course dates credits
Quantum Field Theory Oct 1 - Dec 13 3
teachers schedule term
Andrea Gambassi, Marco Serone Mon-Thur, 10:00-11:15
(from Oct 28 8:30-9:45)		 1

Program:

  • LSZ Reduction Formula and Kallen-Lehmann Representation
  • The Optical Theorem
  • General Renormalization Theory
  • Coleman-Weinberg Potential
  • Quantization and Ward Identities for QED
  • Quantization of Non-Abelian Gauge Theories
  • BRST Symmetry
  • Background Field Method
  • The Sliding Scale and the Summation of Leading Logs
  • Callan-Symanzik Renormalization Group equations
  • Scheme Dependence and Asymptotic Behaviours of Coupling Constants
  • RG Improved Effective Potential
  • Effective Field Theories
  • Naturalness and the Hierarchy Problem
  • Non-Leptonic Decays
  • (Ir)relevance of Higher Dimensional Operators
  • Spontaneously Broken Global Symmetries
  • Goldstone Theorem
  • Spontaneously Broken Gauge Symmetries
  • Higgs Mechanism
  • (*)Equivalence Theorem
  • (*)Callan-Coleman-Wess-Zumino Construction of the Goldstone Boson Lagrangian
  • (*)Examples: SU(3)xSU(3)-> SU(3); SO(5)-> SO(4)
  • (*)Path Integral Derivation of the Chiral Anomaly
  • (*)Anomalies from One-Loop Graphs
  • (*)Gauge Anomalies and Their Cancellation in the Standard Model
  • (*)Wess-Zumino Consistency Relations
  • (*)Anomalous Breaking of Scale Invariance

An essential part of the course will be provided by several exercises to be solved. The exercises will concern the computation of Feynman graphs relevant for the course, their explicit renormalization, and various alternative techniques for field theory computations. The topics with (*) are optional for students in the Astroparticle curriculum.

Prerequisites:

  • Quantum Mechanics
  • Basic concepts of Quantum Field Theory
    (quantization of scalar, fermion and abelian gauge fields, Feynman rules, path integral formulation)

Books:

  • S. Weinberg, ''The Quantum Theory of Fields'', vol. I and II
  • M.E. Peskin and D.V. Schroeder, ''An Introduction to Quantum Field Theory''

Online Resources:

Filename Size (bytes) Date Modified
QFT_Review.pdf 930 KB Mar 7 2013 5:39 PM