie group G, Ad : G Aut(g),
defined by Ad = exp ad. It can act on a g-valued field (x) = a (x)T a as 7 Ad(g). Equivalently, we
say that the field transforms in the adjoint representation. If g = exp(X), then up to order
Ad(g)() = exp(ad(X)) (1 + ad(X)) = + [X, ] exp(X) exp(X) = gg 1 ,
where we have used the Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula eA BeA = B + [A, B] + [A, [A, B]] + in the
second to last equation.
2. Gauge transformation
A gauge field A(x) = A (x)dx = Aa (x)dx T a is a g-valued 1-form. We may define the gauge covariant
derivative D = d + A. Acting adjointly on a g-valued field = a T a , it gives
D = d + [A, ] = ( c + f abc Aa b )dx T c .
If A su(n), then A is traceless and anti-hermitian. We check that
tr(gAg 1 dgg 1 ) = tr(gAg 1 ) tr(dgg 1 ) = tr(g 1 gA) + d(det g) = tr(A) + d(1) = 0,
where we have used the cyclicity of trace and Jacobis formula d(det g) = det g tr(g 1 dg), and
(gAg 1 dgg 1 ) = (g 1 ) A g (g 1 ) (dg) = gAg 1 gdg 1 = (gAg 1 dgg 1 ),
where we used the identity gdg 1 = d(gg 1 ) dgg 1 = dgg 1 .
Under a gauge transformation, A 7 gAg 1 dgg 1 . The covariant derivative of a field transforms as
D 7 d(gg 1 ) + [gAg 1 dgg 1 , gg 1 ] = dgg 1 + gdg 1 + gdg 1 + g[A, ]g 1 [dgg 1 , gg 1 ]
= dgg 1 + gdg 1 + gdg 1 + g[A, ]g 1 dgg 1 gdg 1 = gDg 1 .
If g = exp(X), X g, then to order ,
A 7 exp(X)A exp(X) dX exp(X) = A + [X, A] dX = A DX.
3. The Faddeev-Popov determinant
Suppose for any A g, there exists a unique g0 G that satisfies the gauge-fixing condition G(Ag0 ) = 0.
Consider the functional
Z
1
d(g) (G(Ag )),
M [A] =
gG

where d(g) is the Haar measure on the Lie group G and we integrate over all group elements g G.
To show that M 1 [A] is gauge-invariant, first note that gauge transformation is transitive, i.e., for g, h G,
(Ah )g = (hAh1 dhh1 )g = ghAh1 g 1 gdhh1 g 1 dgg 1 = ghA(gh)1 d(gh)(gh)1 = Agh .
Gauge-invariance of M [A] follows from gauge-invariance of the Haar measure:
Z
Z
Z
Z
1
h
h g
gh
1
g
M [A ] =
d(g) (G(A ) ) =
d(g) (G(A )) =
d(gh ) (G(A )) =
gG

gh1 G

gG

g0

gG

Because of gauge-invariance, it suffices to consider A = A , such that G(A ) = 0. Then





Z

g
g
g

d(G(Ag )) det
M 1 [A] =
(G(A
))
=
det
.
g
g
G(A )
G(A ) G(Ag )=0
gG

Thus the Faddeev-Popov determinant is

M [A] = det


G(Ag ) 
.

g
g=e

d(g) (G(Ag )).

4. Degree of divergence


(D2 )r
1
F . After gauge-fixing and
1+
Consider a Lagrangian density of the form L(A) = F
4
2
introducing ghost fields, we find the following quantum Lagrangian




( 2 )r
1
( 2 )r

Lq (A, c, c) = L(A) A 1 +

A
+
D c.
c
1
+

2
2
2
The gauge propagator is determined by the quadratic terms in A:








( 2 )r
1
( 2 )r
( 2 )r
1

1
+
1
+
A 1 +

A
A .

