- #1
fog37
- 1,568
- 108
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 relativistic features. But we are only talking about special relativity not general relativity, correct? There is no theory that blends QM and GR.
QFT is able to describe the EM field using quantum mechanics. So QFT is relativistic QM. Of course, it can also be applied to other matter fields whose excitations are the electrons, protons, and all other materials particles as long as they travel very fast.
In QFT, are EM fields described using a relativistic version of Maxwell equation or a relativistic version of Schroedinger equation?
What about matter fields? I think the answer for them is the relativistic Schroedinger equation.
What is the electron-positron field? Is it the same thing as the matter field?
What is the Dirac equation? What type of fields does it describe? Is it relativistic and part of QFT?
thanks
fog37
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 relativistic features. But we are only talking about special relativity not general relativity, correct? There is no theory that blends QM and GR.
QFT is able to describe the EM field using quantum mechanics. So QFT is relativistic QM. Of course, it can also be applied to other matter fields whose excitations are the electrons, protons, and all other materials particles as long as they travel very fast.
In QFT, are EM fields described using a relativistic version of Maxwell equation or a relativistic version of Schroedinger equation?
What about matter fields? I think the answer for them is the relativistic Schroedinger equation.
What is the electron-positron field? Is it the same thing as the matter field?
What is the Dirac equation? What type of fields does it describe? Is it relativistic and part of QFT?
thanks
fog37