Quantum Field Theory

Code:

F4015

Acronym:

F4015

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Physics

Instance: 2021/2022 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Physics and Astronomy
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Physics

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
M:A_ASTR	2	Plano de Estudos oficial desde_2013/14	1	-	6	49	162
			2
M:F	19	Official Study Plan	1	-	6	49	162

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

- Understand the concepts and inconsistencies Relativistic Quantum Mechanics.

- Familiarization with ideas, methods and laws of Quantum Field Theory.

- Understand in detail the canonical quantization of a scalar field, Dirac field and the electromagnetic field.

- Understand the treatment of interactions in field theory and its applications in the study of physical phenomena, with particular emphasis on quantum electrodynamics.

- Introduce the procedure of renormalization in Quantum Field Theory.

Learning outcomes and competences

Acquire new skills in Quantum Field Theory, which is an essential element in the education of a Theoretical Physicist, with applications in Particle Physics, Statistical Physics and Condensed Matter Physics.

Working method

Presencial

Program

Introduction: Review of canonical quantification; Compton length; causality and quantum mechanics - an inconsistency; symmetries and Lorentz and Poincaré groups; Casimir invariants - mass and spin.

Relativistic Quantum Mechanics: Klein-Gordon equation and Dirac and their solutions; gyromagnetic ratio of the electron, neutrinos.

Canonical quantization of a scalar field: particle states and Fock space; relativistic invariance relations switching and causality; applications.

Quantization of the Dirac field: the Pauli exclusion principle and the spin-statistics relation.

Quantization of the electromagnetic field: the quantization in the Coulomb and Lorentz gauges.

Interactions: the interaction representation; Wick's theorem and Feynman rules; matrix S; asymptotic states; spectral representation of the propagator; reduction formulas of Lehmann, Symanzik and Zimmermann; applications.

Quantum Electrodynamics: correlation functions, Wick's theorem and Feynman rules; elementary processes in QED: creation of pairs of muons through the collision electron/positron, production of quark/anti-quark pairs, electron/muon scattering, Compton scattering, creation of pairs of photons through the collisions electron/positron; electron/proton inelastic scattering and the parton model.

Renormalization: infinities, renormalizable theories, different methods of renormalization; study of renormalization with momentum cut-off and of dimensional renormalization in phi^4 theory; study of vacuum polarization in QED.

Mandatory literature

000074046. ISBN: 0-201-50397-2
000006668. ISBN: 0-521-33859-X
000004429. ISBN: 0-07-032071-3

Teaching methods and learning activities

Theoretical and problem solving lectures.

keywords

Physical sciences

Evaluation Type

Evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Exame	100,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	113,00
Frequência das aulas	49,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

There are no requirements.

Calculation formula of final grade

Exame final.

Classification improvement

Grade improvement by final examination.

Observations

Júri: Miguel Costa, Orfeu Bertolami e João Lopes dos Santos