29::248 Quantum Gauge Theories Syllabus

Fall Semester 2013

Instructor: Prof. Yannick Meurice

Coordinates

Course Content

The course is open to graduate students who have taken Quantum Mechanics I and II and undergraduate students who have taken
29:140-29:141.  Students who have not taken Quantum Field Theory before should read chapters  2 and 3 in Peskin and Schroeder's book ``Quantum Field Theory" or another textbook covering the Klein-Gordon and Dirac fields.  The grade will be based on homework assignments given every two weeks and an individual project resulting in a short paper and a presentation. A proposal for the project
should be submitted by October 15 and a draft of the paper before Thanksgiving recess.

The standard model of the electroweak and strong interactions of quarks and leptons is one the most remarkable accomplishment
of all times in Physics. The last decades have witnessed spectacular experimental confirmations of the predictions of the standard model.
The W and Z bosons, top quark and the  Brout-Englert-Higgs boson were discovered experimentally in the windows allowed by radiative corrections. The course will cover the following topics:



Textbooks

Main textbooks:

M. Peskin and D. Schroeder,  Quantum Field Theory, Addison Wesley, 1995.

The Particle Data Group

See also:

C. Itzykson and J.B. Zuber,  Quantum Field Theory, Dover, 1980.

C. Quigg, Gauge Theories of the Strong, Weak and Electromagnetic Interactions, Benjamin Cummings, 1983.

Xiao-Gang Wen, Quantum Field Theory of Many-Body Systems, Oxford, 2004.

T. DeGrand and C. DeTar, Lattice Methods for QCD, World Scientific, 2006.

A. Polyakov, Gauge Fields and Strings, Harwood, 1987.

S. Coleman, Aspects of Symmetry, Cambridge,  1985.

J. Smit,  Introduction to Quantum Fields on the Lattice, Cambridge, 2000.

M. Creutz, Quarks, Gluons and Lattices, Cambridge, 1983

M. Le Bellac, Thermal Field Theory,  Cambridge, 1996

H. Rothe, Lattice Gauge Theories, World Scientific, 1997

E. Fradkin, Field Theories of Condensed Matter Systems,  Addison Wesley, 1991.

I. Montvay and G. Munster, Quantum Field on a Lattice, Cambridge, 1997.

N. Nagaosa, Quantum Field Theory in Condensed Matter Physics, Springer, 1999.

S. Weinberg,  The Quantum Theory of Fields , Cambridge, 1994.

R. Feynman and A. Hibbs, Quantum Mechanics and Path Integrals, Mc Graw Hill, 1965

M. Srednicki, Quantum Field Theory, Cambridge, 2007.

Homeworks

A reading assignment and a problem set will be provided every two weeks during the class. Assignments will be handed in class. 

Examinations and Final Grade  


The grade will be based on homework assignments given typically every two weeks (60 percent) and an individual project resulting in a short paper and a presentation (40 percent).

Class Attendance

Attendance at lectures is highly recommended but not required. You are strongly encouraged to ask questions during the lectures. There are no ``stupid questions''.

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY MAIN OFFICE

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Policies and Procedures

Administrative Home
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the administrative home of this course and governs matters such as the add/drop deadlines, the second-grade-only option, and other related issues. Different colleges may have different policies. Questions may be addressed to 120 Schaeffer Hall or see the CLAS Academic Handbook.

[www.clas.uiowa.edu/students/academic_handbook/index.shtml]

Electronic Communication
University policy specifies that students are responsible for all official correspondences sent to their standard University of Iowa e-mail address (@uiowa.edu). Students should check their account frequently. (Operations Manual, III.II.15. 2. k.11.)

Academic Fraud
Plagiarism and any other activities when students present work that is not their own are academic fraud and are considered by the College to be a very serious matter. Academic fraud is reported by the instructor to the departmental DEO who enforces the departmental consequences. The Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Curriculum is also informed. The Associate Dean enforces collegiate consequences which may included suspension or expulsion. See the CLAS Academic Handbook.

Making a Suggestion or a Complaint
Students with a suggestion or complaint should first visit the instructor, then the course supervisor and the departmental Associate chair. Paul Kleiber. Complaints must be made within six months of the incident. See the CLAS Academic Handbook.  

Accommodations for Disabilities
A student seeking academic accommodations should register with Student Disability Services and meet privately with the course instructor to make particular arrangements. For more information, visit this site.
[www.uiowa.edu/~sds/]]

Understanding Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment subverts the mission of the University and threatens the well-being of students, faculty, and staff. All members of the UI community have a responsibility to uphold this mission and to contribute to a safe environment that enhances learning. Incidents of sexual harassment should be reported immediately. See the UI Comprehensive Guide on Sexual Harassment at www.uiowa.edu/~eod/policies/sexual-harassment-guide/index.html for assistance, definitions, and the full University policy.

Reacting Safely to Severe Weather
In severe weather, the class members should seek shelter in the innermost part of the building, if possible at the lowest level, staying clear of windows and free-standing expanses. The class will continue if possible when the event is over. (Operations Manual, IV. 16.14. Scroll down to sections e and i for severe weather information.)

*The CLAS policy statements have been summarized from the web pages of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.