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Quantum Field Theory

Vak
2023-2024

Admission Requirements

Prerequisites: Effective Field Theory, Quantum Theory.

Description

Building on the courses Effective Field Theory and Quantum Theory, this is a first course in the Quantum Theory of Fields, which allows particle creation and annihilation and can also consistently unify special relativity with quantum mechanics.

Course Objectives

  • Quantum Mechanics from a Lagrangian perspective

  • The path integral

  • Scalar Quantum Field Theory

  • Spin and the Lorentz Group

  • The Dirac Equation

  • The theory of Quantum-ElectroDynamics

  • Perturbation theory and elementary scattering processes

  • Regularization and Renormalization

Timetable

Physics Schedule
For detailed information go to Timetable in Brightspace

You will find the timetables for all courses and degree programmes of Leiden University in the tool MyTimetable (login). Any teaching activities that you have sucessfully registered for in MyStudyMap will automatically be displayed in MyTimeTable. Any timetables that you add manually, will be saved and automatically displayed the next time you sign in.

MyTimetable allows you to integrate your timetable with your calendar apps such as Outlook, Google Calendar, Apple Calendar and other calendar apps on your smartphone. Any timetable changes will be automatically synced with your calendar. If you wish, you can also receive an email notification of the change. You can turn notifications on in ‘Settings’ (after login).

For more information, watch the video or go the the 'help-page' in MyTimetable. Please note: Joint Degree students Leiden/Delft have to merge their two different timetables into one. This video explains how to do this.

Mode of instruction

See Brightspace

Assessment method

There will be seven weekly problem assignments due one week after hand-out.
The final grade will be composed as follows:

  • 60% Problem assignments (without counting the lowest grade)

  • 40% Final exam (but you must pass the Final to pass the course)

The final exam date is a two-day take-home exam.

Reading list

Required:
M. Srednicki, Quantum Field Theory, Cambridge University Press, 2007.
R. Rattazzi: The Path Integral approach to Quantum Mechanics, http://itp.epfl.ch/webdav/site/itp/users/174685/private/RevisedLectureNotesV2.pdf Recommended:
M.E. Peskin, D.V. Schroeder: An introduction to Quantum Field Theory, Westview Press, 1995.

Registration

From the academic year 2022-2023 on every student has to register for courses with the new enrollment tool MyStudyMap. There are two registration periods per year: registration for the fall semester opens in July and registration for the spring semester opens in December. Please see this page for more information.

Please note that it is compulsory to both preregister and confirm your participation for every exam and retake. Not being registered for a course means that you are not allowed to participate in the final exam of the course. Confirming your exam participation is possible until ten days before the exam.

Extensive FAQ's on MyStudymap can be found here.

Contact

Lecturer Prof.dr. K.E. Schalm

Remarks