Propagation et oscillations en theorie des champs

Abstract

After a review of the problems associated with the conventional treatment of particle oscillations, an oscillation formula is derived within the framework of quantum field theory. The oscillating particle is represented by its propagator and the initial and final states by wave packets. It is obviously relativistic from the start and moreover applies both to stable (neutrinos) and unstable particles (K and B mesons, unstable neutrinos). CPLEAR and DAFNE experiments are studied as examples, with special attention directed to CP violation. The problems resulting from equal energies/momentum/velocities prescriptions are analyzed and solved. Oscillations of associated particles are found to be nonexistent. The relativistic generalization of the Wigner-Weisskopf equation is also derived.