Gauge invariance forbids bare mass terms in certain quantum field theories
Is it true that gauge invariance forbids bare mass terms in certain quantum field theories?
Gauge invariance forbids bare mass terms for gauge bosons in Yang-Mills and related quantum field theories by symmetry principles, representing a foundational standard result in physics for which explicit citation is unnecessary.
Verdict: COMMON KNOWLEDGE · 0 sources for, 0 against · Last checked
The claim states a standard textbook fact in quantum field theory: local gauge invariance strictly forbids explicit (bare) mass terms for gauge fields (such as $m^2 A_ u A^ u$), forcing gauge bosons to acquire mass exclusively through mechanisms like spontaneous symmetry breaking (e.g., the Higgs mechanism). Because this is a direct, foundational definition and consequence of gauge symmetry taught universally in physics, it falls under common knowledge.
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The claim states a standard textbook fact in quantum field theory: local gauge invariance strictly forbids explicit (bare) mass terms for gauge fields (such as $m^2 A_ u A^ u$), forcing gauge bosons to acquire mass exclusively through mechanisms like spontaneous symmetry breaking (e.g., the Higgs mechanism). Because this is a direct, foundational definition and consequence of gauge symmetry taught universally in physics, it falls under common knowledge.
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