Physics 615, Fall 2007
Overview of Quantum Field Theory
Joel Shapiro
Course Procedures:
Lectures are-
Mondays at noon (sharp!) -- 1:20, in ARC 333,
-
Thursdays at noon (sharp!) -- 1:20, in ARC 333.
Some lecture notes, all homework assignments, some solutions,
and general announcements will
be posted on the web at
In addition to the actual lecture notes, there is also some supplementary
material available at
Homeworks will be assigned approximately once a week. Unless otherwise
specified, you are encouraged to discuss and even collaborate on the
assignments, but you are asked to write up the homework individually in your
own words. On some assignments, which will be partway to take-home exams,
I may specify that collaboration is not permitted.
I will post solutions at the time the homeworks are due. For this and
other reasons, I will not accept late homeworks
unless prior arrangements have been agreed to by me.
There will probably not be a final exam -- I have not decided yet and
will not until
I get a better idea how things are going. In any case, the homeworks will
be an important component of your grade.
References
Text:
The main book I will be following is
Introduction to Gauge Field Theory, by Michael E. Peskin and Daniel V.
Schroeder, Perseus Books, 1995, ISBN 0-201-50397-2 QC174.45.P465
which, I believe, will also be used next term in Fields I.
We will be doing most of the first six chapters thoroughly, and then
pieces of chapters 11, 12, 15, 20, and perhaps some other broad
overview of high energy physics.
Some material will not be taken from the text. In that case, my detailed
lecture notes will be available, which may also be true for material which
is based on the book.
Other References:
-
Introduction to Gauge Field Theory,
by D. Bailin and A. Love, Inst. of Physics Publ., ISBN
0-7503-0281-X.
This is a more advanced book, at a rather advanced level
-
Steven Weinberg, The Quantum Theory of Fields, Vol 1, Cambridge
University Press, ISBN 0 521 55001 7.
Weinberg emphasizes the why of field theory, why must a relativistic
quantum theory of particles be a field theory, rather than a quick approach
to calculational ability.
-
Steven Weinberg, The Quantum Theory of Fields, Vol 2, Cambridge
University Press, ISBN 0 521 55002 5.
This deals with non-Abelian
gauge theories and other material in Peskin Part III.
-
Ryder, Quantum Field Theory
A rather formal introduction to Quantum Field Theory
-
Itzykson and Zuber, Quantum Field Theory (more old fashioned)
-
Michio Kaku, Quantum Field Theory
-
Ramond, Field Theory
(comparable level, brief)
More focused towards statisical mechanics
-
Parisi, Statistical Field Theory
-
Zinn-Justin, Quantum Field Theory and Critical Phenomena
Other useful references
-
Sidney Coleman, Aspects of symmetry: selected Erice lectures of Sidney
Coleman, Cambridge University Press, New York, 1985. ISBN 0 521 31827-0
Joel Shapiro
(shapiro@physics.rutgers.edu)
Last modified: Mon Aug 13 11:15:53 2007