Unitarity in Stückelberg electrodynamics modified by a Carroll-Field-Jackiw term

Manoel M Ferreira,Jose A Helayël-Neto,Carlos M Reyes,Marco Schreck,Pedro D.S Silva

doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2020.135379

Manoel M Ferreira, Jose A Helayël-Neto + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2020.135379

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Abstract

In this work we focus on the Carroll-Field-Jackiw (CFJ) modified electrodynamics in combination with a CPT-even Lorentz-violating contribution. We add a photon mass term to the Lagrange density and study the question whether this contribution can render the theory unitary at tree-level. The analysis is based on the pole structure of the modified photon propagator as well as the validity of the optical theorem. We find, indeed, that the massive CFJ-type modification is unitary at tree-level. This result provides a further example for how a photon mass can mitigate malign behaviors.

Highlights

Lorentz symmetry violation has been of permanent interest in the past two decades whereby the major part of the investigations have been carried out within the minimal Standard-Model Extension (SME) [1, 2]
There has been a vast interest in understanding the properties of the CPT-odd photon sector of the SME that is represented by the Carroll-Field-Jackiw (CFJ) electrodynamics [9]
This theory has been extensively examined in the literature with respect to its consistency [10], modifications that it induces in quantum electrodynamics (QED) [11, 12], its radiative generation [13], and many other aspects

Summary

Introduction

Lorentz symmetry violation has been of permanent interest in the past two decades whereby the major part of the investigations have been carried out within the minimal Standard-Model Extension (SME) [1, 2]. There has been a vast interest in understanding the properties of the CPT-odd photon sector of the SME that is represented by the Carroll-Field-Jackiw (CFJ) electrodynamics [9]. Adding a mass to the graviton renders gravity renormalizable (despite being plagued by the Boulware-Deser ghost [14] that is removed by the construction of de Rham, Gabadadze, and Tolley [15]) It was indicated in [1] and demonstrated in [16] that a photon mass is capable of mitigating the malign behavior in CFJ electrodynamics.

Theoretical setting

Polarization vectors

Application to electroweak sector

Conclusions