Lorentz invariance and origin of symmetries

We reconsider the role of Lorentz invariance in the dynamical generation of the observed internal symmetries. We argue that, generally, Lorentz invariance can be imposed only in the sense that all Lorentz noninvariant effects caused by the spontaneous breakdown of Lorentz symmetry are physically uno...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2001-08, Vol.87 (9), p.091601, Article 091601
Main Authors: Chkareuli, J L, Froggatt, C D, Nielsen, H B
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
BREAKDOWN
CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS
LAGRANGIAN FUNCTION
LORENTZ INVARIANCE
ORIGIN
SYMMETRY
VECTOR FIELDS
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Summary:We reconsider the role of Lorentz invariance in the dynamical generation of the observed internal symmetries. We argue that, generally, Lorentz invariance can be imposed only in the sense that all Lorentz noninvariant effects caused by the spontaneous breakdown of Lorentz symmetry are physically unobservable. The application of this principle to the most general relativistically invariant Lagrangian, with arbitrary couplings for all the fields involved, leads to the appearance of a symmetry and, what is more, to the massless vector fields gauging this symmetry in both Abelian and non-Abelian cases. In contrast, purely global symmetries are generated only as accidental consequences of the gauge symmetry.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.091601