Symmetry in Physics
Syllabus, Master's level, 1FA158
- Code
- 1FA158
- Education cycle
- Second cycle
- Main field(s) of study and in-depth level
- Physics A1F
- Grading system
- Fail (U), Pass (3), Pass with credit (4), Pass with distinction (5)
- Finalised by
- The Faculty Board of Science and Technology, 30 August 2018
- Responsible department
- Department of Physics and Astronomy
Entry requirements
120 credits with Analytical Mechanics and Special Relativity Theory or similar.
Learning outcomes
On completion of the course, the student should be able to:
- distinguish between gauge and global symmetries.
- analyse the role of groups for generating symmetry transformations.
- apply symmetry principles to quantum field theories.
- account for basic concepts of spontaneous symmetry breaking.
- find nontrivial solutions in quantum field theory.
Content
Gauge and global symmetries, group theory applications to symmetries, non-Abelian gauge theories, spontaneous symmetry breaking and Goldstone's theorem, the Breit-Englert-Higgs Effect. Nontrivial classical solutions: Kinks, vortices, Skyrmions and magnetic monopoles. Quantization of gauge fields, the Faddeev-Popov procedure and Ward identities, Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) symmetry, supersymmetry.
Instruction
Lectures and seminars with active participation.
Assessment
Problem assignments.
If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the disability coordinator of the university.