ELI5: Antiparticles in Feynman Diagrams

In summary, Feynman diagrams depict multiple integrals contributing to scattering amplitudes and do not depict events in time. The direction of the arrows is determined by the direction of the momentum vector, which reflects the CTP symmetry and treats particles and antiparticles in a symmetric way. The adjoint is used for outgoing particles and the antiparticle is drawn as entering due to the Fourier transform treating them in a way that reflects the CTP symmetry.
  • #1
Tulzz
7
0
Hi!, I am studying for an introductory course in QED and Feynman Diagrams. Everything we see is like a first order approach and I am having some trouble understanding antiparticles in Feynman Diagrams:
Why is it that we put an antiparticle that is leaving as if it is entering the interaction??
This is:
We have the interaction term:
[tex]\bar{\Phi}\gamma^{\mu} \Phi A_{\mu}[/tex]
From which I understood that [tex]\bar{\Phi}[/tex] corresponds to the outgoing particle. Yet for antiparticles we draw them as entering.

Also, i don't fully understand why we use the adjoint (i.e: with [tex]\gamma^0[/tex] multiplying) as the outgoing particles. I thought we were calculating interactions elements for the Hamiltonian. I don't know where the [tex]\gamma^0[/tex] comes from.

Sorry for my english.
 
Last edited:
  • #3
Feynman diagrams describe multiple integral contributing to the scattering amplitude, they don't depict events in time. (The latter is only a superficial mnemonics.) See, e.g., http://physics.stackexchange.com/a/22064/7924

The direction of the arrows comes from the direction of the momentum vector in the Fourier transform of the integrals they depict. The Fourier transform treats particle and antiparticles in a way reflecting the CTP symmetry: changing p to -p changes particles to antiparticle and reverses the signs of all charges.
 

Related to ELI5: Antiparticles in Feynman Diagrams

1. What are antiparticles in Feynman Diagrams?

Antiparticles in Feynman Diagrams are particles with the same mass as regular particles, but with opposite charge and other quantum numbers. They are represented by arrows pointing in the opposite direction to the regular particles in Feynman diagrams.

2. Why are antiparticles necessary in Feynman Diagrams?

Antiparticles are necessary in Feynman Diagrams to accurately depict particle interactions and reactions. They allow for the conservation of charge, energy, and other quantum numbers in the diagrams.

3. How are antiparticles different from regular particles?

Antiparticles have the same mass as regular particles, but they have opposite charge and other quantum numbers. This means that they have opposite properties, such as spin and magnetic moment, and they interact differently with other particles.

4. Can antiparticles be observed in experiments?

Yes, antiparticles can be observed in experiments. They were first observed in cosmic ray experiments in the early 20th century, and have since been created and observed in particle accelerators.

5. What is the significance of antiparticles in Feynman Diagrams?

The inclusion of antiparticles in Feynman Diagrams allows for a more complete and accurate understanding of particle interactions and reactions. It also helps to explain the phenomena of annihilation and pair production, where a particle and its corresponding antiparticle collide and produce energy or create new particles.

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