Spontaneous symmetry breaking, Higgs mechanism. Faddeev-Popov ghosts, BRST quantization (including a brief look at the anti-bracket and the BRST-BV approach). QED and non-Abelian Yang-Mills gauge theories. Global symmetries, gauge symmetries, and their interplay with renormalization. Renormalization group, Callan-Symanzik equation. Unitarity of the S-matrix, Cutkosky rules, relation to Schwinger-Keldysh nonequilibrium formalism. Nonperturbative propagators, spectral representation. Here are the five major themes, with some more details on the specific topics that we will discuss: Compared to our previous 232A, we will provide a substantially more in-depth survey of each chosen topic. The focus will again be two-fold: To develop a technical understanding of the techniques involved, while simultaneously getting the "big picture" (and trying to answer the "why?" question) for each theme. In order to keep our thinking focused, my intention in this course is to concentrate on five main themes. While teaching QFT, one could spend semesters upon semesters discussing more advanced topics, without ever repeating the same topics. My aim is to stress this interdisciplinary nature of this fundamental theoretical "calculus of QFT" across subfields. Ideas, methods and techniqes of QFT are now the prevalent language of theoretical physics, no longer confined only to high-energy particle physics: QFT is the go-to language and tool in particle phenomenology, condensed matter physics, equilibrium and non-equilibrium statistical mechanics, mesoscopic and AMO physics, quantum gravity, string theory and cosmology, with ramifications in mathematics and other fields. The subject of Quantum Field Theory is vast, with applications in virtually all areas of physics (and beyond) - wherever many-body systems with fluctuations are involved. GSI: Kevin Langhoff (email: this advanced course, we will develop a more systematic understanding of Quantum Field Theory, building on the basics that we have learned in 232A (or equivalent). I strongly encourage the students to participate in the office hours, regardless of whether or not they have a specific question about the lecture material. I am hopeful that the office hours will be a great platform for all of us to get to know each other better, and to discuss any questions related to the course, to physics, or to our lives under the pandemic in general. Office hours: Wed and Fri, 1:00-2:00pm (via Zoom, under a separate link).
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Lecturer: Petr HoĊava (email: Pre-pandemic in 401 Le Conte Hall, now at home.
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Time and Zoom link TBD (run by our GSI, Kevin). Shortcut to the List of Reading Assignments Spring 2021: Physics 232B - Quantum Field Theory II Physics 232B - Quantum Field Theory II Spring 2021