About the triviality of the higher derivative sector in the abelian Lee-Wick model

Abstract

Canonical quantization is reviewed here for the Abelian Lee-Wick model by using the Dirac constraints method, a Gupta-Bleuler-like prescription is implemented and the BRST charge operator for this model is built. New degrees of freedom associated to the (higher derivatives) Lee-Wick ghost are excluded from the (physical) space of observables by the imposition of a Piguet-Nielsen-type BRST-extended symmetry for the Lee-Wick mass term, removing the Lee-Wick mass parameter of the theory, which implies remove all the higher-derivative sector. In addition, another prescription based on a new subsidiary condition of invariance under a purely higher-derivative BRST-type new symmetry is proposed.