Diagrammatica: The Path to Feynman Diagrams

Cambridge Lecture Notes in Physics #4

by Martinus Veltman

This book provides an easily accessible introduction to quantum field theory via Feynman rules and calculations in particle physics. The aim is to make clear what the physical foundations of present-day field theory are, to clarify the physical content of Feynman rules. The book begins with a brief review of some aspects of Einstein's theory of relativity that are of particular importance for field theory, before going on to consider the relativistic quantum mechanics of free particles, interacting fields, and particles with spin. The techniques learnt in the chapters are then demonstrated in examples that might be encountered in real accelerator physics. Further chapters contain discussions of renormalization, massive and massless vector fields and unitarity. A final chapter presents concluding arguments concerning quantum electrodynamics. The book includes valuable appendices that review some essential mathematics, including complex spaces, matrices, the CBH equation, traces and dimensional regularization. An appendix containing a comprehensive summary of the rules and conventions used is followed by an appendix specifying the full Lagrangian of the Standard Model and the corresponding Feynman rules. To make the book useful for a wide audience a final appendix provides a discussion of the metric used, and an easy-to-use dictionary connecting equations written with different metrics. Written as a textbook, many diagrams, exercises and examples are included. This book will be used by beginning graduate students taking courses in particle physics or quantum field theory, as well as by researchers as a source and reference book on Feynman diagrams and rules.

Genres: Physics, Science

296 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[Emanuele Martorana Tusa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a very accessible, too accessible in my opinion since it lacks some rigour, to QFT. The part on Feynman diagrams is nice, and some phenomenological consideration are interesting, but there are plenty of better books that introduce QFT.

[albin james · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I Had A Heart

Holy war
Genocide
Suicide
Hate and cruelty...
How can this be holy?
If I had a heart I'd cry.

These ancient tales...
The good go to heaven
And the wicked ones burn in hell...
Ring the funeral bells!
If I had a heart I'd cry.

There's just too many people now
Too little land
Much too much desire
You feel so feeble now
It's so out of hand
Big bombs and barbed wire
We've set our lovely sky
Our lovely sky
On fire!

There's just too many people now
And too little land
Too much rage and desire
It makes you feel so feeble now
It's so out of hand-
Big bombs and barbed wire...
Can't you see
Our destiny?
We are making this Earth
Our funeral pyre!

Holy Earth
How can we heal you?
We cover you like a blight...
Strange birds of appetite...
If I had a heart I'd cry.
If I had a heart I'd cry.
If I had a heart I'd cry.

© 2007; Crazy Crow Music
- Joni Mitchell