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Quarks And Leptons. An Introductory Course In Modern Particle Physics

Francis Halzen, Alan D. Martin

Chapter 13

Electroweak Interactions - all with Video Answers

Educators


Chapter Questions

01:00

Problem 1

Verify the quark quantum numbers given in Table } 13.1 .

Carlos Henrique De Lima
Carlos Henrique De Lima
Numerade Educator
13:51

Problem 2

If the vertex factor for the decay of a vector boson X into two spin- $\frac{1}{2}$ fermions $\mathrm{f}_{1}$ and $\overline{\mathrm{f}}_{2}$ is
$$
-i g_{X} \gamma^{\mu} \frac{1}{2}\left(c_{V}-c_{A} \gamma^{5}\right)
$$
then show that
$$
\Gamma\left(X \rightarrow f_{1} \bar{f}_{2}\right)=\frac{g_{X}^{2}}{48 \pi}\left(c_{V}^{2}+c_{A}^{2}\right) M_{X}
$$
where $M_{X}$ is the mass of the boson and where we have neglected the masses of the fermions.

Hint Use (6.93) to show that after summing over the fermion and averaging over the boson spins,
$$
\overline{\left|\prod\right|^{2}}=\frac{1}{12} g_{X}^{2}\left(c_{V}^{2}+c_{A}^{2}\right)\left(-g_{\mu \nu}\right) \operatorname{Tr}\left(\gamma^{\mu} k \gamma^{\nu} k^{\prime}\right)
$$
where $k, k^{\prime}$ are the four-momenta of the fermions. Work in the boson rest frame. Use (4.37).

Robert Zaballa
Robert Zaballa
Numerade Educator
02:26

Problem 3

Assuming the standard model coupling, show that
$$
\Gamma\left(Z \rightarrow \nu_{e} \bar{\nu}_{e}\right)=\frac{g^{2}}{96 \pi \cos ^{2} \theta_{W}} M_{Z}
$$ see Exercise 13.2. Given that $\sin ^{2} \theta_{W}=0.25$ and $M_{Z}=90 \mathrm{GeV}$, predict the numerical value of the partial width.

Vikash Ranjan
Vikash Ranjan
Numerade Educator
01:33

Problem 4

Calculate the partial widths of the three decay modes $Z \rightarrow \mathrm{e}^{+} \mathrm{e}^{-}$, ?u, $\overline{\mathrm{d}} d$. Hence, predict the total width of the $Z$ in the standard model, assuming $\sin ^{2} \theta_{W}=\frac{1}{4}$ and $M_{Z}=90 \mathrm{GeV}$. Do not forget color.

Bahar Tehranipoor
Bahar Tehranipoor
Numerade Educator
01:05

Problem 5

Repeat Exercise $13.3$ for the $\mathrm{W}^{+} \rightarrow \mathrm{e}^{+} \nu_{e}$ decay mode; take $M_{W}=80 \mathrm{GeV}$.

Carlos Henrique De Lima
Carlos Henrique De Lima
Numerade Educator
07:37

Problem 6

Calculate the partial widths of the two decay modes $\mathrm{W}^{+} \rightarrow \overline{\mathrm{d}} u, \bar{s} u ;$ use $(12.102)$ and $(12.103) .$ Predict the total width of the $\mathrm{W}^{+}$ in the standard model.

Chris Trentman
Chris Trentman
Numerade Educator
03:55

Problem 7

If $\nu \mathrm{e} \rightarrow \nu$ e scattering proceeds by $\mathrm{Z}$ exchange, show that (13.46) is obtained from the Feynman rules using (13.41) as the vertex factor. In particular, use the expression for the boson propagator (see Section 6.17) to verify that (13.46) is valid provided the four-momentum transfer $q$ is such that $\left|q^{2}\right| \ll M_{Z}^{2}$.

