An Introduction To Relativistic Quantum Field Theory

932 Pages·1961·40.805 MB·English

by  Silvan S. Schweber

AN INTRODUCTION TO
RELATIVISTIC QUANTUM FIELD THEORY

AN INTRODUCTION TO
RELATIVISTIC QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
Silvan S. Schweber
Brandeis University
Foreword by
Hans A. Bethe
Cornell University
HARPER & ROW, PUBLISHERS
New York, N.Y.
Second Printing, 1962
Copyright © 1961
Harper & Row, Publishers, Incorporated
All rights reserved for all countries,
including the right of translation
6675
MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
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To Myrna
34744

Table of Contents
Foreword.xi
Preface.xiii
Part One: The One-Particle Equations
1. Quantum Mechanics and Symmetry Principles ... 3
a. Quantum Mechanical Formalism. 3
b. Schrodinger and Heisenberg Pictures. 8
c. Nonrelativistic Free-Particle Equation. 9
d. Symmetry and Quantum Mechanics.13
e. Rotations and Intrinsic Degrees of Freedom.18
f. The Four-Dimensional Rotation Group.33
2. The Lorentz Group.36
a. Relativistic Notation.36
b. The Homogeneous Lorentz Group.38
c. The Inhomogeneous Lorentz Group.44
3. The Klein-Gordon Equation.54
a. Historical Rackground.54
b. Properties of Solutions of K-G Equation.55
c. The Position Operator.60
d. Charged Particles.63
4. The Dirac Equation. 65
a. Historical Rackground.65
b. Properties of the Dirac Matrices.70
c. Relativistic Invariance.74
d. Solutions of the Dirac Equation.82
e. Normalization and Orthogonality Relations: Traces ... 85
f. Foldy-Wouthuysen Representation.91
g. Negative Energy States.95
h. Dirac Equation in External Field—Charge Conjugation . . 99