Teaching plan for the course unit
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General information

 

Course unit name: Quantum Field Theory

Course unit code: 574642

Academic year: 2021-2022

Coordinator: Bruno Julia Diaz

Department: Department of Quantum Physics and Astrophysics

Credits: 3

Single program: S

Estimated learning time

Total number of hours 75

 

Face-to-face and/or online activities

26

	-  Lecture	Face-to-face and online		20
	-  Lecture with practical component	Face-to-face and online		6

Independent learning

49

Recommendations

 

Students are advised to have completed or be enrolled in the subject Advanced Quantum Mechanics.

Learning objectives

Referring to knowledge To develop a broad and unified perspective based on symmetries on fundamental and emergent field theories.  To become familiar with the basic tools of formalism, like construction of Lorentz invariant representations and Lagrangians and identification of invariants and conserved charges.  To understand the fundamentals of gauge symmetries.

 

 

Teaching blocks

 

1. Symmetries in mechanics

*  

1. 
   Definition of invariance
2. 
   Physical consequences of invariance 
3. 
   Invariance in classical mechanics 
4. 
   Invariance in quantum mechanics (Wigner theorem) 
5. 
   Galilean relativity and Galileo group 
6. 
   Einstein relativity and Poincare group 
7. 
   Internal symmetries
8. 
   Local symmetries

2. Relativistic wave equations

*  

1. 
   Representations of the Poincare group 
2. 
   Wave equation for spin 0 (Klein-Gordon equation)
3. 
   Wave equation for spin ½ (Dirac equation) and its properties
4. 
   Wave equation for spin 1: the photon

3. Second Quantization

*  

1. 
   Fock space
2. 
   Field operators and their transformation properties
3. 
   Locality and discrete symmetries 
4. 
   CPT theorem
5. 
   Lagrangian formalism and Noether theorem
6. 
   Canonical quantization

4. Gauge Theories

*  

1. 
   Quantization of the electromagnetic field
2. 
   Minimal coupling and examples
3. 
   Perturbation theory
4. 
   Ward identities
5. 
   Topological invariants

 

 

Teaching methods and general organization

 

Lectures where theoretical contents of the subject are presented.  Practical exercise classes in which students may participate.  Activities related to the subject suggested by the teaching staff.

 

 

Official assessment of learning outcomes

 

Examination-based assessment A final written exam covering the contents of the course.

Reading and study resources

Consulteu la disponibilitat a CERCABIB

Book

Landau, L. and Lifschitz, E. Course of Theoretical Physics: Vol. I, III, and IV. Addison-Wesley (English ed.)

 Weinberg, S. (1995). The quantum theory of fields (Vol. 1). Cambridge university press.