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# QFT/17- Course Overview

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QUANTUM FIELD THEORY COURSE OVERVIEW

### Objectives

The study material here follows a standard sequence available in many text books.It consists of different Parts as outilned below.

Shorter courses

A  shorter course is planned enable the students to calculate lifetimtes and cross sections at an early stage.  This course takes full advantage of the student preparation from quantum mechanics course.
The required topics are  Canonical quantization, Scattering theory in quantum mechanics, Time dependent perturbation theory  and Fermi Golden rule.The study material in form of  shorter courses will be made available on the following site.

http://physics-lessons.globalcloudhost.com

### Prerequisites

Following topics should have been covered in quantum mechanics course elemenatry

• Introduction to Scattering theory in quantum mechanics,
• Time dependent perturbation theory,
• Fermi Golden rule.

The course will be divided into ten Parts. The syllabus for different parts is as follows.

### Part-I Time Evolution in Quantum Theory

Pictures in Quantum Theory. Time dependent perturbation theory in .
interaction picture. Transition to continuum. Scattering, Fermi Golden Rule
Computation of cross sections.
Prerequisites: Introduction to Schrodinger Wave Mechanics; Cross
section in classical and quantum mechanics.
Assignments: Computing unequal time commutation relations; Normal
ordering;
Click to Open the Part-1  page

### Part-II Classical Fields

What is a classical field? A brief introduction to functonal derivatives. Lagrangian, Lagrangian density
and Action Principle. Euler Lagrange equations of motion; Hamiltonian and Hamiltonian denisty.
Hamiltonian equations of motion; Poisson brackets for fields.
Click to Open Part-II Page

### Part-III Second Quantization of Non-relativistic Equation

Schrodinger equation as classical field. Action principle and canonical
qunatization.  Schrodinger field as a collection of  harmonic oscillators.
Number and raising and lowering operators. Complete set of commuting
operators.Hilbert space of states of quantized Schrodinger field.
Prerequisites: Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalism of classical
mechanics; Poisson    brackets
Assignments:Cross section for Rutherford scattering in second quantized
theory. Scattering from a finite range potential and determination of nuclear
size.

Click to Open Part-III Page

### Part-IV Second Quantization of Klein Gordon equation.

Review of free particle solutions of Klein Gordon; Second Quantization
Prerequisites: Introduction to relativistic quantum mechanics.Klein
Gordon equation and its free particle solutions.
Asssignments: Life time of $$K$$ meson decays
$$K^+ \to \pi^+ \ \pi^0$$      and $$K_0 \to \pi^+\ \pi^0$$;
Implications for change in isospin.
Computation of cross section for $$\pi^+ \pi^-$$ scattering.

### Part-V Quantization of Electromagnetic Field

Classical electromagnetic field. Physical Degrees of freedom. Electromagnetic
field as assembly of harmonic oscillators. Quantization of electromagnetic
field using harmonic oscillator representation.
Prerequisites: Maxwell's equations, scalar and vector  potential;
Gauge transformations and gauge invariance; Coulomb gauge.
Assignments: Scattering of light from non-relativistic electrons.
Rayleigh and Thosmson scattering. Dipole transitions in atomic physics.

### Part-VI Second Quantization of Dirac Field

Free Dirac field; Properties of free particle solutions; Second quantization;
Use of anticommutators; Spin statistics Theorem;
Prerequisites:Dirac equation; Properties of Free particle solutions.
Assignments: Hyperon decay $$\Lambda \to p \pi^0$$;
Polarization and   parity violation in   Hyperon decays. Compare V-A and
scalar pseudoscalar interactions.
Branching ratio of pion decay modes $$\pi \to \mu \nu$$ to  $$\pi\to e\nu$$
using
(i) V-A interaction and (ii) scalar-pseudoscalar interaction.
Part-VI Lowest order processes  Coulomb scattering for nonrelativistic  case, Coulomb Scattering for Klein
Gordon equation and Dirac equation. Mott scattering.

### Part-VII Lorentz Invariance and Spin

Inhomogenous Lorentz group; Lie Algebra and Infinitesimal generators;
Commutation relations of generators.Pauli Lubanski Operator. Lorentz
transformations of scalar, Dirac and vector fields. Energy momentum and
angular momentum tensors for  scalar, Dirac and vector fields.
Prerequisites: Special theory of relativity. Lorentz transformations.
Spin in quantum mechanics.
Assignments: Properties of time like,light like and space like vectors;
General properties of Lorentz transformations.
Deriving commutators of Lorentz generators using group property; Using
Noether's theroem toobtain expressions for energy momentum and angular
momentum.

### Part-VIII Discrete symmetries, and CPT theorem

Partity Charge conjugation and time reversal for scalar, vector and  Dirac
fields. CPT theorem.
Time reversal in quantum  mechanics of particles.
Time reversal classical and quantum fields.
Prerequisites: Time reversal invariance in Newtonian
mechanics. Electromagentic fields and Charged particles.
Assignments: Verifying CPT properties of Bilinear covariants;
Principle of detailed balance. Applications determination of spin of pion.

### Part-IX Interacting fields; Wick's Theorem, Feynman diagrams

Fields in interaction; Gauge invariance, Lorentz invariant phenomenological
interaction Lagrangian. Beta decay of neutron as an example.
Normal ordering; S matrix, Wick's theorem; FeynmanmDiagram;
Assignments: Understanding processes allowed by a
phenomenlogical Lagrangian; Expectation value of commutator for unequal times.
Feynman propagator for scalar field; Exercises on applying Wicks theorem.

### Part- X Higher order corrections

Loop diagrams in higher orders; Appearance of divergences;
Anomalous magnetic moment of electron; Lamb Shift
Assignments: Evaluation of simple loop integrals using Feynman
parametric form. Filling in details of anomalous magnetic moment
and  Lamb shift calculation

The course study material made available here is based on Quantum Field Theory Course taught at IIT  Bhubanswar duirng Autumn Semesters of 2016 and 2017. For more information visit Course Site  URL

### Site For Courses in Shorter Format

All study material is  also planned to be  made available on the following site.