6 ECTS Credits — Semester 2 — Focus
Quantum Field Theory is a theoretical framework that combines quantum mechanics with special relativity. It describes the interactions of elementary particles through fields, and it is the basis for the Standard Model of particle physics.
Syllabus
The aim of this course is to introduce the Quantum Field Theory of scalar fields – only coupled via a simple self-interactions – up to the calculation of basic reaction probability amplitudes.
Suggested bibliography
- D. Bailin and A. Love, Introduction to Gauge Field Theory, revised edition, CRC Press.
- R. D. Klauber, Student Friendly Quantum Field Theory, Sandtrove Press.
- A. Lahiri and P. B. Pal, A First Book of Quantum Field Theory, Alpha Science International.
- M. E. Peskin and D. V. Schroeder, An Introduction To Quantum Field Theory, CRC Press.
Prerequisites
- This course requires basic knowledge of Probability Theory (elementary laws generating functions, central limit theorem etc), Statistical Physics (see e.g. D. Chandler, Introduction to Modern Statistical Mechanics, or B. Diu et al, Statistical Physics), Quantum Mechanics (typically the content of the main chapters of the book Quantum Mechanics – Volumes 1 & 2 – by C. Cohen-Tannoudji et al.) and basic notions of Special Relativity (like the covariant formalism).