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8.324

Relativistic Quantum Field Theory II

4-0-8 units · Graduate

The second term of the quantum field theory sequence. Develops in depth some of the topics discussed in 8.323 and introduces some advanced material. Topics: perturbation theory and Feynman diagrams, scattering theory, Quantum Electrodynamics, one loop renormalization, quantization of non-abelian gauge theories, the Standard Model of particle physics, other topics.

Fall 2010

This course is the second course of the quantum field theory trimester sequence beginning with Relativistic Quantum Field Theory I (8.323) and ending with Relativistic Quantum Field Theory III (8.325). It develops in depth some of the topics discussed in 8.323 and introduces some advanced material.

Readings

  • Peskin, Michael E., and Daniel V. Schroeder. An Introduction to Quantum Field Theory . Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1995. ISBN: 9780201503975. A comprehensive and pedagogical treatment of QFT starting from the basics and reaching up to the physics of the standard model.
    Listed reading
  • Weinberg, S. The Quantum Theory of Fields. Vol. 1: Foundations . Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1995. ISBN: 9780521550017. A comprehensive and insightful treatment of the foundations of QFT.
    Listed reading
  • ———. The Quantum Theory of Fields. Vol. 2: Modern Applications . Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1996. ISBN: 9780521550024. A detailed presentation of advanced material.
    Listed reading
  • Peskin and Schroeder chapter 15 and 16;
    Listed reading
  • Weinberg vol. 2 chapter 15;
    Listed reading
  • Peskin and Schroeder chapter 6 and 7;
    Listed reading
  • Weinberg vol. 1 chapter 10
    Listed reading
  • Weinberg vol. 1 chapter 11
    Listed reading
  • Peskin and Schroeder chapter 10;
    Listed reading
  • Weinberg vol. 1 chapter 12
    Listed reading
  • Peskin and Schroeder chapter 12 and 13;
    Listed reading
  • Weinberg vol 2 chapter 18
    Listed reading
  • Zee, A. Quantum Field Theory in a Nutshell. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2003. ISBN: 9780691010199. A fun book that deals briefly with many of the key ideas and uses of QFT.
    Recommended
  • Srednicki, Mark. Quantum Field Theory. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2007. ISBN: 9780521864497. Very readable and comprehensive. Structured somewhat differently from this course. Part I (spin 0) and Part II (spin 1/2) are available at http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0409035 and http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0409036 . ↗
    Recommended
  • Banks, Tom. Modern Quantum Field Theory: A Concise Introduction . Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2008. ISBN: 9780521850827. Modern, insightful treatment of many important topics.
    Recommended
  • Brown, Lowell S. Quantum Field Theory . Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1994. ISBN: 9780521469463. A modern path integral presentation of QFT. Covers QED but not QCD.
    Recommended
  • Collins, J. Renormalization . Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1986. ISBN: 9780521311779. A complete treatise on the methods of renormalization.
    Recommended
  • Ramond, P. Field Theory: A Modern Primer . 2nd ed. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1994. ISBN: 9780201546118. A book dealing efficiently with QFT in the path integral approach.
    Recommended
  • Ryder, L. Quantum Field Theory . 2nd ed. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1986. ISBN: 9780521338592. A modern pedagogical introduction to QFT including the Weinberg-Salam model and other selected topics.
    Recommended
  • Mandl, F., and G. Shaw. Quantum Field Theory . New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1984. ISBN: 9780471105091. A clear and concise introduction to the basic computations in quantum field theory.
    Recommended

Prerequisites & course information

Prereq: 8.322 and 8.323 G (Fall) 4-0-8 units

Sources