Quantum field theory Definition and 558 Threads

In quantum mechanics, we can define the scattering amplitude f_k(\theta) for two particles as the coefficients of an outgoing spherical wave. More precisely, the asymptotic behaviour (when r\rightarrow\infty) of a wave function of two scattering particles, interacting with some short range...

Homework Statement Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution I've started from writing out the amplitude. Here I know that fermion has definite helicity so I can't sum over spins but I should input explicit forms of spinors. Am I correct? How to do this? I would be grateful for helping me...

Nonlinear sigma models are particular field theories in which the fields take values in some nontrivial manifold. In the simplest cases this is equivalent to saying that the fields appearing in the lagrangian are subject to a number of constraints. Since the lagrangian fields are not independent...

Could you explain what's the interpretation of a before \gamma^{5} in this current: J_{\alpha}=\bar{\psi_{e}}\gamma^{\alpha}\left(1-a\gamma^{5}\right)\psi_{\nu_{e}} +\bar{\psi_{\mu}}\gamma^{\alpha}\left(1-a\gamma^{5}\right)\psi_{\nu_{\mu}}? And will this factor complicate calculations of decay...

Hi. Do you know any book/paper/lecture notes where I can find complete derivation of Feynman rules for both scalar and pseudo-scalar Yukawa theory, and maybe an example of application to decay of fermion?

Problem I have a project for my university class on the Higgs fields and how it impacts the standard model, and how the Higgs particle is formed and decays into particles with the probability of decay based on the mass of the particles it will decay into. I need resources that I can cite like...

Hey guys! I was reading the following paper http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-ph/0703260 for Georgi and I have a conceptual question about it. Howard Georgi was talking about this Unparticle Physics theory and at the base of his analysis is the principle of scale invariance. So Georgi is saying what if...

I created this thread to notify people about to the online resources for Tong's QFT course. Lecture videos: Blackboard screens and Videos: http://pirsa.org/C09033 Lecture notes: http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/tong/qft.html Course text: Peskin and Schroeder (search for it)

Hello over the summer I would like to study quantum field theory. I took two semesters of undergraduate quantum mechanics using Griffith's textbook. We covered the entire book in those two semesters. I also know my special relativity pretty well. Is that enough to self study quantum field theory...

I have been meaning to ask this one for a while - but never seem to get around to it. In MW its sometimes said it's simply the working out of the universal wave-function via Schroedinger's Equation. Of course Schroedinger's Equation is only valid non-relativistically. Wallace doesn't really...

Hi! I'm desperately trying to develop a list of prerequisites that will enable me to work on topics like quantum gravity, advanced QFT (on curved spacetime etc.) etc. I am currently in the second year of an undergrad theoretical physics degree in the UK, and am heavily unsatisfied with the way...

I have been studying quantum field theory and I am currently in the Lagrangian field theory chapter in my book. Now it says that the energy momentum tensor is as follows: Tμν= [∂L/∂(∂μφ) * ∂νφ] - δμνL Note: I am using L to symbolize Lagrangian density and not just Lagrangian since the latex...

I am currently studying QFT with 'An Introduction to Quantum Field Theory' by peskin. In part 2 (renormalization) of the book, he introduces counterterms and shows how to compute scattering amplitude with them. Below are counterterms of \phi^4 theory: Then he calculates a 2-2 scattering process...

If I understand what's going on (quite possibly I don't), I think my book is using bad (confusing) notation. Homework Statement As written: "Calculate ##\frac{\delta H[f]}{\delta f(z)} \ \text{where} \ H=\int G(x,y)f(y)dy##" and ##\frac{\delta H[f]}{\delta f(z)}## is the functional derivative...

In QFM, what does it mean to say that an electron is just an excitation of the electron field? Does this apply to all particles? Does it mean to say that an electron is the quanta of the electron field?

Hello, I'm looking for a good beginner book about QFT. Thanks!

