507

Appendix B
Feynman Rules for the Electroweak Theory

Feynman Rule 1: External Lines: We attach wave functions or polarizations to each

incoming or outgoing particles (Figure B.1). Spinor index for fermions are some-
times omitted.

Feynman rules 2: Internal Lines: To each internal line, we attach a propagator de-
picted in Figure B.2, depending on particle species (Figure B.2). For fermions, the
sign of momentum follows that of arrow.

Feynman rule 3: Fermion Gauge Boson Vertices 1: For vertices of the fermion and
the gauge bosons, we attach coupling constants and appropriate γ factors (Fig-
ure B.3). Charged W bosons couple to left-handed fermions and its strength is
given by
e
gW D (B.1)
sin θW

u r (pi) u s (pf) v s (pi) v r (pf) ε(k,λ) ε∗(k', λ')

(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f)

Figure B.1 Feynman rule 1 for external lines.

fermion Higgs scalar

i p/ + mf i
p2 − m f 2 + iε p2 − m f 2 + iε

photon W, Z boson

q q
−i g µν − µ ν
( )
−i g µν mV2
mV = mW, mZ
q2 + iε q2 − mV2 + iε
Figure B.2 Feynman rule 2 for external lines.

Elementary Particle Physics, Volume 2: Foundations of the Standard Model, First Edition. Yorikiyo Nagashima.
© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA. Published 2013 by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.
508 Appendix B Feynman Rules for the Electroweak Theory

Cabibbo–Kobayashi–Maskawa matrix elements Vji need to be attached to a quark

pair of flavor j and i. The photon couples to the electromagnetic currents with
charge Q f e and is of vector type. The Z boson couples to the neutral current which
is a mixture of the left- and right-handed fermions. The coupling constants are
product of a common coupling constant
e
gZ D (B.2)
sin θW cos θW
and flavor dependent coupling constants

L ( f ) D I3 f
Q f sin2 θW ,
R ( f ) D Q f sin2 θW (B.3a)

where f D l D e, µ, τ or f D q D u, d, s, c, b, t. Sometimes, separations accord-

ing to vector and axial vector couplings are used.

g Z ! g Z /2 , v f D I3
2Q f sin2 θW , a f D I3 (B.4)

They are related to the left- and right-handed couplings by

v f D
L( f ) C
R ( f ) , a f D
L( f )

R ( f ) (B.5)

Feynman rule 4: gauge Boson Nonlinear Couplings: Because of the non-Abelian

nature of the electroweak theory, the gauge bosons have self-couplings which are
shown in Figure B.4. Note there are no γ
Z
Z or Z
Z
Z couplings. In the
figure, all the moments are taken to be inward going.

Feynman rule 5: Higgs Couplings: In Figure B.5, we list vertices where at least one
of the particles are the Higgs particles. Notice, the coupling strength is proportional
to the mass of the particle.

f l qj
γ W± W±

gW µ gW µ
− iQf e γ µ −i γ (1 − γ 5 ) −i γ (1 − γ 5 ) Vji
2√2 qi 2√2
f l
gW = e
sin θW
(a) (b) (c)
Vji = KM matrix
gZ µ
−i γ [ εL(f ) (1 − γ 5 ) + εR (f ) (1 + γ 5 )]
f 2
Ζ g
= −i Z γ µ (v f − a f γ 5 )
2
gZ = e
sin θW cos θW
f
ε L (f ) = I3f − Q f sin 2 θW ε R (f ) = − Q f sin 2 θW
(d) v f = I3f − 2Q f sin 2 θW a f = I3f
Figure B.3 Feynman rule 3: Vertices of fermions with gauge bosons.
 Appendix B Feynman Rules for the Electroweak Theory 509

W+ν
k2 k3
i gV [ gµν (k1 - k2)λ+ gνλ (k2 - k3)µ + gλµ (k3 - k1)ν ]
k1 Vλ = γ λ , Ζ λ
gV = e for V = γ
W−µ gV = e cot θ W for V = Ζ

(a)

W+µ V1α = γ α, Ζ α
− i gV1gV2 [ 2gαβ gµν − gαµ gβν − gαν gβµ]
gV = e for V = γ

V2β = γ β, Ζ β gV = e cot θ W for V = Ζ

W−ν
(b)

