Thursday, 18 December 2014

Interaction potential in standard phi4 theory


In this paper, the authors consider a real scalar field theory in d-dimensional flat Minkowski space-time, with the action given by S=ddx[12(μϕ)2U(ϕ)], where U(x) is a general self-interaction potential. Then, the authors proceed by saying that for the standard ϕ4 theory, the interaction potential can be written as U(ϕ)=18ϕ2(ϕ2)2.


Why is this so? What is the significance of the cubic term present?


EDIT: Comparing with the scalar field theory the potential term involved with λ. What is the value we have inserted here?


Moreover I want to transform the potential to a new form U(ϕ)=18λ(ϕ2v2)2. (I have got this from Mark Srednicki page no 576. )



Answer



Edit: Oh, I see that this is basically what twistor59 wrote in a comment.





Set ψ=ϕ1. The Lagrangian written in terms of ψ is


S=|ψ|2+V(ψ)


where V(ψ)=U(ϕ)=U(ψ+1), expanding the reparametrization we have


V(ψ)=18(ψ+1)2(ψ1)2=18(ψ42ψ2+1)


The constant 1 is not dynamical so the potential is equivalent to


˜V(ψ)=18(ψ42ψ2)


which is equivalent to the standard ψ4 potential without cubic term up to scaling constants.


That is to say: the ϕ3 term isn't really there: it can be gauged away.


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