Propagation of angular momentum in charged pion decay and related processes

There are confusions about angular momentum propagation in scattering or decay processes involving the transition between particle systems that appear to transform differently under Lorentz transformations. This paper provides an analysis of the transformation properties of the states and interactions for a few typical processes within the standard model of particle physics, and performs explicit calculations showing how angular momentum transfers in these processes. We shall show explicitly (a) how a state with zero angular momentum evolves via interactions mediated by a single vector boson of spin one, and (b) that angular momentum conservation is completely consistent with the calculation in quantum field theory. A discussion is also given about the phenomenological consequences of the theoretical results obtained in this study.

Automated summary

This study analyzes the transformation properties of the states and interactions for several typical processes within the standard model of particle physics, and shows through explicit calculations how angular momentum transfers in these processes. The discussion also explores the phenomenological consequences of the theoretical results obtained in this study.