The Goldstone Boson Equivalence Theorem

Jay Solanki

M2 High Energy Physics, Ecole Polytechnique.

February 9, 2024

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Table of content

1 The theorem statement

2 Proof of the theorem

3 First example : Top quark decay

4 Second example : Electron-positron annihilation to W bosons

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The theorem statement

Figure: The Goldstone Boson Equivalence Theorem

Theorem : At high energy, the amplitude for emission or absorption of a

longitudinally polarized massive gauge boson becomes equal to the amplitude for
emission or absorption of the Goldstone boson that was eaten by the gauge boson.

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Proof of the theorem (for the special case)

Figure: The Ward identity

The relation linking the gauge current and the Goldstone boson :

⟨0| J µ |π(k)⟩ = −iF k µ (1)

Gauge boson mass :

m = gF (2)

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proof continued...

Ward identity :
i
kµ Γµ (k) + kµ (igF k µ ) Γ(k) = 0 (3)
k2
=⇒ kµ Γµ (k) = Γ(k) (4)
In the limit of large gauge boson momentum,

ϵLµ Γµ (k) = mΓ(k) (5)

with an error of order m2 /k 2 .

=⇒ In the high energy limit, the couplings of longitudinal gauge bosons become
precisely those of their associated Goldstone bosons.

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Top quark decay

Figure: Decay of a t quark into W + + b

The first guess of the top quark width

g2
Γ∼ mt (6)
4π
 2
mt
Correct expression is enhanced by the factor of mW .

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The amplitude for the decay : (we set CKM = 1)

ig 1 − γ5
iM = √ ū(q)γ µ ( )u(p)ϵ∗µ (k) (7)
2 2

In the Feynman gauge, squaring the amplitude and summing over spins gives

g2 µ ν
 
1 X kµ kν
|M|2 = [q p + q ν pµ − g µν q · p] −gµν + 2
2 2 mW
spins
(8)
g2
 
(k · q)(k · p)
= q·p+2 .
2 m2W

Considering mb = 0 and multiplying by phase space gives

2 
g 2 m3t m2 m2W
 
Γ= 1− W 1+2 2 (9)
64π m2W m2t mt

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