In discussing the wave/particle duality, a friend stated basically that the discussion in quantum mechanics is not relevant because quantum mechanics is superseded by quantum field theory. 1. I do not know if this statement is relevant with respect to the wave/particle duality. 2. I am not...

Hello, Can someone tell me how to derive: $$ grad\hat{\phi} $$ from: $$ \hat{P}= -:\int \mathrm{d³}x [\pi (x) grad\hat{\phi}(x)]: = \int \mathrm{d³}p [p a⁺(p)a(p)] $$ Are all vectors. Note normal ordering ":" is used. I want to understand well QFT and want to learn to do this calcs...

Is it a good choice to read these books first or there's a better way. My professor recommended me these books but as I started them they had bulk of maths and really matter was not that understandable on my first try. I am an engineer. I read physics in free time I can get , so shall I go ahead...

Hello, I was reading and trying to follow up with Pierre Ramond's "Field theory: A modern primer" and got stuck in his step to step jumping. Kindly, see attachment and note that Eq (1.2.6) = g_{ρσ}=g_{μ\upsilon}\Lambda^{μ}_{ρ}\Lambda^{\upsilon}_{σ}. My question is what do I need from tensor...

Good afternoon : I now what I've written here : https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=763322 in the first message. I've made the Clebsh Cordon theorem with the components. Which can be represented by the Young tableau. There also the SU(3) and the su(3) representation of dimension...

Hello Forum, The electromagnetic field EM must be treated relativistically because it travels at the speed of light in a vacuum. However, the idea of quantization forces us to treat the field as a quantum mechanical field. QFT is the answer to that. QFT is quantum mechanics with...

I read a sentence that says if a spherical volume in placed in a quantized space then the maximum entropy of the system can be calculated and it after simple steps found to be: S~V where V is the volume of the spherical volume. "Then the author said: Each local quantum field theory(with UV...

What ever happened with QFT? Heard so much about it years ago now only once in a while will a past Nobel laureate state it is real. I know string is the thing now. Any thoughts? Sussan

Hi everyone, I'm having a lot of troubles learning QFT, personally I find it very challenging, besides that my professor has a very difficult accent and given that I'm not an English native speaker it is really hard for me to follow him. I would like to hear your experience learning QFT, Was it...

Hello, I understand the classical Lagrangian which follows the Principle of Least Action(A) A=∫L dt But what is Lagrangian density? Is it a new concept? A=∫Lagrangian density dx^4 Here 4 is the four vector? One time-like and 3 space-like co-ordinates? QFT uses Lagrangian to...

Would it be right to say that QFT tries to bring together the many-particles(many-body) discrete systems of quantum mechanics and the relativistic fields that are basically continuous systems? Of course the discrete particle of classical mechanics that when found in big numbers must be dealt...

Recently, I read a review on magnetic monopole published in late 1970s, wherein some conjectures of properties possibly possessed by a longingly desired quantum field theory of monopoles are stated. My question is what our contemporary understanding of the quantum field theory of monopoles...

The title says it all. I'm sorry if you get annoyed because of my "noobishness", but I'm still a physicist in training (taking undergrad Classical Mechs). I'm really interested in Quantum Theory and I keep hearing about Quantum Field Theory, but not a single website accurately explains what it...

The new geometric version of quantum field theory could also facilitate the search for a theory of quantum gravity that would seamlessly connect the large- and small-scale pictures of the universe https://www.simonsfoundation.org/quanta/20130917-a-jewel-at-the-heart-of-quantum-physics/ I...

What kind of background do I need to study many-body quantum field theory?

In QFT, which have infinite degree of freedom, there exlst infinite unitary nonequvilent representation. Expecially after phase transition, the two representation are unitary nonequvilent. So can we say that unitary are broken in QFT? Or a pure state can evolved to a mixed state which is a...

