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Classical Field Theory Exam

This document outlines the topics and questions for a final exam on classical field theory and Noether's theorem to be taken at home. It includes 4 problems: 1. Find the mass dimensions of the stress-energy-momentum tensor for a general classical field theory. 2. Derive the Noether currents for SO(2) symmetry of a complex scalar field by rewriting it in terms of real and imaginary components. 3. Show that the symmetric stress tensor for Maxwell's equations satisfies properties of being divergenceless, traceless, and relating to energy and momentum densities. 4. Verify the Poisson bracket algebra of Poincare charges for a real free scalar field.

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ABHINANDAN YADAV
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336 views2 pages

Classical Field Theory Exam

This document outlines the topics and questions for a final exam on classical field theory and Noether's theorem to be taken at home. It includes 4 problems: 1. Find the mass dimensions of the stress-energy-momentum tensor for a general classical field theory. 2. Derive the Noether currents for SO(2) symmetry of a complex scalar field by rewriting it in terms of real and imaginary components. 3. Show that the symmetric stress tensor for Maxwell's equations satisfies properties of being divergenceless, traceless, and relating to energy and momentum densities. 4. Verify the Poisson bracket algebra of Poincare charges for a real free scalar field.

Uploaded by

ABHINANDAN YADAV
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

PH6297: Final Exam (Take-home due on Thursday Sept.

7)

September 4, 2017

1 Mass dimensions of the canonical stress(-energy-momentum) tensor

Find out the mass dimensions of the canonical stress tensor, T in a general classical field theory with
in a general D-dimensional spacetime.
(5 points)

2 Noether currents for SO(2) Symmetry of the complex scalar in terms


of its real and imaginary parts

Consider the complex scalar field theory described by the action,


h i  
I (x)., (x) = d4 x m2 V ( ).

In a previous homework problem you have already show that the global U (1) symmetry of the complex
scalar field action,

(x) 0 (x) = ei (x)


(x) 0 (x) = ei (x),
1 +i
2 ,
when expressed in terms of the real and imaginary parts, the complex scalar field, 1 , 2 , as in = 2
looks like an SO(2) transformation, namely,

0 = O (1)
!
1
where = is a column vector and O is a 2 2 matrix,
2
!
cos sin
O= .
sin cos

Since this is orthogonal matrix of size 2, we call Eq. (1), an O(2)-transformation or O(2) symmetry. So
in this component language the U (1) symmetry is recast as a O(2) symmetry.

1
Find out the Noether currents for this O(2) symmetry after rewriting the complex scalar action in
terms of the real and imaginary components, 1 and 2 , i.e.

1 1
 
I [1 , 2 ] = d4 x T . T . V (T )
2 2
and then applying the Noether procedure.

Use the equation of motion to prove that onshell, the Noether currents satisfy continuity equation
(leading to the conservation of charge).

(5+5 = 10 points)

3 Symmetrical Stress tensor for the Maxwell field (EM field)


In the posted notes on Noethers theorem, you have seen the form of the canonical stress tensor from the
Noether procedure for translation invariance, and also seen how the canonical stress tensor indeed matches
with the familiar expressions of energy density and momentum density of an EM field in Electrodynamics
textbooks. In this problem show that same properties hold for the symmetrical stress tensor
1
T = F F + F F
4
which was obtained while finding out the Noether charge for Lorentz transformations (boosts and rota-
tions)

Check that T is conserved i.e. it is diveregenceless T = 0.

Check that indeed components of these coincide with energy density and momentum density of the
1 2
Maxwell field, i.e. , T = 2 E + B and T 0i = E B.
00 2

Check that T is traceless, i.e. T = 0.

(10+5+5 = 20 points)

4 Poisson Bracket Algebra of Poincare charges for classical scalar fields


Recall that the Noether charges corresponding to the Poincare symmetry group are energy-momentum
4-vector P (corresponding to translation symmetry) and angular momenta-boost charges, L = M 0
(corresponding to Lorentz transformation). Using the explicit expression of the Poincare charges for the
real free scalar field theory, verify the following Poisson bracket algebra of these Poincare charges,
 i j
P , P = 0,
n o
Lij , P k = P i jk P j ik .

(5+10= 15 points)

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