Quantum Field Theory — Physics 722

Spring Semester 2012

Also available at http://physics.wm.edu/~carlson/phys722.htm

Professor Carl E. Carlson

Office: Small 326C

E-mail: carlson@physics.wm.edu

Telephone: 221–3509

Office hour: Tuesday 11:00–12:00

Text: M. Peskin and D. Schroeder, Quantum Field Theory

(misprints are listed at physics.weber.edu/schroeder/qftbook.html)

Other books (listed by author):

F. Gross, Relativistic Quantum Mechanics and Field Theory

S. Weinberg (3 vol.), The Quantum Theory Of Fields, Foundations/Modern Applications/Supersymmetry.

J. Bjorken and S. Drell (2 volumes), Relativistic quantum mechanics/Relativistic quantum fields

Pierre Ramond, Field Theory: A Modern Primer

J. Sakurai, Advanced Quantum Mechanics

C. Itzykson and J. Zuber, Quantum Field Theory

Homework: Given out roughly every other Thursday (possibly more often), due 1 week later.

Midterm Exam: Tuesday, February 28, 2010 (if in-class)

Final Exam: Wednesday, May 2, 2012, 9:00 AM

Grading: 25% midterm, 50% final, 25% homework (or 60% final and 40% homework, if no midterm)

Goals: Study

1. Muon decay in detail: one real and useful calculation. Use Weak interaction phenomenology to learn about polarization observables, three-body phase space. (ca. 3 lectures)

[Could instead do neutron decay.]

2. Functional integrals in QFT. First example: re-obtain Feynman rules for QED. (P&S ch. 9; ca. 5 lectures)

i. Path integral in ordinary QM

ii. Path integral for QFT (bosonic case)

iii. Propagators and Feynman rules from path integrals; generating functions

iv. Photon case

v. Fermion case

3. Renormalization, to lowest non-trivial order. Interactions affect the mass and charge that one measures. Includes dimensional regularization. (P&S ch. 7 and 10; ca. 6 lectures)

4. Advanced renormalization theory: General renormalization theory and “running” of coupling parameters (dependence on how one measures them). (P&S, ch. 11,12, and 16; ca. 6 lectures)

5. Fundamentals of string theory. How do we get a particle mass spectrum, and why all those dimensions? (ca. 6 lectures)