Quantum field theory Definition and 559 Threads

Using free scalar field for simplicity. Hi all, I have a question which is pretty simple, we have the path integral in QFT in the presence of a source term: $$ Z[J] = \int \mathcal{D}\phi \, e^{i \int d^4x \left( \frac{1}{2} \phi(x) A \phi(x) + J(x) \phi(x) \right)} $$ So far so good. Now...

I am reading the Horatiu Nastase's Introduction to quantum field theory (https://professores.ift.unesp.br/ricardo.matheus/files/courses/2014tqc1/QFT1notes.pdf ) ( Attached file ) or Peskin, Schroeder's quantum field theory book, p.105, (4.77). Through p.176 ~ p. 177 in the Nastase's Note, he...

Physicist Nima Arkani-Hamed has taken an approach to understand fundamental physics based on geometry (specifically, positive geometry). This started with his work with Jaroslav Trnka in the amplituhedron [1] and later it was generalised to the associahedron [2],the EFT-hedron [3]... I was...

This isn't a homework problem (it's an example from David Tong's QFT notes where I didn't understand the steps he took), but I am confused as to how exactly to take the partial derivative of the Lagrangian with respect to ##\partial(\partial_\mu \mathcal{A}_\nu)##. (Note the answer is...

What means exactly the principle of 'locality' in context of gauge theory? Motivation: David Tong wrote in his notes on Gauge Theory (p 115): "their paper (the 'original' paper by Yang & Mills introducing their theory) suggests that global symmetries of quantum f ield theory– specifically SU(2)...

In scattering theory, the quantity of interest is the amplitude for the system—initially prepared as a collection of (approximate) momentum eigenstates—to evolve into some other collection of momentum eigenstates. For example, for ##m\to n## scattering, the amplitude we're interested in is...

Confronted with my inability to grasp Witten's Susy QM examples of supersymmetry breaking, I concluded that the problem was that I was not understanding spontaneous symmetry breaking in simpler contexts. It seems that SSB is not possible in QM because of tunneling between the different states...

When it comes to scattering in QED it seems only scattering cross sections and decay rates are calculated. Why is that does anyone calculate the actual evolution of the field states or operators themselves like how the particles and fields evolve throughout a scattering process not just...

Hi Would you explain to me what is the q^ and how they are related to completeness.How can i solve this exercise?It is from "Quarks and leptons An Introductory course in Modern Particle Physics" of Halzen and Alan D.Martin.Also, can you point me to a useful bibliography?

This is the defining generator of the Lorentz group which is then divided into subgroups for rotations and boosts And I then want to find the commutation relation [J_m, J_n] (and [J_m, K_n] ). I'm following this derivation, but am having a hard time to understand all the steps: especially...

I am a bit confused on how we can just say that (z',p) form a 4-vector. In my head, four vectors are sacred objects that are Lorentz covariant, but now we introduced some new variable and say it forms a 4-vector with momentum. I understand that these are just integration variables but I still do...

I'm trying to apply an operator to a massless and minimally coupled squeezed state. I have defined my state as $$\phi=\sum_k\left(a_kf_k+a^\dagger_kf^*_k\right)$$, where the ak operators are ladder operators and fk is the mode function $$f_k=\frac{1}{\sqrt{2L^3\omega}}e^{ik_\mu x^\mu}$$...

What is the Schrodinger equation in QFT? is it the nonrelativistic approximation of a Klein-Gordon scalar field? or Is there more? I have read that the Schrodinger equation describes a QFT in 0 dimensions. I accept every answer

It is often argued that Dirac Equation is not valid as relativistic quantum mechanics requires the creation of antiparticles. But, there are also some arguments that suggest otherwise. For example, I saw Arnold Neumaier's website on this that there are multiparticle relativistic quantum...

I noticed that ##V(\phi)## has nonzero minima, therefore I found the stationary points as ##{{\partial{V}}\over{\partial\phi}}=0##, and found the solutions: $$\phi^0_{1,2}=-{{m}\over{\sqrt{\lambda}}}\quad \phi^0_3={{2m}\over{\sqrt{\lambda}}}$$ of these, only ##\phi^0_3## is a stable minimum...

I have a question related to the uncertainty principle in QFT and if it is related to the early universe conditions. Do we still have four-vector momentum and position uncertainty relation in relativistic quantum theory? I have been following the argument related to the early universe and the...

