Physics reference material
Physics reference material found on the web.
- Introductory Lectures on Quantum Field Theory
Luis Alvarez-Gaume, Miguel A. Vazquez-MozoIn these lectures we present a few topics in Quantum Field Theory in detail. Some of them are conceptual and some more practical. They have been selected because they appear frequently in current applications to Particle Physics and String Theory.
96 pages
- 1951 Lectures on Advanced Quantum Mechanics Second Edition
Freeman J. DysonThe legendary 1951 Dyson Lectures on Advanced Quantum Mechanics are finally LaTeXed, with thorough annotations and an index as an added bonus
149 pages
- Lectures on Quantum Field Theory
R. E. Borcherds, A. BarnardThese are notes from a 15 week course aimed at graduate mathematicians. They provide an essentially self-contained introduction to some of the ideas and terminology of QFT.
76 pages
- Between classical and quantum
N.P. LandsmanThe relationship between classical and quantum theory is of central importance to the philosophy of physics, and any interpretation of quantum mechanics has to clarify it. Our discussion of this relationship is partly historical and conceptual, but mostly technical and mathematically rigorous, including over 500 references. On the assumption that quantum mechanics is universal and complete, we discuss three ways in which classical physics has so far been believed to emerge from quantum physics, namely in the limit h -> 0 of small Planck’s constant (in a finite system), in the limit of a large system, and through decoherence and consistent histores. The first limit is closely related to modern quantization theory and microlocal analysis, whereas the second involves methods of C*-algebras and the concepts of superselection sectors and macroscopic observables. In these limits, the classical world does not emerge as a sharply defined objective reality, but rather as an approximate appearance relative to certain “classical” states and observables. Decoherence subsequently clarifies the role of such states, in that they are “einselected”, i.e. robust against coupling to the environment. Furthermore, the nature of classical observables is elucidated by the fact that they typically define (approximately) consistent sets of histories. We make the point that classicality results from the elimination of certain states and observables from quantum theory. Thus the classical world is not created by observation (as Heisenberg once claimed), but rather by the lack of it.
100 pages
- Quantum Theory at the Crossroads: Reconsidering the 1927 Solvay Conference
Guido Bacciagaluppi, Antony ValentiniWe reconsider the crucial 1927 Solvay conference in the context of current research in the foundations of quantum theory. Contrary to folklore, the interpretation question was not settled at this conference and no consensus was reached; instead, a range of sharply conflicting views were presented and extensively discussed. Today, there is no longer an established or dominant interpretation of quantum theory, so it is important to re-evaluate the historical sources and keep the interpretation debate open. In this spirit, we provide a complete English translation of the original proceedings (lectures and discussions), and give background essays on the three main interpretations presented: de Broglie’s pilot-wave theory, Born and Heisenberg’s quantum mechanics, and Schroedinger’s wave mechanics. We provide an extensive analysis of the lectures and discussions that took place, in the light of current debates about the meaning of quantum theory. The proceedings contain much unexpected material, including extensive discussions of de Broglie’s pilot-wave theory (which de Broglie presented for a many-body system), and a “quantum mechanics” apparently lacking in wave function collapse or fundamental time evolution. We hope that the book will contribute to the ongoing revival of research in quantum foundations, as well as stimulate a reconsideration of the historical development of quantum physics. A more detailed description of the book may be found in the Preface. (Copyright by Cambridge University Press (ISBN: 9780521814218), expected publication date 2007.)
553 pages