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Chiral Gauge Theory
In quantum field theory, a chiral gauge theory is a quantum field theory with charged chiral (i.e. Weyl) fermions. For instance, the Standard Model is a chiral gauge theory. For topological reasons, chiral charged fermions cannot be given a mass without breaking the gauge symmetry, which will lead to inconsistencies unlike a global symmetry. It is notoriously difficult to construct a chiral gauge theory from a theory which does not already contain chiral fields at the fundamental level. A consistent chiral gauge theory must have no gauge anomaly (or global anomaly). Almost by necessity, regulators will have to break the gauge symmetry. This is responsible for gauge anomalies in the first place. Fermion doubling on a lattice Lattice regularizations suffer from fermion doublings leading to a loss of chirality. See also * Chiral anomaly In theoretical physics, a chiral anomaly is the anomalous nonconservation of a chiral current. In everyday terms, it is equivalent to a seale ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Quantum Field Theory
In theoretical physics, quantum field theory (QFT) is a theoretical framework that combines classical field theory, special relativity, and quantum mechanics. QFT is used in particle physics to construct physical models of subatomic particles and in condensed matter physics to construct models of quasiparticles. QFT treats particles as excited states (also called quanta) of their underlying quantum fields, which are more fundamental than the particles. The equation of motion of the particle is determined by minimization of the Lagrangian, a functional of fields associated with the particle. Interactions between particles are described by interaction terms in the Lagrangian involving their corresponding quantum fields. Each interaction can be visually represented by Feynman diagrams according to perturbation theory in quantum mechanics. History Quantum field theory emerged from the work of generations of theoretical physicists spanning much of the 20th century. Its devel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Weyl Spinor
In physics, particularly in quantum field theory, the Weyl equation is a relativistic wave equation for describing massless spin-1/2 particles called Weyl fermions. The equation is named after Hermann Weyl. The Weyl fermions are one of the three possible types of elementary fermions, the other two being the Dirac and the Majorana fermions. None of the elementary particles in the Standard Model are Weyl fermions. Previous to the confirmation of the neutrino oscillations, it was considered possible that the neutrino might be a Weyl fermion (it is now expected to be either a Dirac or a Majorana fermion). In condensed matter physics, some materials can display quasiparticles that behave as Weyl fermions, leading to the notion of Weyl semimetals. Mathematically, any Dirac fermion can be decomposed as two Weyl fermions of opposite chirality coupled by the mass term. History The Dirac equation, was published in 1928 by Paul Dirac, first describing spin-½ particles in the framewor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Standard Model
The Standard Model of particle physics is the theory describing three of the four known fundamental forces ( electromagnetic, weak and strong interactions - excluding gravity) in the universe and classifying all known elementary particles. It was developed in stages throughout the latter half of the 20th century, through the work of many scientists worldwide, with the current formulation being finalized in the mid-1970s upon experimental confirmation of the existence of quarks. Since then, proof of the top quark (1995), the tau neutrino (2000), and the Higgs boson (2012) have added further credence to the Standard Model. In addition, the Standard Model has predicted various properties of weak neutral currents and the W and Z bosons with great accuracy. Although the Standard Model is believed to be theoretically self-consistent and has demonstrated huge successes in providing experimental predictions, it leaves some phenomena unexplained. It falls short of being a com ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gauge Anomaly
In theoretical physics, a gauge anomaly is an example of an anomaly: it is a feature of quantum mechanics—usually a one-loop diagram—that invalidates the gauge symmetry of a quantum field theory; i.e. of a gauge theory. All gauge anomalies must cancel out. Anomalies in gauge symmetries lead to an inconsistency, since a gauge symmetry is required in order to cancel degrees of freedom with a negative norm which are unphysical (such as a photon polarized in the time direction). Indeed, cancellation occurs in the Standard Model. The term gauge anomaly is usually used for vector gauge anomalies. Another type of gauge anomaly is the gravitational anomaly, because coordinate reparametrization (called a diffeomorphism) is the gauge symmetry of gravitation. Calculation of the anomaly Anomalies occur only in even spacetime dimensions. For example, the anomalies in the usual 4 spacetime dimensions arise from triangle Feynman diagrams. Vector gauge anomalies In vector gauge anoma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Global Anomaly
In theoretical physics, a global anomaly is a type of anomaly: in this particular case, it is a quantum effect that invalidates a large gauge transformation that would otherwise be preserved in the classical theory. This leads to an inconsistency in the theory because the space of configurations which is being integrated over in the functional integral involves both a configuration and the same configuration after a large gauge transformation has acted upon it and the sum of all such contributions is zero and the space of configurations cannot be split into connected components for which the integral is nonzero. Alternatively, the existence of a global anomaly implies that the measure of Feynman's functional integral cannot be defined globally. The adjective "global" refers to the properties of a group that are detectable via large gauge or diffeomorphism transformations, but are not detectable locally via infinitesimal transformations. For example, all features of a discrete ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Regularization (physics)
In physics, especially quantum field theory, regularization is a method of modifying observables which have singularities in order to make them finite by the introduction of a suitable parameter called the regulator. The regulator, also known as a "cutoff", models our lack of knowledge about physics at unobserved scales (e.g. scales of small size or large energy levels). It compensates for (and requires) the possibility that "new physics" may be discovered at those scales which the present theory is unable to model, while enabling the current theory to give accurate predictions as an "effective theory" within its intended scale of use. It is distinct from renormalization, another technique to control infinities without assuming new physics, by adjusting for self-interaction feedback. Regularization was for many decades controversial even amongst its inventors, as it combines physical and epistemological claims into the same equations. However, it is now well understood and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fermion Doubling
In lattice field theory, fermion doubling occurs when naively putting fermionic fields on a lattice, resulting in more fermionic states than expected. For the naively discretized Dirac fermions in d Euclidean dimensions, each fermionic field results in 2^d identical fermion species, referred to as different tastes of the fermion. The fermion doubling problem is intractably linked to chiral invariance by the Nielsen–Ninomiya theorem. Most strategies used to solve the problem require using modified fermions which reduce to the Dirac fermion only in the continuum limit. Naive fermion discretization For simplicity we will consider a four-dimensional theory of a free fermion, although the fermion doubling problem remains in arbitrary dimensions and even if interactions are included. Lattice field theory is usually carried out in Euclidean spacetime arrived at from Minkowski spacetime after a Wick rotation, where the continuum Dirac action takes the form : S_F psi, \bar \psi= \in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chiral Anomaly
In theoretical physics, a chiral anomaly is the anomalous nonconservation of a chiral current. In everyday terms, it is equivalent to a sealed box that contained equal numbers of left and right-handed bolts, but when opened was found to have more left than right, or vice versa. Such events are expected to be prohibited according to classical conservation laws, but it is known there must be ways they can be broken, because we have evidence of charge–parity non-conservation ("CP violation"). It is possible that other imbalances have been caused by breaking of a ''chiral law'' of this kind. Many physicists suspect that the fact that the observable universe contains more matter than antimatter is caused by a chiral anomaly. Research into chiral symmetry breaking laws is a major endeavor in particle physics research at this time. Informal introduction The chiral anomaly originally referred to the anomalous decay rate of the neutral pion, as computed in the current algebra of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
