Monday, August 26, 2019

quantum field theory - Change of variables in path integral measure


In fermion's path integral we have a measure that you can write, in terms of the Grassmann variables ψ,ˉψ as


DˉψDψ,ψ(x)=nanϕn(x),ˉψ(x)=nˉanˉϕn(x)


Where an,ˉan are Grassmann variables and ϕn(x) a set of orthonormal functions such that


d3x ϕn(x)ϕm(y)=δnm


Now if you perform a change of variables in, for instance, axial group U(1)A with an small parameter α(x), this renders


am=n(δmn+id3x α(x)ϕm(x)γ5ϕn(x))an=n(1+C)mnan ˉam=n(1+C)mnˉan Cmn=id3x α(x)ϕm(x)γ5ϕn(x)),1 is the identity


Now, following Peskin (chapter 19.2, Eq. (19.69)), the path integral meassure should change as


DˉψDψ=DˉψDψ·(det[1+C])2.


I don't understand where the -2 power for the Jacobian (det[1+C]) came up since if we were talking about a usual integral with usual variables we would end up with +2 power.



What am I missing?




EDIT


Thinking about the problem I found a possible explanation. Grassmann variables, let's call it η, are forced to satisfy


dη η=1


Therefore, a change of variables such that η changes to η=Aη and η is still a Grassmann variable should fulfill


dη η=1


But if we follow the change of variables given by Eq. (A) and we want Eq. (B) satisfied,


dη η=A2dη η=1dη η=A2


Then, we are violating Eq. (B) and η isn't a Grassmann variable. So, if η,η are Grassmann variables then the Jacobian (j=A1) among themselves must be introduced in the measure with the opposite power sign, so:



dη η=j1·dη j·η1


Fine or something to complain about?



Answer





  1. OP is right. Grassmann-odd integrals are the same thing as Grassmann-odd derivatives dθj=θj, cf. e.g. this Phys.SE post and above comments by user knzhou.




  2. For this reason, if θk=Mkj θj is a linear change of Grassmann-odd variables [where the matrix elements Mkj are Grassmann-even], then dθ1dθn = θ1θn = nk1=1θk1θ1θk1nkn=1θknθ1θkn = πSnMπ(1)1θπ(1)Mπ(n)nθπ(n) = πSnMπ(1)1Mπ(n)n(1)sgn(π)θ1θn = det





  3. More generally, change of super-integration variables transform with the superdeterminant/Berezinian.




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