S[ϕ]=∫L(ϕ,∂ϕ)dx.
The classical equations of motion are just the Euler-Lagrange equations
δSδϕ(x)=0⟺∂μ(∂L∂(∂μϕ))=∂L∂ϕ
Now suppose that S is invariant under some transformation ϕ(x)↦ϕ(x)+ϵ(x)η(x), so that S[ϕ]=S[ϕ+ϵη]. Here we treat η as a fixed function but ϵ may be an arbitrary infinitesimal function. The Lagrangian is not necessarily invariant, but rather can transform with a total derivative:
L(ϕ+ϵη)=L(ϕ)+∂L∂(∂μϕ)η∂μϵ+ϵ∂μfμ
For some unknown vector field fμ (which we could compute given any particular Lagrangian). So let's compute
δϵS=∫δϵL =∫∂L∂(∂μϕ)η∂μϵ+ϵ∂μfμ =∫∂μ(fμ−∂L∂(∂μϕ)η)ϵ
Let us define the Noether current Jμ by
Jμ=∂L∂(∂μϕ)η−fμ.
Then the previous computation showed that
δSδϵ=−∂μJμ.
If ϕ is a solution to the Euler-Lagrange equations, then the variation dS vanishes, hence we obtain:
Theorem (Noether's theorem) The Noether current is divergence free, i.e.
∂μJμ=0.
Functional Version
First, we derive the functional analogue of the classical equations of motion. Consider an expectation value
⟨O(ϕ)⟩=∫O(ϕ)eiℏSDϕ
We'll assume that ϕ takes values in a vector space (or bundle). Then we can perform a change of variables ψ=ϕ+ϵ, and since Dϕ=Dψ we find that
∫O(ϕ+ϵ)exp(iℏS[ϕ])Dϕ
is independent of ϵ. Expanding to first order in ϵ, we have
0=∫(δOδϕ+iOℏδSδϕ)exp(iℏS)Dϕ
So we find the quantum analogue of the equations of motion:
⟨δOδϕ⟩+iℏ⟨OδSδϕ⟩=0
Next, we move on to the quantum version of Noether's theorem. Suppose there is a transformation Q of the fields leaving the action invariant. Assuming the path integral measure is invariant, we obtain
⟨QF⟩+iℏ⟨FQS⟩=0
To compare with the classical result, consider Q to be the (singular) operator
Q=δδϵ(x)
Then by the previous calculations,
QS=−δμJμ,
so we obtain
⟨δOδϵ(x)⟩=iℏ⟨O∂μJμ⟩.
This is the Ward-Takahashi identity, the quantum analogue of Noether's theorem.
No comments:
Post a Comment