Abstract: We consider the decay pi(-) -> l (nu) over bar (l) (l = e(-) , mu(-)) in the presence of an arbitrary large uniform magnetic field, using the symmetric gauge. The consequences of the axial symmetry of the problem and the issue of angular momentum conservation arc discussed in detail. In particular, we analyze the projection of both the canonical and the mechanical total angular momenta along the direction of the magnetic field. It is found that while the former is conserved in the symmetric gauge, the latter is not conserved in both the symmetric and Landau gauges. We derive an expression for the integrated pi(-) -> l (nu) over bar (l) width that coincides exactly with the one we previously found using the Landau gauge, providing an explicit test of the gauge independence of that result. Such an expression implies that for nonzero magnetic fields the decay width does not vanish in the limit in which the outgoing charged leptons can be considered as massless, i.e., it does not exhibit the helicity suppression found in the case of no external field.

Abstract: We study the role of the Schwinger phase (SP) that appears in the propagator of a charged particle in the presence of a static and uniform magnetic field (B) over right arrow. We first note that this phase cannot be removed by a gauge transformation; far from this, we show that it plays an important role in the restoration of the symmetries of the system. Next, we analyze the effect of SPs in the one-loop corrections to charged pion and rho meson self-energies. To carry out this analysis we consider first a simple form for the meson-quark interactions, and then we study the pi(+) and rho(-) propagators within the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model, performing a numerical analysis of the B dependence of meson lowest energy states. For both pi(+) and rho(-) mesons, we compare the numerical results arising from the full calculation-in which SPs are included in the propagators, and meson wave functions correspond to states of definite Landau quantum number-and those obtained within alternative schemes in which SPs are neglected (or somehow eliminated) and meson states are described by plane waves of definite four-momentum.

Abstract: We analyze the radiative pion decay pi(+) -> e(+) nu(e)gamma within nonlocal chiral quark models that include wave function renormalization. In this framework we calculate the vector and axial-vector form factors F-V and F-A at q(2) = 0 – where q(2) is the e(+) nu(e) squared invariant mass – and the slope a of F-V (q(2)) at q(2) -> 0. The calculations are carried out considering different nonlocal form factors, in particular those taken from lattice QCD evaluations, showing a reasonable agreement with the corresponding experimental data. The comparison of our results with those obtained in the (local) NJL model and the relation of F-V and a with the form factor in pi(0) -> gamma*gamma decays are discussed.