Quantum Field Theory; M425;

Instructor: Alon Faraggi; TP120; Phone: 01517 943774; Email: faraggi@amtp.liv.ac.uk

Lectures:
Monday 14:00 Room 103 Math Building.
Monday 15:00 Room 103 Math Building.
Thursday 11:00 Room 514 Math Building.
Friday 16:00 Room 117 TP building.

webpage: http://www.maths.liv.ac.uk/TheorPhys/people/staff/faraggi/teaching/qft/qftcourse06.html

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midterm solutions

Course Description

I. General outline:

The course aim is introduction to quantum field theories. I will start by a review of Lagrangian and Hamiltonian Mechanics; classical field theory; the Schroedinger, Heisenberg and interaction pictures of quantum mechanics; and the Lorentz group. The transition from non-relativistic to relativistic quantum mechanics via the Klein-Gordon and Dirac Eqs. will be introduced. Canonical quantization of scalar and Dirac fields will be discussed, followed by the S-matrix formalism for interacting fields; Feynman diagrams; Calculation of cross sections; and divergences and renormalization.

Assessment:   The grade will be based on: final exam 100%;

II. Syllabus:

1. Review of Classical field theory

2. Lorentz group

3. Klein-Gordon equation

4. Dirac equation. Plane wave solutions.

5. Quantization of free scalar field

6. Quantization of Dirac field

7. Interacting fields; the S-matrix

8. Feynman rules for scalars and fermions

9. Calculation of cross sections

10. Divergences and renormalization

III. References

An important reference on classical analytical mechanics: Classical mechanics, Herbert Goldstein, Addison & Wesley, 1980
The Quantum Theory of Fields, by Steven Weinberg, Cambridge University Press, 1998.
An Introduction to Quantum Field Theory, by Michael E. Peskin and Daniel V. Schroeder, Perseus Books, Reading Massachusetts, 1995.
Quantum Field Theory, by Claude Itzykson and Jean-Bernard Zuber, McGraw-Hill Inc, 1980.
Quantum Field Theory, by Lewis H. Ryder, Cambridge University Press, 1989.
Field Theory: A Modern Primer, by Pierre Ramond, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company Inc, 1989.
Quantum Field Theory, by Franz Mandl and Graham Shaw, John Wiley & Sons, 1993.