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SU(2) and Symmetry of the Dirac Lagrangian

Preprint · January 2022

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.32544.46080

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 SU(2) and Symmetry of the Dirac Lagrangian

Bhupendra Badgaiyan

We know that the Lagrangian of a free electron is unaffected by orientation

of the spin of the electron i.e. it is independent of the spin of the electron
whether up or down. To describe such a system the appropriate symmetry
group is SU(2). In this note, we discuss the consequences of such a
symmetry transformation on the Lagrangian. Both global and local gauge
transformations are considered. While the Lagrangian is invariant under
global transformation, we observe that to maintain local gauge
transformation we have to introduce three gauge fields, with appropriate
transformation properties. It is seen that these gauge fields interact with
the electron and can flip the spin of the electron form up to down or vice-
versa – a process that may be happening when z-component of electron
spin is measured experimentally or this process may itself be responsible for
making electron spin state, a superposition of up and down states.

Keywords : Dirac Lagrangian, SU(2) symmetry. Local gauge invariance

 SU(2) and Symmetry of the Dirac Lagrangian

Bhupendra Badgaiyan

Abstract

We know that the Lagrangian of a free electron is unaffected by orientation

of the spin of the electron i.e. it is independent of the spin of the electron
whether up or down. To describe such a system the appropriate symmetry
group is SU(2). In this note, we discuss the consequences of such a
symmetry transformation on the Lagrangian. Both global and local gauge
transformations are considered. While the Lagrangian is invariant under
global transformation, we observe that to maintain local gauge
transformation we have to introduce three gauge fields, with appropriate
transformation properties. It is seen that these gauge fields interact with
the electron and can flip the spin of the electron form up to down or vice-
versa – a process that may be happening when z-component of electron
spin is measured experimentally or this process may itself be responsible for
making electron spin state, a superposition of up and down states.

Keywords : Dirac Lagrangian, SU(2) symmetry. Local gauge invariance

Consider the Dirac Lagrangian for an electron

L= 𝜓 (γμi∂μ−m) 𝜓

Writing four component Dirac spinors as sum of left and right chirality components viz.

𝜓 = (1 − 𝛾 ) 𝜓 and
1
𝜓 = (1 + 𝛾 )𝜓
2
We can write :

𝜓 =𝜓 +𝜓

Substituting this in the above Lagrangian we get :

L= ( 𝜓 + 𝜓 ) (γμi∂μ−m) (𝜓 + 𝜓 )
= ( 𝜓 + 𝜓 ) (γμi∂μ) (𝜓 + 𝜓 ) - m ( 𝜓 + 𝜓 ) (𝜓 + 𝜓 )

= (𝜓 γ0 +𝜓 γ0) (γμi∂μ) (𝜓 + 𝜓 ) -m (𝜓 𝜓 + 𝜓 𝜓 + 𝜓 𝜓 + 𝜓 𝜓 )
ϯ ϯ

= (𝜓 γ0 (γμ i∂μ) 𝜓 + 𝜓 γ0 (γμi∂μ) 𝜓 + 𝜓 γ0 (γμi∂μ) 𝜓 + 𝜓 γ0 (γμi∂μ) 𝜓 ) − m

ϯ ϯ ϯ ϯ

(𝜓 𝜓 + 𝜓 𝜓 + 𝜓 𝜓 + 𝜓 𝜓 )

Now using above definition of 𝜓 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜓 and using

𝛾 γ0 = - γ0𝛾 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝛾 𝛾 = - 𝛾 𝛾

We obtain :

L = 𝝍𝑳 γμi∂μ𝝍𝑳 + 𝝍𝑹 γμi∂μ𝝍𝑹 − 𝒎 (𝝍𝑹 𝝍𝑳 + 𝝍𝑳 𝝍𝑹 )

Adopting the ‘spin-up’, ‘spin-down’ notation in quantum mechanics, we can write :

𝜓 ↑
𝜓 ↑
𝜓 = 𝜓 and 𝜓 = 𝜓
↓ ↓

Also,

𝜓 = 𝜓 γ0 becomes
ϯ

ϯ ϯ 0 1 ϯ ϯ
𝜓 = (𝜓 ↑
𝜓 ↓
) = (𝜓 ↓
𝜓 ↑
) , similarly for 𝜓 .
1 0

We will use this relationship later in the derivation.