2
2
2
2
2
Integrating by parts and throwing away the surface integrals, we find








( 2 )r
1
( 2 )r
( 2 )r
1

+
1
+
A 1 +

A
1
+
A
A

2
2
2
2
2






1
( 2 )r
( 2 )r
1 1
1

= A 1 +
1
+

A
+
A = A 1

1
A

A ,
2
2
2

2





1
( 2 )r
( 2 )r
2
1
+
is the Greens function of the propagator.
1
1+
where = 1 +
2
2



( 2 )r
Similarly, the ghost propagator is determined by c 1 +
c. We solve for the propagator by
2
Fourier transform. Each derivative will become a momentum in the Fourier space. Thus the gauge and
ghost propagators are proportional to p22r . The vertices are determined by the higher-order terms in A
and c. They are








( 2 )r
(D2 )r
1
(D2 )r

A 1+
[A , A ] + [A , A ] 1 +
A + c 1 +
[A , c].
2
2
2
2
Each covariant derivative D = d + A will either add a momentum factor or an extra gauge leg. Therefore,
there are vertices with n = 3, . . . , 2r + 4 gauge legs and 2r + 4 n momentum factors. The ghost-gluon
interaction is determined by the third term. We see that there is a 3-vertex with 2r + 1 momentum factors.
When r = 0, this reduces to the Feynman rules for
Z Yang-Mills theory.

Each loop corresponds to a momentum integral

D = dL +

dd p. The degree of divergence is

2r+4
X

(2r + 4 n)Vn + (2 2r)I.

(1)

n=3

Recall Eulers formula

2r+4
X

Vn I + L = 1. Each internal propagator is connected to two vertices and each

n=3

external propagator is connected to one vertex. Hence

2r+4
X

nVn = 2I + E. Combining the two formulae, we

n=3

find

2r+4
X

(2r + 4 n)Vn = 2r + 4 (2r + 4)L + (2r + 2)I E, which we substitute into (1) to find

n=3

D = 2r + 4 + (d 2r 4)L E.

In d = 4, D = 4 E 2r(L 1).
5. One-loop renormalization
The one-loop diagram for a ghost-ghost interaction is

k
p
c, a

, f

, g

c, d

c, e

kp
2

p
c, b

According to the Feynman rules, the ghost propagator contributes

i
de . The gluon propagator con(p k)2

i
f g . The ghost-gluon vertices contribute gp f af d and g(p k) f beg . Thus the total conk2
tribution is
Z
2 Z
dd k p (p k)
p (p k)
2 af d beg
2
af d bdf g
(i) f f de f g g
= f f
.
dd k 2
(2)d k 2 (p k)2
(2)d
k (p k)2

tributes

Recall that we can define an inner product on a Lie algebra g by the Killing form K : g g 7 R defined
by K(X, Y ) = tr(ad(X)ad(Y )). In components, K(T a , T b ) = tr(ad(T a )ad(T b )) = f acd f bdc . For compact Lie
algebras, we can take f acd f bcd = ab C. Note that
Z
Z
Z
Z
Z
p (p k)
p2
pk
p2
p (p k )
d
d
d
dd k 2
=
d
k

d
k
=
d
k

dd k
,
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
k (p k)
k (p k)
k (p k)
k (p k)
(p k )2 k 2
Z
Z
1
p (p k)
p2
d
d

where we have used the change of variable k = p k. Thus d k 2

=
.
d
k
k (p k)2
2
k 2 (p k)2
Z

1
d k 2
=
k (p k)2

da1

da2

da1 da2 dd k e

d ke

a1 k2 a2 (pk)2

(a1 +a2 ) k a

a2
1 +a2

da1 da2 dd k e

2
a a
p
a 1+a2 p2

2a2
(a1 +a2 ) k2 a +a
kp+ a

da1 da2

(a1 + a2 )

d/2

a2
1 +a2

a1 a2

p2

e a1 +a2 p .

Now let a1 = s, a2 = (1 )s such that da1 da2 = sdsd. We can rewrite the integral as
Z 1

Z 1
Z
Z
d
1
d/2
d/2 s(1)p2
d/2
=

+
2
d
ds
s
e
=

d ((1 )p2 )d/22 .

dd k 2
k (p k)2
2
0
0
0


d
2
In d = 4 , + 2 = ()
and the last integral is of order 1 + O(). Thus to leading order,
2


g2C
. There are two one-loop diagrams for a ghost-gluon interaction:
cc (p, p)ba p2 ab 1
16 2
c, a

c, a

p
, d

pk

c, i

, e

c, h

, f

, g
c, c

c, d
, b

pk

, h

c, e

, i

c, f

c, g

k q
c, c

p q

q
, b

k q

p q

The second diagram contributes

g 3 f adh p f bef k f cig (k + q)

i
i
i
k p (k + q)
de
hi
f g = ig 3 f adh f bdf f chf 2
.
k2
(p k)2
(k + q)2
k (p k)2 (k + q)2

