Symmetry in Physics
10 credits
Syllabus, Master's level, 1FA158
A revised version of the syllabus is available.
- 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, 19 February 2018
- Responsible department
- Department of Physics and Astronomy
Entry requirements
120 credits with Analytical Mechanics and Special Relativity Theory or similar.
Learning outcomes
After passing 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.