39 Questions
What is the subject of the textbook?
quantum field theory (QFT)
Where were the lectures given?
on three continents: North America (Canada), Europe (Ireland), and Asia (Thailand)
When was QFT born?
about 90 years ago
What does QFT aim to do?
describe the basic interactions of Nature
What background knowledge is required to understand the book?
a good knowledge of quantum mechanics, including rudiments of the Dirac equation, as well as elements of the Klein-Gordon equation
How does this book differ from other QFT books?
it offers something new in its approach to the subject and covers many topics not covered in other books
What is the title of the author's earlier book?
Quantum Theory: A Wide Spectrum (2006)
What is the functional integral approach referred to as?
path-integral approach
What is the functional differential approach referred to as?
quantum dynamical (action) principle
How are the functional integral approach and the functional differential approach related?
They are related by functional Fourier transforms and delta functionals
What is the concept of a quantum field and its particle content emphasized as?
An appropriate description of physical processes at sufficiently high energies
What does quantum mechanics imply about wavefunction renormalization in QFT?
It arises in QFT field independent of any perturbation theory
What is the rationale of the stationary action principle?
The variation of the action, within the boundaries of transformation functions, is set equal to zero which eventually leads to the Euler-Lagrange equations
What is the fine-structure effective coupling at high energy?
$\alpha ' = \frac{1}{128}$
What is the title of the earlier book mentioned in the text?
Renormalization
In what year was the book 'Renormalization' published?
1983
Who is the author of the book 'Renormalization'?
Edouard B. Manoukian
Where can more details about renormalization theory be found?
The book 'Renormalization'
What is the purpose of the problems given at the end of the chapters?
To provide additional material and dependent developments in the text
Who should attempt the problems given at the end of the chapters?
Every serious student
Where are the solutions to the problems given?
Right at the end of the book
What does QED stand for?
Quantum Electrodynamics
What does QCD stand for?
Quantum Chromodynamics
What are the topics covered in Chapter 5?
Abelian gauge theories (QED, scalar boson electrodynamics) and the derivations of two celebrated results of QED: the anomalous magnetic moment of the electron and the Lamb shift.
What are the topics covered in Chapter 6?
Non-abelian gauge theories (electroweak, QCD, Grand unification) including topics such as asymptotic freedom, deep inelastic scattering, QCD jets, parton splittings, neutrino oscillations, the 'seesaw mechanism' and neutrino masses, Schwinger-line integrals, Wilson loops, lattices, and quark confinement.
What is the main focus of Chapter 4?
The concept of a quantum field, the Poincaré algebra, and particle states. It also covers the stationary action principle, the solutions of QFT via the quantum dynamical principle, the CPT symmetry theorem, and the Spin & Statistics connection.
What does the introductory chapter cover?
The development of QFT since its birth in 1926, in abelian and non-abelian gauge theories. It also includes aspects of quantum gravity, supersymmetry, string theory, and the theory of renormalization.
What topics are covered in Chapter 3?
Quantum field theory methods of spin 1/2 and the study of anomalies in the quantum world.
What does the preliminary chapter include?
The study of symmetry transformations in the quantum world, as well as intricacies of functional differentiation and functional integration that are important in field theory.
What is the purpose of gauge field theories?
To understand elementary particle interactions.
What is the standard model?
A theory of strong and electroweak interactions.
Why is it important to study particle phenomenology?
To explore extensions of the standard model and make predictions.
What are the shortcomings of the standard model?
Large number of arbitrary parameters.
What is the relationship between symmetries of the Lagrangian and conservation laws?
They are closely related.
What are global gauge symmetries?
Symmetries that hold globally.
What are local gauge symmetries?
Symmetries that hold locally.
What is the general method of extending global to local gauge invariance?
By introducing local gauge invariance.
What is the purpose of introducing scalar Higgs fields into the Lagrangian?
To induce spontaneous breakdown of global gauge invariance.
What is the advantage of local gauge invariance over global gauge invariance?
Local gauge invariance avoids unwanted particles and allows some or all of the gauge particles to acquire mass.
Test your knowledge on neutrino oscillations, neutrino masses, and the seesaw mechanism. Learn about QCD jets, parton splitting, and the wealth of information stored in abelian and non-abelian gauge theories. This quiz includes a detailed introductory chapter to help you understand the concepts.
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