Unit information: Relativistic Field Theory in 2015/16

Unit name	Relativistic Field Theory
Unit code	PHYSM3417
Credit points	10
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Dr. Antognozzi
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	PHYS30030 Core Physics 303 or the equivalent taken as part of a Year in industry or year in Europe and either PHYS38014 Methods of Theoretical Physics or MATH31910
Co-requisites	None
School/department	School of Physics
Faculty	Faculty of Science

Description including Unit Aims

Aims: Special Relativity was originally proposed to account for the properties of Electromagnetic fields, and the notions of classical fields are closely related to relativity. This course will give an account of the modern approach to special relativity and Lagrangian field theory, and their role in the covariant description of the classical electromagnetic field, and the relativistic quantum Klein-Gordon and Dirac equations. The course is a mixture of calculation combined with more qualitative treatment of advanced topics.

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

• perform simple calculations and transformations in Euclidean and Minkowski space including vectors and tensors.
• appreciate the significance of relativistic invariance of wave equations, and derive Lagrangians for simple wave equations.
• manipulate the relativistic equations describing electromagnetic fields and point charges, and appreciate the notions of relativistic electrodynamics.
• appreciate the approach of relativistic quantum mechanics, and the advantages and disadvantages of the Klein-Gordon equation.
• derive the Dirac equation and calculate its solutions in simple situations, and appreciate relativistic effects for electrons.

Teaching Information

Lectures and associated problem classes and practice question sheets.

Assessment Information

Formative assessment is through problem sheets discussed in problems classes. Summative assessment is through a 2 hour written examination (100%)

Reading and References

• The Classical Theory of Fields, Landau & Lifshitz (Course on Theoretical Physics, volume 2)
• Appropriate parts of the Feynman Lectures
• Advanced Quantum Mechanics (Sakurai)
• The Quantum Theory of Fields, Weinberg (volume 1)
• Quantum Field Theory, Kaku