Given that (13.46) is of identical form to that for $\nu \mathrm{q} \rightarrow \nu \mathrm{q}$ scattering, we may use the results of Section $12.10$ to obtain the $\nu_{\mu} \mathrm{e}^{-} \rightarrow \nu_{\mu} \mathrm{e}^{-}$cross section. We therefore have [see (12.90) and (12.91)]
$$
\frac{d \sigma}{d y}\left(\nu_{\mu} \mathrm{e}\right)=\frac{G_{N}^{2} s}{4 \pi}\left[\left(c_{V}+c_{A}\right)^{2}+\left(c_{V}-c_{A}\right)^{2}(1-y)^{2}\right]
$$
Carrying out the $y$ integration from 0 to 1 gives
$$
\sigma\left(\nu_{\mu} \mathrm{e} \rightarrow \nu_{\mu} \mathrm{e}\right)=\frac{G_{N}^{2} s}{3 \pi}\left(c_{V}^{2}+c_{V} c_{A}+c_{A}^{2}\right)
$$
For $\bar{\nu}_{\mu} \mathrm{e}^{-}$elastic scattering, $c_{A} \rightarrow-c_{A}$ in (13.47), and so
$$
\sigma\left(\bar{\nu}_{\mu} \mathrm{e} \rightarrow \bar{\nu}_{\mu} \mathrm{e}\right)=\frac{G_{N}^{2} s}{3 \pi}\left(c_{V}^{2}-c_{V} c_{A}+c_{A}^{2}\right)
$$

Eduard Sanchez
Eduard Sanchez
Numerade Educator
03:19

Problem 8

Equation (13.47) is valid if $m^{2} / s \ll 1$. If the electron mass $m$ is not ignored, show that the extra contribution to $(13.47)$ is
$$
-G^{2} m^{2} y\left(c_{V}^{2}-c_{A}^{2}\right) / 2 \pi
$$
The process $v_{e} \mathrm{e}^{-} \rightarrow \nu_{e} \mathrm{e}^{-}$offers the intriguing possibility of studying charged current and neutral current interference, see Fig. 13.4. The amplitude for diagram (a) is $\mathscr{M}^{N C}$ of (13.46) with $\nu=\nu_{e}$. For diagram (b), we have
$$
\text { IR }^{C C}=-\frac{G}{\sqrt{2}}\left[\bar{e} \gamma^{\mu}\left(1-\gamma^{5}\right) \nu_{e}\right]\left[\bar{\nu}_{e} \gamma_{\mu}\left(1-\gamma^{5}\right) e\right]
$$
where the minus sign relative to (13.46) arises from interchange of the outgoing leptons [see (6.9)]. We may use the Fierz reordering theorem, see, for example, Bailin (1982), to rewrite (13.50) as

Mirza  Aslam Beig
Mirza Aslam Beig
Numerade Educator
02:35

Problem 9

Show that (13.51) follows from (13.50). The invariance under reordering of the spinors is an important property of the $V-A$ interaction. The effect of reordering in the scalar product of bilinear covariants is, in general, much more involved. The answer is the Fierz theorem.

To obtain the amplitude $9 \pi\left(\nu_{e} \mathrm{e}^{-} \rightarrow \nu_{e} \mathrm{e}^{-}\right)$, we add the amplitudes ( $T^{N C}$ and $9 \pi^{C C}$ ) for the two diagrams of Fig. 13.4. If we take $\rho=1$, then $G_{N}=G$ [see $(12.88)]$, and we find $\mathscr{R}=9{K}^{N C}+9 \pi^{C C}$ is given by $(13.46)$ with
$$
c_{V} \rightarrow c_{V}+1, \quad c_{A} \rightarrow c_{A}+1 .
$$
Thus, the $\nu_{e} \mathrm{e}^{-}$and $\bar{\nu}_{e} \mathrm{e}^{-}$elastic scattering cross sections are in turn given by (13.48) and (13.49) with these replacements.

It is customary to present the results of a given neutrino-electron cross section measurement as an ellipse of possible values of $c_{V}$ and $c_{A}$ in the $c_{V}, c_{A}$ plane. Recent results are shown in Fig. 13.5. The three "experimental" ellipses mutually intersect to give two possible solutions. The $c_{A}$ dominant solution is
$$
\begin{aligned}
&c_{A}^{e}=-0.52 \pm 0.06 \\
&c_{V}^{e}=0.06 \pm 0.08
\end{aligned}
$$
in excellent agreement with the standard model and $\sin ^{2} \theta_{W} \approx \frac{1}{4}$ (see Table 13.2).