The above Lagrangian is invariant under rotation in spin space of electron i.e. under
SU(2).

Global SU(2) transformation

So in the case of global SU(2) transformation :

.
𝜓 = 𝑒 𝜓 and
.
𝜓 = 𝑒 𝜓
 .
𝜓 = 𝑒 𝜓 and
.
𝜓 = 𝑒 𝜓

Where 𝜃 is constant and 𝜏 are Pauli matrices which satisfy the relation :

[ , ] = 𝑖ԑ

It is seen that the above Lagrangian is invariant under above global SU(2) transformation
in spin space.

Local SU(2) transformation

In this case 𝜃 is a function of (x) i.e.

𝜃 ≡ 𝜃(𝑥)

So SU(2) local transformations become :

𝜓 ′= 𝑒 . ( )
𝜓 and
′ . ( )
𝜓 = 𝑒 𝜓

. ( )
𝜓 = 𝑒 𝜓 and
. ( )
𝜓 = 𝑒 𝜓

Now because of θ(x), we shall not have

∂μ ψ equal to 𝜕𝜇𝜓 and likewise ∂μ ψ will not be equal to ∂μψ .

Instead,

. ( )
∂μ ψ = ∂μ (𝑒 𝜓 )

. ( )
∂μ ψ = 𝑒 ∂μ𝜓 + . 𝑖 ∂μ𝜃(𝑥)𝜓 and similarly for ∂μ ψ .

As in case of local U(1) gauge transformation, with the second term the above
Lagrangian will not be invariant under local SU(2) gauge invariance. However applying
the usual procedure, we introduce three mass-less vector boson gauge fields viz.
G μ , G μ and G μ , which together we can write as :
 Gμ = (G μ , G μ , G μ )

With cue from SU(1) local gauge invariance, we can now write the covariant derivative as :

Dμ = ∂μ +ig . Gμ

where g is coupling constant.

Now requiring

( ) ( )
D μ𝜓 = 𝑒 .
Dμ 𝜓 where α(𝑥) = and

( )
𝜓 ==𝑒 .
𝜓 (like-wise for 𝜓 )

We obtain the usual SU(2) gauge transformation rule for Gμ viz.

2
G = G − 2(α ⨯ G) − 𝜕 α(𝑥)
𝑔

So the above Lagrangian should contain Dμ ( as de ined above) instead of 𝜕 and also kinetic
energy terms for the three gauge fields as follows :

μν μν μν
−- G μν G −- G μν G − G μν G =−- G G

With

Gμν = 𝜕 Gν − 𝜕ν G − (Gμ ⨯ Gν )

where upto order α the SU(2)transformation law for Gμν is ∶

G μν = Gμν − 2 (α ⨯ G)

It can be shown as usual that the mass term for the gauge bosons should be zero in order to
preserve local gauge invariance i.e. mG =0

The locally invariant Lagrangian then becomes :

L = 𝜓 γμiDμ 𝜓 + 𝜓 γμiDμ 𝜓 − 𝑚 (𝜓 𝜓 + 𝜓 𝜓 ) + K.E. term for gauge bosons G

Substituting for Dμ from above :

L = [ 𝜓 γμi∂μ𝜓 + 𝜓 γμi∂μ𝜓 − 𝑚 (𝜓 𝜓 + 𝜓 𝜓 )]
+ [ - 𝜓 γμg . Gμ 𝜓 − 𝜓 γμg . Gμ 𝜓 ] + K.E. term for the gauge bosons G

The first square bracket contains globally invariant part of the Lagrangian, while the
second contains the interaction part , so we may write the Lagrangian as :

L = LGLOBAL + LInt + K.E. for the gauge bosons G

Let us focus on LInt :

