Transforming lepton basis to diagonlise charged lepton mass

In summary, the conversation discusses the rotation of charged leptons and neutrinos from a primed basis to an unprimed basis in order to determine mass. The primed basis is a general basis and does not have a special meaning. The use of the same flavour index for both the primed and unprimed states is a convention.
  • #1
venus_in_furs
19
1
To determine the mass of charged leptons, we rotate such that the matrix of yukawa couplings (which gives the mass matrix after EWSB) is diagonal.
We also call this flavour basis for neutrinos, because the flavoured neutrinos couple directly to the correspondong flavoured lepton in weak charged current interactions.

we often see the notation in text that we rotate from ##e'_L \rightarrow e_L ## and ## \nu'_{e L} \rightarrow \nu_{eL} ##
Where the UN-primed is the mass basis of charged leptons.
What is the primed basis?for neutrinos
##\nu_{eL}## is flavour/interaction basis (e, mu tau)
##\nu_1## is mass basis (1,2,3)
what is ##\nu'_{eL}## ?? (e, mu, tau)

for leptons
## e_L ## is mass/flavour/interaction basis
what is ## e'_L ## ?##\nu'_{eL}## and ##\nu_{eL}## are both LH and both electron flavour.. so I am not sure what the difference is?
Is it just that we rotate nu' simply because we rotated the charged leptons ?
Even if this is so, I am still not sure what the dashed basis ##e'_L## was in the first place

Is this to do with interactions before and after EWSB?Thanks in advance
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
The primed basis is any general basis. Unless you are working in some extended theory where this basis has a special meaning, it is not relevant what it is. You can just as well choose to work in the mass basis of the charged leptons from the beginning.
 
  • Like
Likes venus_in_furs
  • #3
Oh, ok, well I guess that's simple enough then!

I was reading the 'Fundamentals of neutrino physics and astrophysics' book, seesaw chapter, and always they start everything with primed basis then convert to un-primed so I thought it must have some meaning, then I looked in earlier chapters and saw they do it everywhere. I guess they are just being as general and thorough as possible and to highlight how things transform together.

OK great, thanks for the reply.
 
  • #4
Sorry I thought about it some more and I'm still a bit confused.
If the prime and non-prime are different basis, why do they keep the flavour index in both?

##\nu'_{e L} = A\nu_{eL} + B\nu_{\mu L} + C\nu_{\tau L} ##
-> which looks weird... e is a flavour state on the right ... why would you also use e as the label on the left?
-> why does the primed keep the flavour label ?##\nu_{eL}## is a flavour state and couples to the charged lepton.
Then if ##\nu'_{eL}## is not a flavour state, and does not couple directly to corresponding charged lepton, what significance does the 'e' index have?

Do you see what I'm confused about?

Thanks again
 
  • #5
venus_in_furs said:
which looks weird... e is a flavour state on the right ... why would you also use e as the label on the left?
This is also done also in the quark sector, with the difference that it is the down states that are usually denoted by a prime and that the prime then refers to the down-type quarks in the up-type quark mass basis, while the unprimed down-type quarks usually refer to the down-type quark mass basis. You still need three indices to denote the three different states, regardless of basis.

venus_in_furs said:
Then if ν′eLνeL′\nu'_{eL} is not a flavour state, and does not couple directly to corresponding charged lepton, what significance does the 'e' index have?
None, it is pure convention.
 
  • Like
Likes venus_in_furs
  • #6
hmm, yes ok, I guess this makes sense then if you put it like that. Ok thank you.
 

FAQ: Transforming lepton basis to diagonlise charged lepton mass

What is "transforming lepton basis to diagonalize charged lepton mass"?

Transforming lepton basis to diagonalize charged lepton mass is a mathematical procedure used in particle physics to simplify the equations governing the interactions of leptons (such as electrons and muons) with other particles. This transformation is necessary to reveal the underlying structure of the Standard Model and to better understand the fundamental properties of particles.

Why is it important to transform the lepton basis?

The transformation of the lepton basis to diagonalize charged lepton mass is important because it simplifies the equations governing the interactions of leptons, making it easier to study and understand their properties. It also allows for a more direct comparison between theoretical predictions and experimental results, helping to validate the Standard Model.

How is the lepton basis transformed to diagonalize charged lepton mass?

The lepton basis is transformed using a unitary matrix, known as the Pontecorvo-Maki-Nakagawa-Sakata (PMNS) matrix. This matrix is used to rotate the original basis of leptons into a new basis where the charged lepton mass matrix is diagonal. This transformation is similar to the process of diagonalizing a matrix in linear algebra, but it is applied to a specific set of particles in the Standard Model.

What are the implications of a diagonalized charged lepton mass matrix?

A diagonalized charged lepton mass matrix has significant implications in particle physics. It allows for a clear separation of the mass and mixing parameters of leptons, providing insight into the underlying symmetries and interactions of the Standard Model. It also simplifies calculations and predictions for various particle interactions, making it a useful tool for theoretical and experimental studies.

Are there any other transformations used in particle physics?

Yes, there are other transformations used in particle physics, such as the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix, which is similar to the PMNS matrix but applies to quarks instead of leptons. Other transformations and mathematical tools are also used in different areas of particle physics, depending on the specific research questions being addressed.

Back
Top