Hi, I am studying Peskin's An Introduction To Quantum Field Theory. On the beginning of page 284, the authors say We can turn the field \phi_S(x_1)|\phi_1\rangle=\phi_1(x_1)|\phi_1\rangle. I tried hard to prove this relation but still can't get it right. Could anyone give me some hints? Thanks.

Hey all, I'm not sure if this belonged in the physics or engineering forum, but here's the question: has quantum field theory been applied to any engineering disciplines yet? I know quantum mechanics has been used extensively in electrical engineering and materials science/engineering. I also...

Author: Robert D. Klauber Title: Student Friendly Quantum Field Theory Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0984513922/?tag=pfamazon01-20 (submitted by elfmotat)

We usually talk about good books, but we rarely talk about bad books. And that is good. But sometimes, we find that some book is so bad, so really bad, that we strongly want to tell this to the others. So I open this thread to inform others about science books which you find so bad that it...

In special relativity we have the relation that for a free particle E^2 = \vec p^2 + m_0^2 and that also hold in relativistic free field theories (free Klein-Gordon etc) where one can show that we have a completeness relation 1 = \int \frac{d^3 \vec p}{(2\pi)^3} \frac{1}{2E_{\vec...

Hi! I'm in a master course in theoretical physics and enjoying a lot to learn about Quantum Field Theory (QFT)! So I was thinking doing a PhD related do QFT. What are the best places to work on QFT? Thanks a lot!

A circularly polarized electromagnetic wave can be thought of proper combinations of orthogonal linear polarized waves, and a linear polarized wave can be thought of proper combinations of left and right circularly polarized waves. It seems one type of wave is no more fundamental then the other...

First of all sorry for my off-topic question here. I'm a computer science student, who has a high interest in mathematics (especially algebraic geometry), and physics (especially quantum mechanics, quantum field theory). For this semester I'm supposed to create to applications, from which one of...

Author: Michele Maggiore Title: A Modern Introduction to Quantum Field Theory Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0198520743/?tag=pfamazon01-20

Author: A. Zee Title: Quantum Field Theory in a Nutshell Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0691140340/?tag=pfamazon01-20

Author: Michael E. Peskin (Author), Dan V. Schroeder (Author) Title: An Introduction to Quantum Field Theory Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0201503972/?tag=pfamazon01-20 Prerequisities: Contents:

I need to derive the euler-lagrange equations for the following non-local lagrangian density for a complex scalar field ψ \mathcal{L} = \partial_{\mu}\psi^* \partial_{\mu}\psi - \lambda \int dy\, f(x,y) \psi^*(y) \psi(y) where λ is the coupling constant, f is a certain real-positive valued...

I haven't taken a course in qft yet, just looking ahead to see what's to come, and so far things are not looking good, I read the firet few chapters of qft in a nutshell, and jesus christ what is this stuff, where are the postulates? The equations of motion? How do I even do these crazy path...

Can you suggest any source available on internet which may be particularly helpful for those studying/brushing up knowledge of classical or quantum field theory without help of any teacher or friend? Some calculations are at first not so straightforward and there are many types of calculations...

Dear Forum, I would like to understand what the origin of spin 1/2 is. I read in Feynman's lectures that the origin is related to quantum field theory. I know nothing about quantum field theory. Is there an easy explanation? Thanks Cabrera

Hey everyone, I would like to first point out I am not a biology major in any way...I am a physics major, with a ever increasing interest in neuroscience. I am trying my best right now to find ways that I can incorporate my physics knowledge to the brain. Right now I am trying to...

I'm a computer science and engineering student, who has recently developed interest about quantum computers. I can understand that quantum computers are totally linked with quantum mechanics. But I would like to learn whether there is any relation between quantum computing and quantum field...

I plan to study from Peskin and Schroeders book if it helps, I just need to know what topics I need to study and it would be greatly appreciated if someone could tell me what books are good on the subject, I have a limited budget however and if I could get a single or only 2 or 3 books covering...