𝝉 𝝉
- LInt = [ 𝝍𝑳 γμg . 𝐆𝛍 𝝍𝑳 + 𝝍𝑹 γμg . 𝐆𝛍 𝝍𝑹 ]
𝟐 𝟐

Now

𝜏 . Gμ = 𝜏 Gμ + 𝜏 Gμ + 𝜏 Gμ ; hence

Gμ Gμ −𝑖 Gμ
𝜏 . Gμ =
Gμ +𝑖 Gμ −Gμ

Defining,

Gμ = [Gμ −𝑖 Gμ ] and
√
Gμ = [Gμ +𝑖 Gμ ]
√

We obtain,
Gμ √2 Gμ
𝜏 . Gμ =
√2Gμ −Gμ

Also,
Defining 𝜎 ≡ (1, 𝜎⃗) and 𝜎̅ ≡ (1,−𝜎⃗); where σ⃗ are 3 Pauli matrices

We can write γμ matrices as

0 σ
γμ =
σ 0

and using 𝜓 , 𝜓 , 𝜓 𝜓 in terms of ‘spin up’, ‘spin down components as defined

above , we get LInt as follows :

Gμ √2 Gμ 𝜓 ↑
ϯ ϯ 0 σ
-LInt = (𝜓 ↓
𝜓 ↑
) 𝜓
σ 0 √2Gμ −Gμ ↓

Gμ √2 Gμ 𝜓 ↑
ϯ ϯ 0 σ
+ (𝜓 ↓
𝜓 ↑
) 𝜓
σ 0 √2Gμ −Gμ ↓

Gμ √2 Gμ 𝜓 ↑
ϯ ϯ
= (𝜓 ↑
σ 𝜓 ↓
σ ) 𝜓
√2Gμ −Gμ ↓

Gμ √2 Gμ 𝜓 ↑
ϯ ϯ
+ (𝜓 ↑
σ 𝜓 ↓
σ ) 𝜓
√2Gμ −Gμ ↓

𝜓 ↑
ϯ ϯ ϯ ϯ
= (𝜓 ↑
σ Gμ + 𝜓 ↓
σ √2Gμ 𝜓 ↑
σ √2Gμ - 𝜓 ↓
σ Gμ ) 𝜓
↓

𝜓 ↑
ϯ ϯ ϯ ϯ
+ (𝜓 ↑
σ Gμ + 𝜓 ↓
σ √2Gμ 𝜓 ↑
σ √2Gμ - 𝜓 ↓
σ Gμ ) 𝜓
↓

ϯ ϯ ϯ ϯ
= 𝜓 σ Gμ 𝜓 ↑
+ 𝜓 ↓
σ Gμ 𝜓 ↑
+ 𝜓 ↑
σ Gμ 𝜓 ↓
- 𝜓 ↓
σ Gμ 𝜓 ↓
↑ √ √

ϯ ϯ ϯ ϯ
+ 𝜓 ↑
σ Gμ 𝜓 ↑
+ 𝜓 ↓
σ Gμ 𝜓 ↑
+ 𝜓 ↑
σ Gμ 𝜓 ↓
- 𝜓 ↓
σ Gμ 𝜓 ↓
√ √

Looking at these interaction terms we see that :

- Gauge boson Gμ is associated with electron spin flip from down to up

(as both 𝜓 and 𝜓 change from down to up)

- Gauge boson Gμ is associated with electron spin flip from up to down

(as both 𝜓 and 𝜓 change from up to down)

- Gauge boson Gμ is associated with keeping the electron spin same ,

up remains up and down remain down (both 𝜓 and 𝜓 keep
their spin same - up or down)
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Discussion & Conclusion

It may be noted that the three gauge bosons are not just mass-less but also
charge-less as the processes in which they participate, the charges of
incoming and outgoing particles are the same. In case, we identify the
gauge bosons Gμ with photons (though with only two polarization states),
then Gμ will vanish i.e. Gμ = 0. The coupling constant g will in that case be
electromagnetic coupling constant.

It is thus seen that as a consequence of invariance of Lagrangian of the

electron w.r.t. spin orientation and consequent SU(2) symmetry, the
requirement of local gauge invariance generates three mass-less bosons
fields (in effect two). These bosons can ‘spontaneously’ flip the spin of the
electron up or down. This may be the case when the measurement of spin
(z component) of electron is made through some experimental arrangement
or this process may itself be responsible for making electron spin state, a
superposition of up and down states.

References

[1]. Ian J.R. Aitchison, Supersymmetry in Particle Physics – An Elementary

Introduction, (Cambridge University Press, 2007), pp 22-24.

[2]. David Griffiths, Introduction to Elementary Particles, (Wiley-VCH, 2008),

pp 361-365

[3]. Mark Thomson, Modern Particle Physics, (Cambridge University Press,

2013), pp 537-540

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