Hi every one.How can i prove the below equation? And then that it's Lorentz invariant quantitude ? Thanks for your help

I recently watched this lecture "Quantum Fields: The Real Building Blocks of the Universe" by David Tong where the professor provides a succinct explanation of QFT in about 6 minutes around the midway mark. The main point being that there are fields for particles and fields for forces and the...

I am not a Physicist. I am a retired Social Worker and Public Health Administrator who has taken an interest in Cosmology and Quantum Mechanics/Quantum Field Theory. I am reading as much popular literature in the field as I can as well as watching the excellent presentations on YouTube. I try...

Then please explain how the transition in conceptual language from a single quantum field (extending all over spacetime, or at least over the lab during a day) to an ensemble of particles can be justified from the QFT formalism.

TL;DR Summary: Looking for literature on O(N) vector model Hello, We have been going over the O(N) vector model in my QFT class but the notes are not very detailed and we are not using a textbook. Does anyone know of a good QFT book which goes over this material? I have a copy of Shrednicki...

In a paper by Bain (2011), particles are left with little ontological value because of the Reeh-Schlieder theorem, the Unruh effect and Haag's theorem. The author claims (and here I am copying his conclusion): First, the existence of local number operators requires the absolute temporal metric...

A recent paper (June 2021) claims to have observed the Unruh effect: https://arxiv.org/abs/1903.00043 A more recent article (with links to the papers inside it) talks about a possible way to detect it (Barbara Soda et al., April 2022), while there are still skeptics (Anatoly Svidzinsky). Here is...

What is the main reason for a free field staying free according to Haag's theorem?

I can understand how ##\phi (x)|0\rangle## represents the wavefunction of a single boson localised near ##x##.I don't understand how the same logic appies to ##A^{\mu}(x)|0\rangle## and ##\psi |0\rangle##. Both of these operators return a four component wavefunction when operated on the vaccuum...

In https://arxiv.org/pdf/1709.07852.pdf, it is claimed in equation (1) and (2) that when we take non-relativistic limit, the following Lagrangian (the interaction part) $$L=g \partial_{\mu} a \bar{\psi} \gamma^{\mu}\gamma^5\psi$$ will yield the following Hamiltonian $$H=-g\vec{\nabla} a \cdot...

David Wallace, The sky is blue, and other reasons quantum mechanics is not underdetermined by evidence, Manuscript (2022). arXiv:2205.00568. From the Abstract: ''I argue that there as yet no empirically successful generalization of'' [Bohmian Mechanics and dynamical-collapse theories like the...

Hello, i need help with the S-matrix. From what i understand, with the S-matrix i would be able to compute the scattering amplitude of some processes, is that correct? If so, how would i be able to do that if i have some field ##\phi(x,t)## in hands? Is that possible?

In quantum field theory, we have the following expansion on a scalar field (I follow the convention of Schwarz's book) $$\phi(\vec{x},t)=\int d^3 p \frac{a_p exp(-ip_\mu x^\mu)+a_p^{\dagger}exp(ip_\mu x^\mu)}{(2\pi)^3 \sqrt{2\omega_p}} \quad p^{\mu}=(\omega_p,\vec{p})$$ With commutation relation...

Hi there, In his book "Quantum field theory and the standard model", Schwartz assumes that the canonical commutation relations for a free scalar field also apply to interacting fields (page 79, section 7.1). As a justification he states: I do not understand this explanation. Can you please...

I came across this upcoming book -- https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691174297/quantum-field-theory-as-simply-as-possible -- peer reviewed as it is published by Princeton University Press, which is due to be published in October. I've already ordered a copy coming from the UK. It...

I am looking to learn about these topological effects or phases in solids. More specifically, I'm trying to find a set of lecture notes or a textbook or some other text that do not shy away from discussing homotopy classes and the application algebraic topology to describe these materials. I...

Hi, I'd like to clarify the following terminology (Fradkin, Quantum Field Theory an integrated approach) "carry the quantum numbers of the representation of the gauge group": Does the author basically mean that the wilson loop is a charged operator, in a sense that it transforms non-trivially...

How do we map experimental measurements of quantum fields, such as those seen in accelerators, to the theory's mathematical formalism? When we see images of particle tracks produced in accelerators such as the LHC, I think it's safe to say a measurement (or series of measurements) has been...

Hi there, I've been stuck on this issue for two days. I'm hoping someone knowledgeable can explain. I'm working through the construction of the quantum path integral for the free electrodynamic theory. I've been following a text by Fujikawa ("Path Integrals and Quantum Anomalies") and also...

Are there any QFT books that use little to no math? If there is a little math that is okay. I don't know much about math. I am looking for good explanations on how it works without math. Any help would be great!

