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advanced_notions:quantum_field_theory:wess-zumino-witten_term [2018/04/13 15:33]
ellahughes [Why is it interesting?]
advanced_notions:quantum_field_theory:wess-zumino-witten_term [2018/04/13 15:58]
ellahughes [Intuitive]
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 <​blockquote>​ The W-Z term is a generalization,​ to the configuration space of scalar fields $\phi_a$, of the <​blockquote>​ The W-Z term is a generalization,​ to the configuration space of scalar fields $\phi_a$, of the
 charge-monopole interaction term in ordinary configuration space for particles. It acts like a charge-monopole interaction term in ordinary configuration space for particles. It acts like a
-monopole in $\phi$-space.+monopole in $\phi$-space. [...] 
 + 
 +(a) where the W -Z term itself comes from, or (b) why it is like a monopole in $\phi$-space. The short answer to (a) is: from the very fermion determinant which we studied in the previous lecture, but generalized to $SU(3)_f$, i.e. it is 
 +a term in the effective action for the .P fields which arises after integrating over the fermions [22, 23]. 
 +This is all very well in its way, but it too is mysterious: //why does such an exotic term get induced in 
 +the boson sector when we integrate out the fermions?// The technical answer to this is that the 
 +underlying fermion theory has anomalies, which can be calculated from single fermion loop 
 +diagrams. These diagrams generate effective vertices in the external fields (<​i>​a,​ gauge fields, etc.) 
 +coupled to the fermions. Hence any bosonic action obtained by integrating out the fermions- which 
 +is equivalent to summing all single fermion loop diagrams- must faithfully represent these 
 +anomaly-induced vertices. //The W-Z action precisely encodes these anomalous vertices//: if we only 
 +consider the '​ungauged'​ W -Z action, which is a function of the $SU(3)_f$ chiral field $\phi$ alone, we are 
 +representing correctly just the $SU(3)_f$ flavour anomalies of the underlying Fermion theory.  
 + 
 +[...] 
 + 
 +our concern here has been to place the '​monopole'​ form (5 .15) of $L_{W-Z}$ in the context of an adiabatic 
 +decoupling problem. From this point of view, the peculiar phase behaviour leading to '​fermion-ness'​ 
 +in the $\phi$, sector has arisen as a result of non-trivial structure left behind when the fermion vacuum is 
 +decoupled adiabatically from the $\phi$'​s. If we use only the $\phi$ d.f. 's, and integrate the fermions away, we 
 +must include a W-Z term which embodies this structure. The ultimate reason that this structure has a 
 +'​monopole'​ form is to be found in the topological approach to anomalies [27, 28]
  
  <​cite>​Berry Phases, Magnetic Monopoles and {Wess-Zumino} Terms or How the Skyrmion Got Its Spin by I.J.R. Aitchison</​cite></​blockquote>​  <​cite>​Berry Phases, Magnetic Monopoles and {Wess-Zumino} Terms or How the Skyrmion Got Its Spin by I.J.R. Aitchison</​cite></​blockquote>​
advanced_notions/quantum_field_theory/wess-zumino-witten_term.txt · Last modified: 2018/04/13 15:58 by ellahughes