https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-016-4036-6
Regular Article - Theoretical Physics
Splitting Ward identity
School of Particles and Accelerators, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), P.O. Box 19395-5531, Tehran, Iran
* e-mail: msafari@ipm.ir
** e-mail: mahsafa@gmail.com
Received:
15
November
2015
Accepted:
24
March
2016
Published online:
13
April
2016
Within the background-field framework we present a path integral derivation of the splitting Ward identity for the one-particle irreducible effective action in the presence of an infrared regulator, and make connection with earlier works on the subject. The approach is general in the sense that it does not rely on how the splitting is performed. This identity is then used to address the problem of background dependence of the effective action at an arbitrary energy scale. We next introduce the modified master equation and emphasize its role in constraining the effective action. Finally, application to general gauge theories within the geometric approach is discussed.
© The Author(s), 2016