Introduction to Relativistic Quantum Field Theory (SS25)

Lecturer

Prof. Dr. Stefan Dittmaier

Dates

• Lecture: 4 hours, Tue 12-14 and Wed 10-12 (in HS II), start: 22.04.2025
• Tutorial: 2 hours, Wed 14-16 (in HS II), start: 30.04.2025

ILIAS link

Content

• Quantisation of scalar fields (Klein-Gordon equation, classical field theory, canonical quantisation, scattering theory and Feynman diagrams),
• Vector-boson fields (classical field equations, electromagnetic interactions and the gauge principle, quantisation of the electromagnetic field, scalar QED and perturbative evaluation),
• Dirac fermions (basics of Lie Groups, Lorentz group and its representations, Dirac and Weyl equations, Poincare group and its representations, quantisation of free Dirac fields, QED and perturbative evaluation, applications),
• Quantisation with functional integrals.

Prerequisites

• Theoretical Electrodynamics and Special Relativity (Theoretical Physics II)
• Quantum Mechanics (Theoretical Physics III)

Literature

• Bjorken, Drell: "Relativistic Quantum Mechanics"
• Bjorken, Drell: "Relativistic Quantum Fields"
• Itzykson, Zuber: "Quantum Field Theory"
• Maggiore: "A Modern Introduction to Quantum Field Theory"
• Peskin, Schroeder: "An Introduction to Quantum Field Theory"
• Schwartz, "Quantum Field Theory and the Standard Model"
• Sterman: "An Introduction to Quantum Field Theory"
• Srednicki: "Quantum field theory''
• Tung: "Group Theory in Physics"
• Weinberg: "The Quantum Theory of Fields, Vol.1: Foundations"

More advanced literature

• Böhm, Denner, Joos: "Gauge Theories of the Strong and Electroweak Interaction"
• Weinberg: "The Quantum Theory of Fields, Vol. 2: Modern Applications"

Requirements for Course Achievement / Academic Record

• Course Achievement ("Studienleistung"):
  Active and regular participation in the tutorials, including achieving 60% of the total points for the homework problems.
• Academic Record ("Prüfungsleistung"):
  Oral or written exam. Though not a formal requirement, we strongly adivse to also accomplish the Course Achievement.

Further details will be given in the lecture/tutorials.

Additional info for Bachelor students

• The lecture is suitable as supplementary or elective course (Wahlpflicht- bzw. Wahlbereich). It is equivalent to the lecture "Theoretische Teilchenphysik" in the course description.
  

Lecture notes

Exercise sheets