Manik Pulyani
Manik Pulyani
Numerade Educator
08:45

Problem 10

Using the couplings in the standard model, calculate $R_{\mu}$ at $s=M_{Z}^{2}$. Use $\sin ^{2} \theta_{W}=\frac{1}{4}, M_{Z}=90 \mathrm{GeV}$, and $\Gamma_{Z}=2.5 \mathrm{GeV} .$

It is relevant to ask what electroweak effects occur in $\mathrm{e}^{+} \mathrm{e}^{-} \rightarrow \overline{q q}$. They are not the same as in $\mathrm{e}^{+} \mathrm{e}^{-} \rightarrow \mu^{+} \mu^{-}$, since $c_{V, A}^{q} \neq c_{V, A}^{\mu}$. However, the calculation proceeds exactly as above. For instance, the counterpart to $(13.60)$ is
$$
\frac{d \sigma\left(\mathrm{e}_{L}^{-} \mathrm{e}_{R}^{+} \rightarrow \mathrm{q}_{L}^{-} \mathrm{q}_{R}^{+}\right)}{d \Omega}=3 \frac{\alpha^{2}}{4 s}(1+\cos \theta)^{2}\left|Q_{q}+r c q c_{L}^{e}\right|^{2},
$$
where $Q_{q}$ is the charge of the quark and the factor 3 is for color. Following through the calculation, the analogous result to (13.68) is
$$
\frac{\sigma\left(\mathrm{e}^{+} \mathrm{e}^{-} \rightarrow \overline{\mathrm{q}} \mathrm{q}\right)}{\sigma_{0}} \equiv R_{q}=3\left[Q_{q}^{2}+2 Q_{q} \operatorname{Re}(r) c q_{V} c_{V}^{e}+|r|^{2}\left(c q^{q^{2}}+c_{A}^{q 2}\right)\left(c_{V}^{e 2}+c_{A}^{e 2}\right)\right] .
$$

Eduard Sanchez
Eduard Sanchez
Numerade Educator
00:41

Problem 11

Follow Exercise $13.10$ and calculate $R_{u}$ and $R_{d}$ at $s=M_{Z}^{2} .$ Hence, calculate $\sigma\left(\mathrm{e}^{+} \mathrm{e}^{-} \rightarrow\right.$ hadrons) at the $\mathrm{Z}$ resonance.
The numerical results of Exercises $13.10$ and $13.11$ give $R$ 's in the region 100-1000. This has crucial implications. Very large enhancements over $\sigma_{0}$ are therefore expected at beam energies $E \sim M_{Z} / 2$, provided the neutral current interaction is mediated by a $\mathrm{Z}$ boson. This is a major motivation for the new $50+50 \mathrm{GeV} \mathrm{e}^{+} \mathrm{e}^{-}$collider being constructed at CERN, Geneva. Since $M_{Z} \approx 90$ $\mathrm{GeV}$, the $Z$ boson should be copiously produced at the new collider and its properties, and those of its decay products, studied in a clean environment, without the confusing background debris which accompanies a hadronic collision.

Carlos Henrique De Lima
Carlos Henrique De Lima
Numerade Educator
03:57

Problem 12

Verify (13.73). Assume that $k^{2} \ll M_{Z}^{2}$ and that the target contains equal numbers of $\mathrm{u}$ and $\mathrm{d}$ quarks (i.e., it is an isoscalar target), and neglect antiquarks. Show that, in the standard model,
$$
\begin{aligned}
&a_{1}=-\frac{3}{4}\left(1-\frac{20}{9} \sin ^{2} \theta_{W}\right) \\
&a_{2}=-\frac{3}{4}\left(1-4 \sin ^{2} \theta_{W}\right)
\end{aligned}
$$

Sheh Lit Chang
Sheh Lit Chang
University of Washington