Edward G. Timoshenko PhD, MSc, EurPhys, CPhys MInstP, CChem MRSC Web site: https://www.EdTim.live Bio: 2011- Researcher, TEdQz Research after an early retirement from UCD 2005 - 2011 Senior Lecturer in Physical Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, UCD 1997 College Lecturer...

A lot of people say that Quantum Field theory (QFT) an Quantum Mechanics (QM) are equivalent. Yet, I've found others who dispute these claims. Among the counter-arguments (which I admittedly do not have the expertise to pick apart and check their validity in full) are the following: 1) While QFT...

-1st: Could someone give me some insight on what a ket-state refers to when dealing with a field? To my understand it tells us the probability amplitude of having each excitation at any spacetime point, but I don't know if this is accurate. Also, we solve the free field equation not for this...

In This wikipedia article is said: "If the quantum field theory can be accurately described through perturbation theory, then the properties of the vacuum are analogous to the properties of the ground state of a quantum mechanical harmonic oscillator, or more accurately, the ground state of a...

Also, I have heard from physicists that vacuum energy fluctuation (creation and destruction of virtual particles) violates energy conservation. The reason, they justify, is based on uncertainty principle (energy-time form of uncertainty principle), energy can exist and disappear for a very short...

For ##N=1##, I have managed to prove this, but for ##N>1##, I am struggling with how to show this. Something that I managed to prove is that $$\langle\psi |b_k^\dagger=-\langle 0 | \sum_{n=1}^N F_{kn}c_n \prod_{m=1\neq k, l}^N \left(1+b_m F_{ml}c_l \right)$$ which generalizes what I initially...

I tried to do a Euler Lagrange equation to our Lagrangian: $$\frac{S_\text{eff}}{T}=\int d^6x\left[(\nabla \phi)^2+(\nabla \sigma)^2+\lambda\sigma (\nabla \phi)^2\right]+\frac{S_{p.p}}{T}$$ and then I would like to solve the equation using perturbation theory when ##Q## or somehow...

I'm trying to the following exercise: I've proven the first part and now I'm trying to do the same thing for fermions. The formulas for the mode expansions are: What I did was the following: $$\begin{align*} \sum_s \int d\tilde{q} \left(a_s(q) u(q,s) e^{-iq \cdot x}+ b_s^\dagger(q) v(q,s)...

hello :) i would very much like study some quantum field theorie, but have not previously study any regular quantum mechanic (i am not so interest in regular quantum mechanic, but more the relativistic theories). so i ask, this is possible or not? to what extent knowledge of regular quantum...

Assume that I have the Lagrangian $$\mathcal{L}_{UV} =\frac{1}{2}\left[\left(\partial_{\mu} \phi\right)^{2}-m_{L}^{2} \phi^{2}+\left(\partial_{\mu} H\right)^{2}-M^{2} H^{2}\right] -\frac{\lambda_{0}}{4 !} \phi^{4}-\frac{\lambda_{2}}{4} \phi^{2} H^{2},$$ where ##\phi## is a light scalar field...

My attempt at this: From the general result $$\int \frac{d^Dl}{(2\pi)^D} \frac{1}{(l^2+m^2)^n} = \frac{im^{D-2n}}{(4\pi)^{D/2}} \frac{\Gamma(n-D/2)}{\Gamma(n)},$$ we get by setting ##D=4##, ##n=1##, ##m^2=-\sigma^2## $$-\frac{\lambda^4}{M^4}U_S \int\frac{d^4k}{(2\pi)^4} \frac{1}{k^2-\sigma^2} =...

This seems rather straight forward, but I can't figure out the details... Generally speaking and ignoring prefactors, the Fourier transformation of a (nicely behaved) function ##f## is given by $$f(x)= \int_{\mathbb{R}^{d+1}} d^{d+1}p\, \hat{f}(p) e^{ip\cdot x} \quad\Longleftrightarrow \quad...

Before I start, let me say that I have looked into textbooks and I know this is a standard problem, but I just can't get the result right... My attempt goes as follows: We notice that the amplitude of this diagram is given by $$\begin{align*}K_2(p) &= \frac{i(-i...

I'm reading the book QFT by Ryder, in the section where ##\rm{SU(2)}## is discussed. First, he considered the group of ##2 \times 2## unitary matrices ##U## with unit determinant such that it has the form, $$U =\begin{bmatrix} a & b \\ -b^* & a^* \end{bmatrix}, \qquad \xi = \begin{bmatrix}...