A QFT scalar toy model analogous to positronium and pion decays

Milena Piotrowska, Francesco Giacosa

Published 2023-11-12Version 1

In the framework of a scalar QFT, we evaluate the decay of an initial massive state into two massless particles through a triangle-shaped diagram in which virtual fields propagate. Under certain conditions, the decaying state can be seen as a bound state, thus it is analogous to the neutral pion (quark-antiquark pair) and to the positronium (electron-positron pair), which decay into two photons. While the pion is a relativistic composite object, the positronium is a non-relativistic compound close to threshold. We exam similarities and differences between these two types of bound states.