The first diagram gives more complicated terms due to the 3-gluon vertex
i
i
i
de
hi
f g
2
2
k
(p k)
(k + q)2
(p (p k) (q k) + (p k) p (k + 2q) + p (p k)(2k + q) )
= ig 3 f adh f chf f bf d
.
k 2 (p k)2 (k + q)2

g 3 f adi p f chg (p k) f bf e ( (q k) + (k + 2q) + (2k + q) )

Thus the total contribution is

cAc (p, q, q, p),cba = igf abc p + ig 3 f cdf f f be f eda
3

1
(2)d

dd k

X
,
k 2 (p k)2 (k + q)2

where X = k p (k + q) + p (k q) (p k) (q + 2k) p (p k) + (p k) (2q + k) p.

1
We now show that f cdf f f be f eda = f abc C. Consider K([T a , T b ], T c ) = K(f abd T d , T c) = f abd cd C = f abc C.
2
Using the Jacobi identity [[T a , T b ], T c ] = [T a , [T b , T c ]] [T b , [T c , T a ]], we can also write it as
K([T a , T b ], T c) = tr(ad([T a , T b ])ad(T c )) = tr([ad(T a ), ad(T b )]ad(T c ))
= tr(ad(T a )ad(T b )ad(T c )) tr(ad(T b )ad(T a )ad(T c ))
= ad(T a )de ad(T b )ef ad(T c )f d ad(T a )f e ad(T b )ed ad(T c )df
= f aed f bf e f cdf f bef f ade f cf d = 2f aed f bf e f cdf .
Thus f cdf f f be f eda =
To leading order,

1 abc
f C. Power-counting shows that only the kk terms in X give rise to a pole in .
2

Z
dd k
p k 2
1
cAc (p, q, q, p),cba igf abcp + if abc g 3 C
d
2
2
(2) k (p k)2 (k + q)2


Z
dd k
1
abc
= igf p 1 +
,
(2)d (p + q k )2 k 2
where we have used the change of variable k = k q. We have already shown that

1
2
dd k
.
(2)d (p k)2 k 2

Hence



g2C
cAc (p, q, q, p),cba igf p 1 +
.
16 2
g2C a 2 a
g 3 C abc a b c
To cancel the divergences, we add the counterterms Lc.t. =
c

c
+
f c A c .
16 2
16 2
6. (g)
dg
The beta function, defined as (g) = , expresses the dependence of the coupling g on mass scale .
d
For (g) = b1 g 3 b2 g 5 + O(g 7 ), we can write the differential equation as
Z
Z
Z
dg
dg
1
d
=
=

b
3
5
7
3
2
2

b1 g + b2 g + O(g )
b1 g 1 + b g + O(g 4 )
1


Z
1
b2
dg
b2 2
2 log g + O(g 2 ).
=
1 g + O(g 4 ) =
b1 g 3
b1
2b1 g 2
b1
abc

The limits of integration is from to a cut-off scale , which we define later. The integral can be evaluated
as
g()
1
1
b2

log

+
+ O(g 2 ).
log =

2b1 g 2 () 2b1 g 2 () b21

g()
The terms can be reordered as
1
b2
1
2
1
b2
+
log 2
log g 2 () + O(g 2 ).
(2)
=
b
log
+
+
1
g 2 ()
2
b1
g () g 2 () b1
We can choose such that

b2
log g 2 () = 0 and apply (2) to itself to get
b1


b2
2
2
2
1
log log 2 + O 1/ log 2 .
= b1 log 2 +
g 2 ()

b1

g 2 ()

Suppose g = g + vg 3 + O(g 5 ) = g(1 + vg 2 + O(g 4 )). Then

2

1
1
1
1
= (1 vg 2 + O(g 4 )) and 2 = 2 2v + O(g 2 ).
g
g
g
g

2v
Define by
= log 2 . Then (3) can be written as
b1

2
b2
2
=
b
log
+ log 2

2v
+
log
log
1
2
2
2

b1

g ()

= b1 log
= b1 log

2
2
2



2
+ O 1/ log 2

2 !


2
log
b2
2

2
b2
2

b1 log 2 + log log 2 + log 1 +

+ O 1/ log 2
2

b1
b1
log 2



2
2

b2

+ log log 2 + O 1/ log 2 .

b1

(3)