Solved Example

qft-ymp-12015 Spin Sums for Dirac Fermions

For a decay process A(q) → B(p) + C(ℓ), where A and B are spin 1/2
fermions and C is a spin zero particle, the transition amplitude involves
matrix element of the form
(r)
(s)
M = ūB (p) g − g′ γ5 uA (q) (1)
where uB , uA etc are Dirac spinors for the particles B and A. We need to
take absolute square of the matrix element and sum over all spins. Taking
the adjoint, †, carefully gives the complex conjugate of M
(r)
(s)
M ∗ = {ūB (p) g − g ′ γ5 uA (q)}† (2)
(r)† (s)
= {uB (p)γ0 g − g ′ γ5 uA (q)}†


(3)
(s)† (r)
= {uA (q) g∗ − g ′∗ γ5 γ0 uB (p)}


(4)
(s) (r)
= {ūA (q)γ0 g∗ − g ′∗ γ5 γ0 uB (q)}


(5)
(s) ∗ ′∗

(r)
= {ūA (q) g + g γ5 uB (p)} (6)
Therefore, the absolute square is given by
X
|M |2 = M ∗ M (7)
r,s
X (s)
(r)
= {ūA (q) g ∗ + g′∗ γ5 uB (p)} (8)
r,s
 (r)
(s)
× ūB (p) g − g ′ γ5 uA (q) (9)
Using projection operators,
X k/ + M
u(r) (k)ū(r) (k) = (10)
r
2M

this expression can be written as trace of gamma matrices. To see this we

write M and M ∗ terms explicitly in terms of Dirac indices as
X (r) (s)
M = [ūB (p)]α [ g − g′ γ5 ]αβ [uA (q)]β (11)
αβ
X (s) ∗ (r)
M∗ [ūA (q)]σ [ g ∗ + g′ γ5 ]σρ [uB (p)]ρ


= (12)
σρ

Therefore |M |2 , summed over all spins becomes

X X X (r) (s)
|M |2 = [ūB (p)]α [ g − g′ γ5 ]αβ [uA (q)]β (13)
r,s r,s αβσρ
(s) ∗ (r)
[ūA (q)]σ [ g∗ + g ′ γ5 ]σρ [uB (p)]ρ


(14)

1
 Please check expressions carefully

(r) (r)
Now put uA (p)ūA (p) terms next to each other to get and use projection
operators and complete spin sums over r, s
X
|M 2 | (15)
rs
XX (r) (r)

= uBρ (p)ūBα (p) [ g − g ′ γ5 )]αβ (16)
r,s αβσρ
 
(s) (s)
× uAβ (q)ūAσ (Q) [ g∗ + g ′∗ γ5 ]σρ


(17)
p + MB /q + MA
X /        
= g − g ′ γ5 g∗ + g ′∗ γ5 (18)
2MB ρα αβ 2MA βσ σρ
αβσρ
p + MB    /q + MA 
 
/ 
= tr g − g ′ γ5 g∗ + g′∗ γ5 (19)
2MB 2MA

Thus problem of squaring the matrix element and summing over all spins
has been reduced to computing trace of products of gamma matrices.

Question for You Derive an general formula for spin sums taking |M |2
to be of the form
(s) (r)
M = ūB (p) Γ uA (q) (20)
where Γ is an expression involving Dirac γ matrices.

Note With this preparation you are now ready to compute life times and
cross sections for processes involving fermions.
Please go through the attached scan of computation of lifetime of
Λ0 → p + π − .
Check all steps and factors carefully. Let me know if I have missed any-
thing.