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Subatomic Physics

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Chapter 12<br />

Introduction to Gauge Theories<br />

12.1 Introduction<br />

In chapter 7 we introduced both global and local gauge transformations. In this<br />

chapter we continue the discussion of gauge invariance and its applications. This<br />

invariance has emerged as the primary underpinning of all fundamental subatomic<br />

interactions. It is now believed that all forces are described by gauge theories,<br />

theories for which local gauge invariance holds. The importance of gauge theories<br />

became obvious with the development of the unified electroweak theory; the Standard<br />

Model is based on gauge theories for the strong, electromagnetic and weak<br />

interactions. In the present chapter we discuss the ideas underlying modern gauge<br />

theories. The material is somewhat more difficult than what we have treated so far,<br />

but is necessary for understanding the Standard Model.<br />

In chapter 7 we saw that additive conservation laws, including charge conservation,<br />

follow from a global gauge transformation, Eq. (7.21). We also showed that<br />

a local gauge transformation, Eq. (7.27), allows us to identify the charge as the<br />

electric one. The development in chapter 7 was for a static charge. However, the<br />

Schrödinger equation (7.1)<br />

i� ∂ψ<br />

∂t<br />

= Hψ (7.1)<br />

with the Hamiltonian of Section 10.3, for a particle of charge q under the influence<br />

of an electromagnetic field,<br />

H = 1<br />

�<br />

p −<br />

2m<br />

q<br />

c A<br />

�2 + qA0, (12.1)<br />

is also invariant under the combined local gauge transformation,<br />

ψ ′ q = e iQɛ(x,t) ψq ≡ UQ(ɛ)ψq, (12.2)<br />

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