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2
_
y
t
_
2
T
2
_
y
x
_
2
_
(1)
where x identies position along the string from one end point. By expressing the
displacement as a sine series Fourier expansion in the form
y(x, t) =
_
2
a
n=1
sin
_
nx
a
_
q
n
(t) (2)
show that the Lagrangian becomes
L =
n=1
_
2
q
2
n
T
2
_
n
a
_
2
q
2
n
_
. (3)
Derive the equations of motion. Hence show that the string is equivalent to an innite
set of decoupled harmonic oscillators with frequencies
n
=
_
T
_
n
a
_
. (4)
2. Show directly that if (x) satises the Klein-Gordon equation, then (
1
x) also
satises this equation for any Lorentz transformation .
3. The motion of a complex eld (x) is governed by the Lagrangian
L =
m
2
2
(
)
2
. (5)
Write down the Euler-Lagrange eld equations for this system. Verify that the La-
grangian is invariant under the innitesimal transformation
= i ,
= i
(6)
Derive the Noether current associated with this transformation and verify explicitly
that it is conserved using the eld equations satised by .
1
4. Verify that the Lagrangian density
L =
1
2
1
2
m
2
a
(7)
for a triplet of real elds
a
(a = 1, 2, 3) is invariant under the innitesimal SO(3)
rotation by
a
a
+
abc
n
b
c
(8)
where n
a
is a unit vector. Compute the Noether current j
c
(9)
are all conserved and verify this directly using the eld equations satised by
a
.
5. A Lorentz transformation x
, meaning that
. (10)
Use this result to show that an innitesimal transformation of the form
(11)
is a Lorentz tranformation when
is antisymmetric: i.e.
.
Write down the matrix form for
(x) = (x)
(x) (12)
and hence show that the variation of the Lagrangian density is a total derivative
L =
L) (13)
2
Using Noethers theorem deduce the existence of the conserved current
j
[T
] (14)
The three conserved charges arising from spatial rotational invariance dene the total
angular momentum of the eld. Show that these charges are given by,
Q
i
=
ijk
_
d
3
x
_
x
j
T
0k
x
k
T
0j
_
(15)
Derive the conserved charges arising from invariance under Lorentz boosts. Show that
they imply
d
dt
_
d
3
x (x
i
T
00
) = constant (16)
and interpret this equation.
7. Maxwells Lagrangian for the electromagnetic eld is
L =
1
4
F
(17)
where F
and A
(18)
where = (x) is a scalar eld with arbitrary (dierentiable) dependence on x.
Use Noethers theorem, and the spacetime translational invariance of the action, to
construct the energy-momentum tensor T
= T
(19)
Show that this object also denes four conserved currents. Moreover, show that it is
symmetric, gauge invariant and traceless.
Comment: T
and
is given by
L =
1
4
F
+
1
2
m
2
C
(20)
where F
= 0 (21)
Further show that C
0
can be eliminated completely in terms of the other elds by
i
C
0
+ m
2
C
0
=
i
C
i
(22)
Construct the canonical momenta
i
conjugate to C
i
, i = 1, 2, 3 and show that the
canonical momentum conjugate to C
0
is vanishing. Construct the Hamiltonian density
H in terms of C
0
, C
i
and
i
. (Note: Do not be concerned that the canonical momen-
tum for C
0
is vanishing. C
0
is non-dynamical it is determined entirely in terms of
the other elds using equation (22)).
9. A class of interesting theories are invariant under the scaling of all lengths by
x
(x
= x
and (x)
(x) =
D
(
1
x) (23)
Here D is called the scaling dimension of the eld. Consider the action for a real scalar
eld given by
S =
_
d
4
x
1
2
1
2
m
2
2
g
p
(24)
Find the scaling dimension D such that the derivative terms remain invariant. For
what values of m and p is the scaling (23) a symmetry of the theory. How do these
conclusions change for a scalar eld living in an (n+1)-dimensional spacetime instead
of a 3 + 1-dimensional spacetime?
In 3 + 1 dimensions, use Noethers theorem to construct the conserved current D