W−µ W+α
i gw2[ 2gαβ gµν − gαµ gβν − gαν gβµ]

gW = e
sin θ W

W−ν W+ β

(c)
Figure B.4 Feynman rule 4: Nonlinear gauge boson couplings.

f W±µ Ζµ H0
H0 H0 H0 H0

1 gW m W+ν igW mW gµν Ζ ν igZ mZ gµν H0 3 gW m 2

f −i −i
2 mW f 2 mW H
(a) (b) (c) (d)

W±µ H0 Ζµ H0 H0 H0
gW2 µν gZ2 µν 3 g W2 m 2
i g i g −i
2 2 4 mW2 H
W+ν H0 Ζν H0 H0 H0
(e) (f) (g) (h)
Figure B.5 Feynman rule 5: Vertices of the Higgs.

Feynman rule 6: momentum Assignment and Loops: The momenta of external

lines are fixed by the experimental condition. Then, at each vertex, the energy-mo-
mentum has to conserve. Assuming all the momenta are defined as inward going,
the energy-momentum conservation constrains that sum of energy-momenta of all
external lines must vanish. In addition, it fixes all the momenta for tree diagrams
510 Appendix B Feynman Rules for the Electroweak Theory

which do not contain loops. Each loop leaves one momentum unconstrained and
has to be integrated leading to divergent integrals. The integration includes the
sum over the spinor index, that is, trace) and polarization depending on the parti-
cle species that form the loop. For each closed fermion loop, an extra sign (
) has
to be attached. This results from anticommutativity of the fermion fields.

Amplitude for e
e C ! f f : As an example, we construct the amplitude in O(α 2 )

process for the reaction e
e C ! f f where f is any of the leptons or quarks.
According to the Feynman rules we just described, we attach appropriate func-
tions to every part of the Feynman diagram in Figure B.6.
The S-matrix and the cross section is written as

S f i D δ fi
(2π)4 δ 4 (p 1 C p 2
p 3
p 4 )iM (B.6a)

1X
dσ D spin jMj dLIPS
2
(B.6b)
F pol
d3 p3 d3 p4
dLIPS D (2π)4 δ 4 (p 1 C p 2
p 3
p 4 ) (B.6c)
(2π) 2E3 (2π)3 2E4
3

1/2
F D 4 (p 1  p 2 )2
m 21 m 22 ' 2s for s  m 21 , m 22 (B.6d)

where F is the initial flux and dLIPS is the Lorentz invariant phase space of the
final state. Using the Feynman diagram, the transition amplitude M can be written

q = p1 + p2 = p3 + p4
µ- µ+

u (p3) v (p4)
g
−i z γ µ (vµ − aµγ 5 )
2 qµqν
(
Ζ (q) −i µν − m 2
g
Z
)
gz γ ν (v a γ 5 ) q2 − mZ2 + iε
−i f− f
2
/ + mf
i (p/ – q) f (p − q) i p/ + mf
(p – q)2 − mf2 + iε f (p) p2 − mf 2 + iε
(-iQf eγ λ)
γ (q) −i gλρ
q2 + iε
(-iQf eγ ρ)

u (p1) v (p2)
e- e+

Figure B.6 An example of the Feynman diagram in order O(α 2 ) for the process e
e C !
µ
µ C . To every element of the Feynman diagram, (wave functions, vertices and propagators),
corresponding functions are attached.
 Appendix B Feynman Rules for the Electroweak Theory 511

as
"
 g i
i  g µ ν
q µ q ν /m 2 
Z µ  Z

iM D u(p 3 )
i γ v f
a f γ 5 v (p 4 )
2 q 2
m 2Z C i

 
i g

λ

i ΣγνZλ (q 2 ) 2 v (p 2 )(
i Q i e γ  )u(p 1)
q C i

(B.7a)
Z "
 g
d4 p i(6 p
6 q) C m f Z ν 

i ΣγνZλ (q 2 ) D
Tr
i γ v f
a f γ5
(2π) 4 (p
q)
m f C i

2 2 2
#
i 6 p Cmf  λ

 2
i Q f e γ (B.7b)
p
m 2f C i

where we have separated the fermion loop part of the Feynman diagram because it
has to be integrated over the internal momentum and an extra (
) sign has been at-
tached according to the rule (6). ΣγνZλ (q 2 ) is a diverging integral and has to be treated
with the renormalization prescription which will be discussed in Appendix C.