An Introduction to Advanced Quantum Physics
1. Edition April 2010
224 Pages, Softcover
Textbook
Short Description
This book is intended for undergraduates who take a third and fourth quarter of quantum physics, and thus limits itself to those topics that are absolutely necessary for understanding elementary particle physics and condensed matter. The book consists of two parts: the first part presents radiation theory, scattering, symmetries, relativistic quantum physics, and special topics; the second part presents second quantization, covariant perturbation theory, and simple applications to the weak interaction and quantum electrodynamics.
An Introduction to Advanced Quantum Physics presents important concepts from classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, statistical physics, and quantum physics brought together to discuss the interaction of radiation and matter, selection rules, symmetries and conservation laws, scattering, relativistic quantum mechanics, apparent paradoxes, elementary quantum field theory, electromagnetic and weak interactions, and much more.
This book consists of two parts:
Part 1 comprises the material suitable for a second course in quantum physics and covers:
* Electromagnetic Radiation and Matter
* Scattering
* Symmetries and Conservation Laws
* Relativistic Quantum Physics
* Special Topics
Part 2 presents elementary quantum field theory and discusses:
* Second Quantization of Spin 1/2 and Spin 1 Fields
* Covariant Perturbation Theory and Applications
* Quantum Electrodynamics
Each chapter concludes with problems to challenge the students' understanding of the material.
This text is intended for graduate and ambitious undergraduate students in physics, material sciences, and related disciplines.
PART 1 Relativistic Quantum Physics.
1 Electromagnetic Radiation and Matter.
1.1 Hamiltonian and Vector Potential.
1.2 Second Quantization.
1.3 Time-Dependent Perturbation Theory.
1.4 Spontaneous Emission.
1.5 Blackbody Radiation.
1.6 Selection Rules.
2 Scattering.
2.1 Scattering Amplitude and Cross Section.
2.2 Born Approximation.
2.3 Photo-Electric Effect.
2.4 Photon Scattering.
3 Symmetries and Conservation Laws.
3.1 Symmetries and Conservation Laws.
3.2 Continuous Symmetry Operators.
3.3 Discrete Symmetry Operators.
3.4 Degeneracy.
4 Relativistic Quantum Physics.
4.1 Klein-Gordon Equation.
4.2 Dirac Equation.
4.3 Solutions of the Dirac Equation, Anti-Particles.
4.4 Spin, Non-Relativistic Limit and Magnetic Moment.
4.5 The Hydrogen Atom Re-Revisited.
5 Special Topics.
5.1 Introduction.
5.2 Measurements in Quantum Physics.
5.3 Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Paradox.
5.4 Schrödinger's Cat.
5.5 The Watched Pot.
5.6 Hidden Variables and Bell's Theorem.
PART 2 Introduction to Quantum Field Theory.
6 Second Quantization of Spin 1/2 and Spin 1 Fields.
6.1 Second Quantization of Spin 1/2 Fields.
6.2 Second Quantization of Spin 1 Fields.
7 Covariant Perturbation Theory and Applications.
7.1 Covariant Perturbation Theory.
7.2 W and Z Boson Decays.
7.3 Feynman Graphs.
7.4 Second Order Processes and Propagators.
8 Quantum Electrodynamics.
8.1 Electron-Positron Annihilation.
8.2 Electron-Muon Scattering.
Index.
