Thursday, 8 October 2015

homework and exercises - Proving the Lorentz invariance of the Lorentz invariant phase space element


I have been looking around for a satisfactory answer to prove that


d3p2Ep


where Ep=+(|p|c)2+(mc2)2, is Lorentz invariant. The standard answer seems to be that the above measure is equal to


d4pδ(p2m2)θ(p0)


where p2=p20|p|2, and θ(x) is the step function. I understand these two are equivalent, but I don't understand why the second has to be Lorentz invariant, in particular why the Dirac delta has to be Lorentz invariant. I have found a document (section 2.1) that proves that δ(4)(pp) is Lorentz invariant, but I can't find a way to extend their method successfully here. In fact, all I can seem to get tells me the above isn't Lorentz invariant, and that in fact it should transform to


d3p2γEp



which makes sense from d4p being Lorentz invaraint and dp0 transforming proportional to γ, but it isn't what everyone else says. What's the problem here?




An alternative way to "derive" the factor of 1/γ:


δ(p2m2)θ(p0)=1Epδ(p0Ep)


Now, as dp0 transforms to γdp0, the δ(p0Ep) should transform to γ1δ(p0Ep), as can be shown with an analogous argument to the one shown in the document. The Ep also transforms to γ(Epvpx) for an x-boost, but this doesn't seem to solve it.



Answer



I've come across an answer in Peskin's Introduction to Quantum Field theory where he looks at how to make the 3-momentum delta function invariant that might satisfy you. Look at a boost in the p3 direction so that p3=γ(p3+βE),E=γ(E+βp3).


δ3(pq)=δ3(pq)dp3dp3

=δ3(pq)γ(1+βdEdp3)=δ3(pq)γE(E+βEdEdp3)
=δ3(pq)γE(E+βp3)=δ3(pq)EE.


So for a 3-momentum delta function, the quantity Eδ3(pq) is Lorentz invariant. Combined with the fact that δ4(pq) is invariant, we conclude 1Eδ(p0q0) is invariant.


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