Parity realization in vector-like theories from fermion bilinears

Abstract

We reconsider in this paper the old aim of trying to understand if the observed realization of discrete symmetries as Parity or CP in the QCD vacuum can be satisfied from first principles. We show how under the appropriate assumptions implicitely done by Vafa and Witten in their old paper on parity realization in vector-like theories, all parity and CP odd operators constructed from fermion bilinears of the form $\bar\psi\tilde O\psi$ should take a vanishing vacuum expectation value in a vector-like theory with N degenerate flavours (N>1). In our analysis the Vafa-Witten theorem on the impossibility to break spontaneously the flavour symmetry in a vector-like theory plays a fundamental role.