Quantum Fields On A Lattice

Presents a comprehensive and coherent account of the theory of quantum fields on a lattice.

Publisher Description

This book provides an overview of recent progress in computer simulations of nonperturbative phenomena in quantum field theory, particularly in the context of the lattice approach. It is a collection of extensive self-contained reviews of various subtopics, including algorithms, spectroscopy, finite temperature physics, Yukawa and chiral theories, bounds on the Higgs meson mass, the renormalization group, and weak decays of hadrons.Physicists with some knowledge of lattice gauge ideas will find this book a useful and interesting source of information on the recent developments in the field.

Quantum Chromodynamics is the theory of strong interactions: a quantum field theory of colored gluons (Yang-Mills gauge fields) coupled to quarks (Dirac fermion fields). Lattice gauge theory is defined by discretizing spacetime into a four-dimensional lattice — and entails defining gauge fields and Dirac fermions on a lattice. The applications of lattice gauge theory are vast, from the study of high-energy theory and phenomenology to the numerical studies of quantum fields.Lattice Quantum Field Theory of the Dirac and Gauge Fields: Selected Topics examines the mathematical foundations of lattice gauge theory from first principles. It is indispensable for the study of Dirac and lattice gauge fields and lays the foundation for more advanced and specialized studies.

This book introduces a large number of topics in lattice gauge theories, including analytical as well as numerical methods. It provides young physicists with the theoretical background and basic computational tools in order to be able to follow the extensive literature on the subject, and to carry out research on their own. Whenever possible, the basic ideas and technical inputs are demonstrated in simple examples, so as to avoid diverting the readers' attention from the main line of thought. Sufficient technical details are however given so that he can fill in the remaining details with the help of the cited literature without too much effort.This volume is designed for graduate students in theoretical elementary particle physics or statistical mechanics with a basic knowledge in Quantum Field Theory.

Quantum Field Theory has become the universal language of most modern theoretical physics. This introductory textbook shows how this beautiful theory offers the correct mathematical framework to describe and understand the fundamental interactions of elementary particles. The book begins with a brief reminder of basic classical field theories, electrodynamics and general relativity, as well as their symmetry properties, and proceeds with the principles of quantisation following Feynman's path integral approach. Special care is used at every step to illustrate the correct mathematical formulation of the underlying assumptions. Gauge theories and the problems encountered in their quantisation are discussed in detail. The last chapters contain a full description of the Standard Model of particle physics and the attempts to go beyond it, such as grand unified theories and supersymmetry. Written for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students in physics and mathematics, the book could also serve as a reference for active researchers in the field.

This book provides an overview of the techniques central to lattice quantum chromodynamics, including modern developments. The book has four chapters. The first chapter explains the formulation of quarks and gluons on a Euclidean lattice. The second chapter introduces Monte Carlo methods and details the numerical algorithms to simulate lattice gauge fields. Chapter three explains the mathematical and numerical techniques needed to study quark fields and the computation of quark propagators. The fourth chapter is devoted to the physical observables constructed from lattice fields and explains how to measure them in simulations. The book is aimed at enabling graduate students who are new to the field to carry out explicitly the first steps and prepare them for research in lattice QCD.