Course teached as: B024440 - FISICA TEORICA Second Cycle Degree in PHYSICAL AND ASTROPHYSICAL SCIENCES Curriculum ASTROFISICA
Teaching Language
Italian
Course Content
Klein-Gordon, Dirac and Maxwell in covariant form. Quantization of free fields and free particles. Interacting fields and perturbative theory. Derivation of the Feynman rules for
quantum amplitudes. Cross section and decay width. Hints for weak interactions.
Mandl-Shaw:"Quantum Field Theory".
R.Casalbuoni: "Introduction to Quantum Field Theory".
Learning Objectives
Acquisition of the quantum-relativistic formalism to describe interaction processes in elementary particle physics. Acquisition of the theoretical basis to calculate cross-sections and decay widths in fundamental processes.
Prerequisites
Quantum Mechanics and Special Relativity.
Teaching Methods
Lessons at the blackboard in Italian language.
Type of Assessment
Oral exam: the student will be asked to discuss 2-3 subjects of the course. The evaluation of the exam will depend on the level reached up by the student, with an appropriate language, of comprehension of the physical processes and of the formalism suited to describe them as presented during the lessons.
Course program
Klein Gordon equation. Dirac equation. Covariance of the Dirac equation. Free solutions. Projectors.Maxwell equations in covariant form. Noether theorem. Quantisation of the real and complex scalar field. Commutators at arbitrary times. Causality. Quantisation of the Dirac field. Covariant quantization of the electromagnetic field. Gauge invariance: photon field and Lagrangian of the interacting scalar and Dirac fields. Perturbative theory: S matrix and propagators. Wick's theorem and perturbative expansion of the S matrix. Derivation of the Feynman rules in momentum space. Cross section and decay widths. Applications in quantum electrodynamics processes.