Fermion Mass Mixing in Vacuum

Abstract

Renormalization group procedure for effective particles is applied to a theory of fermions that interact only through mass mixing terms in their Hamiltonian. Problems with virtual pair production in vacuum are avoided by using the front form of Hamiltonian dynamics. Masses and states of physical fermions emerge at the end of a calculation that is carried out exactly irrespective of the strength of the mass mixing terms. An a priori infinite set of renormalization group equations for all momentum modes of fermion quantum fields is reduced to just one equation for a two-by-two mass matrix. In distinction from scalars, fermions never become tachyons but appear chirally rotated when the mass mixing interaction term is sufficiently strong.