PHY 5669 : Quantum Field Theory B

Lectures: 11:00-12:15, Tuesday and Thursday, UPL 109.

Professor : Laura Reina, 510 Keen Building, 644-9282, e-mail: click here

Office Hours: Tuesday, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

You are also welcome to contact me whenever you have questions, either by e-mail or in person.

Text :

Other suggested reference books: For a non technical and very up to date intriguing introduction to quantum field theory: And finally, an excellent reference for Group Theory:

Topics:

We will cover topics in Part II and III of Pskin ansd Schroeder's book, broadly indicated as Renormalization and Non Abelian Gauge Theories, with emphasis on those aspects that are of more interest to High Energy physicists. Concepts and results from QFT A (developed using both Peskin and Schroeder's and Maggiore's books) will be instrumental. The topics covered in this course are more naturally developed using the path integral quantization method, which we will introduce in the first lectures. We will move on to a systematic discussion of the renormalization of a generic field theory and study the renormalization group associated to it. This will allow us to efficiently develop the quantization of non-abelian gauge theories. After a general introduction to the problem, we will focus on the structure of Quantum Chromodynamics and of the Electroweak Theory. Here is a summary of the topics that have been covered in class so far or that will be covered in the next coming lectures:

Introduction to QCD: puzzling experimental facts merge with new theoretical developments.
Date Topics covered Reference
01/07 Review of QED Renormalization. How to calculate a QED cross section including the first order of radiative corrections: virtual and real corrections, cancellaton of UV and IR divergences, general discussion. [PS] Parts of Ch. 6, 7, and 10.
01/12-21 No class Work on Homework 1.
01/26 Calculating the cancellation of UV singularities in the virtual cross section for electron scattering at O(alpha). [PS] Parts of Ch. 6, and 7, your notes.
01/26 Make-up class: 2:00-3:30 PM, 503 Keen. Calculating the IR singularities in the virtual cross section for electron scattering at O(alpha). [PS] Parts of Ch. 6 and 7, your notes.
01/28 Calculating the IR singularities in the real-photon-emission cross section for electron scattering at O(alpha). [PS] Parts of Ch. 6 and 7, your notes.
02/02 QED Ward identity, diagrammatic derivation. Prove that Z1=Z2 using Ward identity. Charge renormalization. [PS] Sections 7.4 and 7.5.
02/02 Make-up class: 2:00-3:30 PM, 503 Keen. Introduction to path-integral quantization. [PS] Section 9.1. [Sr] Chapter 6-7.
02/04 Path-integral methods in quantum field theory: correlation functions and generating functional. [PS] Section 9.2, [Sr] Chapter 8.
02/09 Path-integral methods in quantum field theory: perturbation theory and the generating functional. Your notes, [Sr] Chapter 9.
02/09 Make-up class: 2:00-3:30 PM, 503 Keen. Path-integral methods in quantum field theory: quantization of the electromagnetic field, Faddeev-Popov method. [PS] Section 9.4, [Sr] Chapter 57.
02/11 Path-integral methods in quantum field theory: quantization of spinor fields; QED. [PS] Section 9.5, [Sr] Chapter 58.
02/16 Introduction to the Renormalization Group: Callan-Symanzik equation, definition of beta-function, mass anomalous dimension, and field anomalous dimension. [PS] Section 12.2, [Sr] Chapter 27.
02/18 No class Work on Homework 3.
02/23 Renormalization Group: solution of RGE, discussion of the calculation of beta and gamma's functions in the minimal subtraction scheme. Example: phi^4 theory. [PS] Section 12.2, [Sr] Section 28.
02/23 Make-up class: 2:00-3:30 PM, 503 Keen. Renormalization Group: calculation of the beta function of QED, effective coupling constant, expansion in leading logarithms. [PS] Section 12.3, Your Notes
02/25 Renormalization Group: Wilson Approach to Renormalization Theory, I. [PS] Section 12.1, WK-paper
03/01 Renormalization Group: Wilson Approach to Renormalization Theory, II. [PS] Section 12.1, WK-paper
03/01 Make-up class: 2:00-3:30 PM, 503 Keen. Non-abelian gauge theories: introduction. [PS] Sections 15.1-15.2 (Section 15.3: read as reference)
03/03 No class
03/04 Make-up class: 12:30-1:30 PM, 503 Keen. Non-abelian gauge theories: the Yang-Mills Lagrangian, Feynman rules. [PS] Sections 15.2 and 16.1
03/08 Spring Break
03/010 Spring Break
03/15 Quantum Non-Abelian Gauge Theories: Faddeev-Popov method, ghost fields and unitarity.[PS] Sections 16.2-16.3
03/15 Make-up class: 2:00-3:30 PM, 503 Keen. Non-abelian gauge theories: BRST symmetry. [PS] Section 16.4
03/17 Quantum Non-Abelian Gauge Theories: renormalization and beta-function. [PS] Section 16.5
03/18 Make-up class: 12:30-1:30 PM, 503 Keen. [PS] Sections 14 and 17.2
03/22 Quantum Chromodynamics: theoretical structure and its implications. [PS] Sections 17.1-17.2
03/22 Make-up class: 2:00-3:30 PM, 503 Keen. Quantum Chromodynamics: Deep Inelastic Scattering, Parton Distribution Functions. [PS] Section 17.3
03/24 Quantum Chromodynamics: Hard scattering processes in hadron collisions, general structure. Introduction to the Electroweak Theory. [PS] Sections 17.4 and 20.1
03/25 Make-up class: 12:30-1:45 PM, 503 Keen. Gauge theories with spontaneous symmetry breaking. [PS] Section 20.1
03/28 Dirac Lectures on Neutrino Physics. 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 2:00-4:00 p.m., in Keen 707. 2016 Dirac Lectures
03/29 Dirac Lectures on Neutrino Physics. 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 2:00-4:00 p.m., in Keen 707. 2016 Dirac Lectures
03/29 Make-up class: 12:00-1:30 PM, 503 Keen. The gauge theory of electroweak interactions: the Glashow-Weinberg-Salam theory or Standard Model. [PS] Section 20.2, [SW] (Ch. 21)
03/30 Dirac Lectures on Neutrino Physics. 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 2:00-4:00 p.m., in Keen 707. 2016 Dirac Lectures
03/31-04/19 No class Work on Homework 5 and Final Exam.
04/21 We resume class, regular schedule

