Undergraduate Course: Relativistic Quantum Field Theory (PHYS11021)

Course Outline
School	School of Physics and Astronomy	College	College of Science and Engineering
Credit level (Normal year taken)	SCQF Level 11 (Year 5 Undergraduate)	Availability	Available to all students
SCQF Credits	10	ECTS Credits	5
Summary	This course begins with a review of relativistic wave equations. It introduces the Lagrangian formulation for classical fields and then discusses the quantisation of free fields with spins 0, 1/2 and 1. An outline is given of perturbation theory for interacting fields and Feynman diagram methods for Quantum Electrodynamics are introduced.
Course description	- Introduction and revision - Classical Lagrangian field theory. - Lorentz covariance of relativistic field equations. - Quantisation of the Klein-Gordon field. - Quantisation of the Dirac field. - The Electromagnetic field. - Interacting fields. - Feynman diagrams. - Transition rates and cross-sections.

Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites	It is RECOMMENDED that students have passed Lagrangian Dynamics (PHYS10015) AND Methods of Mathematical Physics (PHYS10034) AND Quantum Theory (PHYS11019) AND Classical Electrodynamics (PHYS11045) AND Symmetries of Quantum Mechanics (PHYS10083)	Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations		Other requirements	At least 80 credit points accrued in courses of SCQF Level 9 or 10 drawn from Schedule Q.

Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisites	None
High Demand Course?	Yes

Course Delivery Information

Academic year 2016/17, Available to all students (SV1)		Quota: None
Course Start	Semester 1
Timetable	Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info)	Total Hours: 100 ( Lecture Hours 22, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 11, Summative Assessment Hours 2, Revision Session Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 61 )
Assessment (Further Info)	Written Exam 80 %, Coursework 20 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment)	Degree Examination 80% Coursework 20%
Feedback	Not entered
Exam Information
Exam Diet	Paper Name		Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May)	Relativistic Quantum Field Theory		2:00

Academic year 2016/17, Part-year visiting students only (VV1)		Quota: None
Course Start	Semester 1
Timetable	Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info)	Total Hours: 100 ( Lecture Hours 22, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 11, Summative Assessment Hours 2, Revision Session Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 61 )
Assessment (Further Info)	Written Exam 80 %, Coursework 20 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment)	Degree Examination 80% Coursework 20%
Feedback	Not entered
Exam Information
Exam Diet	Paper Name		Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S1 (December)	Relativistic Quantum Field Theory (VS1)		2:00

Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to: Understand relativistic wave equations for spin 0, 1/2 and 1 fields Quantise fields using canonical commutaion relations, and understand the particle interpretation using raising and lowering operators Understand the interation picture, the S-matrix, and Wick's theorem Derive the Feynman rules for QED, and use them to compute amplitudes Compute elementary deacy rates and cross-sections in QED

Reading List
Quantum Field Theory (2nd Edition), Franz Mandl, and Graham Shaw (Wiley, 2010) Quantum Field Theory, Michael Peskin and Daniel Schroeder, (Westview Press, 1995) The Quantum Theory of Fields, Steven Weinberg (Cambridge, 2005)

Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills	Not entered
Additional Class Delivery Information	Workshop/tutorial sessions, as arranged.
Keywords	RQFT

Contacts
Course organiser	Prof Richard Ball Tel: (0131 6)50 5248 Email: R.D.Ball@ed.ac.uk	Course secretary	Mrs Siobhan Macinnes Tel: (0131 6)51 3448 Email: Siobhan.MacInnes@ed.ac.uk