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0 votes
0 answers
61 views

Degree of freedom - Lorentz transfomation reduces it? [duplicate]

I am having a real difficult to counting degree of freedom. In fact, I notice that sometimes I am confused about what exactly we count as DoF, and what we do not count. See, for example, the ...
1 vote
0 answers
53 views

Counting degrees of freedom in theories with two-forms [duplicate]

I am reading Counting the number of propagating degrees of freedom in Lorenz Gauge Electrodynamics. I am thinking that I can apply the same arguments to the case of a two form, whose components are ...
10 votes
1 answer
3k views

Gauge theory and eliminating unphysical degrees of freedom

In free space we can express Maxwell's equations as \begin{align} \varepsilon^{abcd}\partial_bF_{cd}=0 ~~\text{ and }~~ \partial_aF^{ab}=0 \tag{1} \end{align} where $F^{ab}=-F^{ba}$. The most general ...
2 votes
0 answers
56 views

$R_\xi$ gauge and degrees of freedom counting

In the standard classical Maxwell theory, we use the following arguments to claim that there are only two propagating degrees of freedom $A_\mu$ has 4 components $A_0$ is non-dynamical (-1) $\...
2 votes
2 answers
207 views

"One-parameter" gauge transformation

In my advanced classical physics course, it was stated that the electromagnetic field strength tensor $F_{\mu\nu} = \partial_{\nu}A_{\mu} - \partial_{\mu}A_{\nu}$ is invariant under "one-...
9 votes
2 answers
2k views

How many degrees of freedom in a massless $2$-form field?

Consider the Kalb-Ramond field $B_{\mu\nu}$ which is basically a massless $2$-form field with the Lagrangian $$ \mathcal L = \frac{1}{2}P_{\alpha\mu\nu}P^{\alpha\mu\nu}\,, $$ where $P_{\alpha\mu\nu} \...
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

Residual Gauge Freedom [closed]

How are we still left with one Residual Gauge Freedom in the choice of Electromagnetic Potential after having already exploited the Gauge Freedom once. As is mentioned in Halzen and Martin Section 6.9....
1 vote
0 answers
173 views

Explicit counting of gauge field degrees of freedom

Consider a connection on a principal $U(1)$-bundle $A_\mu$ over the flat base manifold $M_4$. The action of the theory is described in terms of the curvatures of such connection coupled to some source ...
10 votes
2 answers
2k views

Counting massive degrees of freedom after gauge fixing

Consider the theory of scalar QED with the Lagrangian $$\mathcal{L} = - \frac14 F^{\mu\nu} F_{\mu\nu} + (D^\mu \phi)^* (D_\mu \phi) - m^2 \phi^* \phi \tag{1}$$ where $\phi$ is a complex scalar field ...
1 vote
3 answers
378 views

Why does gauge invariance in electrodynamics mean that there are redundant degrees of freedom? [closed]

It is possible to choose different gauges in electrodynamics. I am familiar with two of them: Coulomb gauge and Lorenz gauge. Let us stick to the Coulomb gauge. It sets $$\nabla\cdot\vec{A}=0.$$ The ...
10 votes
2 answers
2k views

Question about physical degree of freedom in Maxwell Theory: Why Coulomb gauge can fix all redundant degree of freedom

Given $4$-potential $A^\mu(x)=(\phi(x),\mathbf{A}(x))$, the vacuum Maxwell equations: $$\nabla^2\phi+\frac{\partial}{\partial t}(\nabla\cdot \mathbf{A} )=0$$ $$\nabla^2 \mathbf{A} -\frac{\partial^2 \...
19 votes
2 answers
2k views

Gauge-fixing of an arbitrary field: off-shell & on-shell degrees of freedom

How to count the number of degrees of freedom of an arbitrary field (vector or tensor)? In other words, what is the mathematical procedure of gauge fixing?
1 vote
1 answer
102 views

Counting degrees of freedom without fixing the gauge?

In electrodynamics, the current-current interaction in the momentum space is described by $$p^2 A_\mu J^\mu = J_\mu J^\mu \, ,$$ where $J$ denotes an arbitrary external current. Since photon-...
0 votes
1 answer
2k views

General relativity: gauge fixing

In his lectures professor Hamber said that the metric tensor is not unique, just like the 4 vector potential is not unique for a unique field in electrodynamics. Since the metric tensor is symmetric, ...
18 votes
2 answers
3k views

Counting the number of propagating degrees of freedom in Lorenz Gauge Electrodynamics

How do I definitively show that there are only two propagating degrees of freedom in the Lorenz Gauge $\partial_\mu A^\mu=0$ in classical electrodynamics. I need an clear argument that involves the ...

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