8 ECTS Credits — Semester 2 — Major
Statistical Field Theory is a theoretical framework in physics that combines statistical mechanics with the field theory formalism. It is used to study systems with a large number of degrees of freedom, such as in condensed matter physics and high-energy physics.
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 Statistical Physics program provides an overview of the theory of phase transition, be they continuous or discontinuous. Mean-field approaches of the Landau family will be introduced, together with renormalization group techniques.
The aim of the second part of the course on Quantum Physics is to introduce the Quantum Field Theory for scalar fields – only coupled via a simple self-interaction – up to the calculation of basic reaction probability amplitudes.
Suggested bibliography
- R. Balian, From Microphysics to Macrophysics, Springer.
- J.-L. Barrat and J.-P. Hansen, Basic Concepts for Simple and Complex Liquids, CUP.
- 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).