Lectures On Quantum Chromodynamics

Quantum chromodynamics is the fundamental theory of strong interactions. It is a physical theory describing Nature. Lectures on Quantum Chromodynamics concentrates, however, not on the phenomenological aspect of QCD; books with comprehensive coverage of phenomenological issues have been written. What the reader will find in this book is a profound discussion on the theoretical foundations of QCD with emphasis on the nonperturbative formulation of the theory: What is gauge symmetry on the classical and on the quantum level? What is the path integral in field theory? How to define the path integral on the lattice, keeping intact as many symmetries of the continuum theory as possible? What is the QCD vacuum state? What is the effective low energy dynamics of QCD? How do the ITEP sum rules work? What happens if we heat and/or squeeze hadronic matter? Perturbative issues are also discussed: How to calculate Feynman graphs? What is the BRST symmetry? What is the meaning of the renormalization procedure? How to resum infrared and collinear singularities? And so on. The book is an outgrowth of the course of lectures given by the author for graduate students at ITEP in Moscow. Much extra material has been added. Sample Chapter(s). Introduction: Some History (331 KB). Lecture 1.1: Path Ordered Exponentials. Invariant Actions (624 KB). Lecture 1.2: Classical Solutions (266 KB). Lecture 2.1: Topological Charge (329 KB). Lecture 2.2: Explicit Solutions (338 KB). Lecture 3.1: Conventional Approach (330 KB). Lecture 3.2: Euclidean Path Integral (150 KB). Lecture 3.3: Holomorphic Representation (177 KB). Lecture 3.4: Grassmann Dynamic Variables (340 KB). Lecture 4.1: Dirac Quantization Procedure 782 KB). Lecture 4.2: Path Integral on the Lattice (330 KB). Lecture 5.1: Quantum Pendulum (534 KB). Lecture 5.2: Large Gauge Transformations in Non-Abelian Theory (395 KB). Contents: Foundations: YangOCoMills Field; Instantons; Path Integral in Quantum Mechanics; Quantization of Gauge Theories; Perturbation Theory: Diagram Technique in Simple and Complicated Theories; When the Gauge is Fixed OC Regularization and Renormalization; Running Coupling Constant; Weathering Infrared Storms; Collinear Singularities: Theory and Phenomenology; Nonperturbative QCD: Symmetries: Anomalous and Not; Quarks on Euclidean Lattice; Aspects of Chiral Symmetry; Mesoscopic QCD; Fairy QCD; ITEP Sum Rules: The Duality Festival; Hot and Dense QCD; Confinement. Readership: High energy physicists and advanced level graduate students in high energy physics."

The two-volume set Lectures on QCD provides an introductory overview of Quantum Chromodynamics, the theory of strong interactions. In a series of pedagogically written articles based on lectures given over the years to graduate students, the fundamentals of QCD are discussed and significant application areas are described. The field-theoretic basis of QCD is the focus of the first volume, while the application of QCD to the phenomenology of strong interactions forms the subject of the second volume.

The two-volume set Lectures on QCD provides an introductory overview of Quantum Chromodynamics, the theory of strong interactions. In a series of pedagogically written articles based on lectures given over the years to graduate students, the fundamentals of QCD are discussed and significant application areas are described. The field-theoretic basis of QCD is the focus of the first volume, while the application of QCD to the phenomenology of strong interactions forms the subject of the second volume.

This introduction to quantum chromodynamics presents the basic concepts and calculations in a clear and didactic style accessible to those new to the field. Readers will find useful methods for obtaining numerical results, including pure gauge theory and quenched spectroscopy.

The Advanced Study Institute on Quantum Flavordynamics, Quantum Chromodynamics and Unified Theories was held on the campus th of the University of Colorado at Boulder from July 9 through July 27th of 1979. There has been a rapid progress in the understanding of weak, electromagnetic and strong interactions and their unification during the past few years. The purpose of the Institute was to have a group of lecturers active in these areas of research give a series of lectures on various aspects of these topics beginning at the elementary level and ending with the up-to-date developments. There were three lecturers, Professors S. Ellis, R. Field and C. H. Llewellyn Smith who covered the different but related aspects of Quantum Chromodynamics. Their lectures were well coordinated, but some overlap was inevitable. Dr. Buras gave two lectures on QCD corrections beyond the leading order. Professor D. Gross covered the nonperturbative aspects and a possible mechanism of quark confinement. At a more phenomenological level, Professor C. De Tar covered the bag models. The subject matter of electro weak interactions was covered by Professor G. Altarelli. Professor J. Wess gave six lectures on supersymmetry and supergravity. All these lectures with the exception of those of Professor D. Gross are incorporated in this volume. The contents of Professor Gross' lectures are available elsewhere and therefore only references and problems are included here. In addition to the above lectures, there were workshop-like discussion sessions.

This title provides an in-depth introduction to the particle physics of current and future experiments at particle accelerators. The text provides the reader with an overview of practically all aspects of the strong interaction necessary to understand and appreciate modern particle phenomenology at the energy frontier.

For almost two decades Prof. Shifman, a clear and pedagogical expositor, has been giving review lectures on frontier topics in theoretical high energy physics. This two-volume book is a collection of some of the best of those lectures. The lectures written in the 1980's and early 1990's have been revised and updated specifically for this publication. The lectures in this book are intended for beginners -- graduate students and young researchers -- who are about to delve into the intricacies of the theory. They were used by the author in his course "Advanced Modern Field Theory and Its Applications," given in the academic year 1994/95 at the University of Minnesota.A wide range of key topics is covered. In Volume 1, the first two chapters are devoted to quantum chromodynamics as the theory of hadrons. The author gives an in-depth discussion of a variety ofpowerful methods based on Wilson's operator product expansion. Chapter 3 (written together with V Novikov, A Vainshtein, and V Zakharov) is the most systematic and pedagogical presentation of instantons in the gauge theories one can find in the literature. Chapter 4 introduces supersymmetry. Chapter 5, concluding this volume, reviews the fascinating dynamics of supersymmetric gauge theories in the strong coupling regime. Chapter 6, which opens Volume 2, is a culmination of the supersymmetric theme. It gives a state-of-the-art description of the breakthrough developments in supersymmetric gauge theories. It has been written specifically for this book by A Vainshtein and the author. Chapter 7 is designed as a primer of two-dimensional conformal field theory, which constitutes the basis of modern string theory. Chapter 8, the last, presents remarkable new findings in quantum mechanics. Every chapter contains exercises and a list of recommended literature.Prof. Shifman has been an active participant and significant contributor in the development of the ideas presented in this book. This accounts for the historical remarks and digressions interspersed in the book, enhancing its pedagogical role. The book will serve as a comprehensive reference and textbook for all graduate students and researchers interested in modern particle physics. It will also be a useful guide for lecturers.