What is the Fermion's mass in this Lagrangian?

In summary, the mass of a fermion in a given Lagrangian is determined by the terms that couple the fermion fields to the scalar fields or gauge fields, typically expressed as a mass term in the Lagrangian. This mass term can influence the behavior and interactions of the fermions, and its value is critical for understanding the physical properties of the particles described by the Lagrangian.
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Homework Statement
.
Relevant Equations
.
We have a Lagrangian of the form:
$$

\mathcal{L} = \overline{\psi} i \gamma_{\mu} \partial^{\mu} \psi - g \left( \overline{\psi}_L \psi_R \phi + \overline{\psi}_R \psi_L \phi^* \right) + \mathcal{L}_{\phi} - V(|\phi|^2)

$$
Essentially, what we are studying is spontaneous symmetry breaking. First, we must find the minimum of $$V(|\phi|^2)$$ to determine the vacuum state. We obtain:
$$

\langle \phi \rangle = v = \sqrt{\frac{m^2}{\lambda}}

$$
Now, let's perform the following expansion:
$$

\phi = (v + h(r, t)) e^{-\frac{i \pi(r, t)}{f}}

$$
Now, the question arises: How do we find the mass of the "new particles," ##\pi## and ##h##? This part is straightforward. However, the challenge lies in determining the fermion mass, denoted as ##m_{\psi}##, and its coupling to ##\pi## and ##h##.

I assume that the only terms that matter in answering this question are:

$$

\overline{\psi} i \gamma_{\mu} \partial^{\mu} \psi - g \left( \overline{\psi}_L \psi_R \phi + \overline{\psi}_R \psi_L \phi^* \right)

$$
Now, let's expand this term as follows:
$$

\overline{\psi} i \gamma_{\mu} \partial^{\mu} \psi - g \left( \overline{\psi}_L \psi_R \left( (v + h) e^{i \frac{\pi}{f}} \right) + \overline{\psi}_R \psi_L \left( (v + h) e^{-i \frac{\pi}{f}} \right) \right)

$$
The challenge here is to determine the fermion mass. My idea is to write a Lagrangian equivalent to the Dirac Lagrangian, where the constant ##c## that should appear in the Lagrangian, i.e., ##c \overline{\psi} \psi##, represents the mass. However, I can't find such a term in the Lagrangian we have. To proceed, I first rewrite ##\psi_{L,R}## in terms of ##\psi## itself, resulting in:

$$

- g (v+h) \overline{\psi} \left( \cos\left(\frac{\pi}{f}\right) + i \gamma^5 \sin\left(\frac{\pi}{f}\right) \right) \psi

$$

Next, I expand the trigonometric expressions to obtain:

$$

g (v+h) \overline{\psi} \left( 1 - \frac{1}{2} \left(\frac{\pi}{f}\right)^2 + i \gamma^5 \frac{\pi}{f} \right) \psi

$$
This expansion results in terms such as:

$$

- g v \overline{\psi} \psi - g h \overline{\psi} \psi - \frac{i g v \gamma^5}{f} \overline{\psi} \pi \psi + \frac{g v}{2 f^2} \overline{\psi} \pi \pi \psi + O(\ldots)

$$

So, the fermion mass would be ##g v##, the coupling ##h \psi \overline{\psi}## would be ##g##, and the ##\overline{\psi} \pi \psi## coupling would be ##\frac{i g v \gamma^5}{f}##?
 
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FAQ: What is the Fermion's mass in this Lagrangian?

What is a fermion in the context of a Lagrangian?

A fermion is a particle that follows Fermi-Dirac statistics and is described by a Lagrangian in quantum field theory. Fermions include particles such as electrons, quarks, and neutrinos, which have half-integer spin (e.g., 1/2, -1/2). In a Lagrangian, fermions are typically represented by fields that obey the Dirac or Weyl equations.

How is the mass of a fermion represented in a Lagrangian?

The mass of a fermion is represented in a Lagrangian by a term that couples the fermion field to itself. For a Dirac fermion, this term is usually of the form \( m\bar{\psi}\psi \), where \( m \) is the mass of the fermion, \( \psi \) is the fermion field, and \( \bar{\psi} \) is the Dirac adjoint of \( \psi \). This term explicitly breaks chiral symmetry, indicating that the fermion has a non-zero mass.

How do you extract the mass of a fermion from a given Lagrangian?

To extract the mass of a fermion from a given Lagrangian, identify the term that couples the fermion field to itself without any derivatives. For a Dirac fermion, this is typically the term \( m\bar{\psi}\psi \). The coefficient \( m \) in this term is the mass of the fermion. For example, in the Lagrangian \( \mathcal{L} = \bar{\psi}(i\gamma^\mu \partial_\mu - m)\psi \), the mass of the fermion is \( m \).

What role does the fermion mass play in the dynamics described by the Lagrangian?

The fermion mass term in the Lagrangian affects the dynamics by giving the fermion a rest mass and influencing how it propagates and interacts with other fields. A non-zero mass term breaks chiral symmetry and affects the dispersion relation of the fermion, leading to different behavior compared to massless fermions. The mass also determines the energy-momentum relation for the fermion, influencing how it behaves under boosts and rotations.

Can the mass of a fermion be zero in a Lagrangian, and what does that imply?

Yes, the mass of a fermion can be zero in a Lagrangian. When the mass term \( m\bar{\psi}\psi \) is absent, the fermion is massless. This implies that the fermion obeys the Weyl equation rather than the Dirac equation, and it exhibits chiral symmetry. Massless ferm

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