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Summary

I want to clarify how can I prove the fact that "the Noether charge generates the corresponding transformation" when the infinitesimal transformation of the fields contain the canonical momentum $\pi$.

Formulation

Let us consider the transformation of a set of scalar fields $\phi^i(x)$ on $D$-dimensional Minkowski space whose metric is $(- + + \dots +)$, \begin{align} \delta_\epsilon \phi^i (x) = \epsilon^A (\Delta_A \phi)^i (x). \end{align} Here, we simply assume the transformation corresponds to a Lie algebra and $A$ denotes its indices. $\Delta_A$ is usually assumed to be a linear oprator which includes some partial derivatives with spacetime $x$ and matirces acting on $i$ like the flavor symmetry.

For the moment, we assume there exists a Lagrangian of the system and it does not depend on time explicitly.

The condition which assures that the transformation is indeed the symmetry: $\delta \mathcal{L} = \epsilon^A \partial_\mu {K^{\mu}}_A$.

Then we can define the Noether charge as \begin{align} Q_A &:= - \int d^{D-1} \vec{x} ~ \left( \frac{\delta \mathcal{L}}{\delta \partial_0 \phi} (\Delta_A \phi)^i - K^0_A\right)\\ &= - \int d^{D-1} \vec{x} ~ \left( \pi_i (\Delta_A \phi)^i - K^0_A\right), \end{align} as displayed in Supergravity by Daniel Z. Freedman and Antoine Van Proeyen.

It is well-known fact that the Noether charge generates the corresponding symmetry as \begin{align} (\Delta_A \phi)^i = \{Q_A, \phi^i \}_{{\rm P.B.},~t=t_0} \tag{1}, \end{align} with the canonical commutation relation assumed.

In the following, I assume the usual Lagrangian $\mathcal{L} = -\frac{1}{2} \partial_\mu \phi^i \partial^\mu \phi ^i +V(\phi)$, which gives the canonical momentum as \begin{align} \pi_i = \partial_0 \phi. \end{align}

Then, if $K^0_A = 0$ and $\Delta_A \phi$ does not contain $\partial_0 \phi$, it can be proven easily.

When $\Delta_A \phi$ contains $\pi$

However, I do not understand how should we treat $\Delta_A \phi$ when it contains the time derivative $\partial_0 \phi$.

For the time translation, we can simply replace $\partial_0 \phi \in \delta_A \phi$ by $\pi$;

\begin{align} \{Q_A, \phi \} = -\int d^{D-1} \vec{x} \left\{ {\frac{1}{2}\pi_i \pi^i}, \phi^i \right\} \end{align}

which gives a correct result.

Hence, I think that it is actually switched to the Hamilton formalism with $(\phi, \pi)$, when I write down the definition of the Noether charge.

  • (a) However, is that replacement valid for arbitary cases where $\delta_A \phi$ contains $\partial_0 \phi$?

  • (b) How can I prove eq. (1) in such cases ($K^0_A$ is in general nonzero, and $\{\pi \Delta_A \phi, \phi \} \neq \{\pi , \phi \}\Delta_A \phi$)?

Qmechanic
  • 201,751
Keyflux
  • 343
  • Possible duplicate: https://physics.stackexchange.com/q/701099/2451 and links therein. – Qmechanic Apr 16 '23 at 11:15
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    I understood my question is closed and thanks for linking the relevant question. However, I cannot see any valid answer as mentioned in the comment there. I do not know how can I re-emphasize such the old question. – Keyflux Apr 16 '23 at 14:13

0 Answers0