[MM],[PS],[SW], [Sr], [IZ],[Scw],[Ry] : see above

Homework:

A few homeworks will be assigned during the semester, tentatively every other week. The assignments and their solutions will be posted on this homepage.

Exams and Grades.

The grade will be based 70% on the homework and 30% on the Final Exam, and will be roughly determined according to the following criterium:

100-85% : A or A-
84-70% : B- to B+
below 70% : C

Attendance, participation, and personal interest will also be important factors in determining your final grade, and will be used to the discretion of the instructor.

The Final exam is a take-home exam and will be available two weeks before Final Exam week, to be returned on a date that will be specified at that time.

Attendance. Regular, responsive and active attendance is highly recommended. A student absent from class bears the full responsibility for all subject matter and information discussed in class.

Absence. Please inform me in advance of any excused absence (e.g., religious holiday) on the day an assignment is due. In case of unexpected absences, due to illness or other serious problems, we will discuss the modality with which you will turn in any missed assignment on a case by case basis.

Assistance. Students with disabilities needing academic accommodations should: 1) register with and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC); 2) bring a letter to me from SDRC indicating you need academic accommodations and what they are. This should be done within the first week of class. This and other class materials are available in alternative format upon request.

Honor Code. Students are expected to uphold the Academic Honor Code published in the Florida State University Bulletin and the Student Handbook. The first paragraph reads: The Academic Honor System of Florida State University is based on the premise that each student has the responsibility (1) to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity in the student's own work, (2) to refuse to tolerate violations of academic integrity in the University community, and (3) to foster a high sense of integrity and social responsibility on the part of the University community.

Laura Reina
Last modified: Tue Dec 4 13:54:45 EST 2007