Suppose we have relativistic system with spontaneously broken symmetry. For simplicity, let choose broken U(1) symmetry:
L=12(∂μφ)2−V(|φ|),V(|φ|=φ0)=0(1)
Let us parametrize Goldstone degree of freedom, φ=φ0eiθ. Then instead of (1) we will get
L=φ202(∂μθ)2(2)
In fact, this leaves us with undetermined VEV of Goldstone degree of freedom. This VEV corresponds to the coherent state of θ-particles with zero momentum.
Suppose also that instead of (1) we have the lagrangian with small explicit symmetry breaking term, which after substitution of anzats φ=φ0eiθ leads to appearance −φ20m22θ2 extra term in (2):
L′=φ202(∂μθ)2−φ20m2θ22(2′)
The first question: in case of absense of explicit symmetry breaking, can we fix this VEV by some properties of underlying theory? Or it is completely undertermined and may take arbitrary values from 0 to 2π?
The second question: in case of presence of explicit symmetry breaking term, can we immediately state that VEV of θ field is zero due to presence of mass term in (2′) which makes zero contribution in classical energy of θ field only if ⟩θ⟨=0?
The third extra question. Suppose that we know only effective theory with θ field and its interactions with other fields, and the lagrangian takes the form
L″
where J_{\mu}^{i} denotes some vector or pseudovector currents, in dependence of what \theta is. May we strictly state that due to scale invariant form of the lagrangian (3) \theta field arises in corresponding effective theory in a way nothing but as goldstone degree of freedom?