Noether’s theorems and the energy-momentum tensor in quantum gauge theories
Adam Freese
Abstract
Noether's first and second theorems both imply conserved currents that can be identified as an energy-momentum tensor (EMT). The first theorem identifies the EMT as the conserved current associated with global spacetime translations, while the second theorem identifies it as a conserved current associated with local spacetime translations. This work obtains an EMT for quantum electrodynamics and quantum chromodynamics through the second theorem, which is automatically symmetric in its indices and invariant under the expected symmetries [e.g., Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) invariance] without the need for introducing an ad hoc improvement procedure.
Topics & Concepts
Noether's theoremMathematical physicsTensor (intrinsic definition)Stress–energy tensorPhysicsGauge theoryTheoretical physicsQuantumQuantum mechanicsMathematicsPure mathematicsExact solutions in general relativityLagrangianQuantum Chromodynamics and Particle InteractionsBlack Holes and Theoretical PhysicsNoncommutative and Quantum Gravity Theories