Massless Relativistic Wave Equations and Quantum Field Theory

Massless relativistic wave equations and quantum field theory

We give a simple and direct construction of a massless quantum field with arbitrary discrete helicity that satisfies Wightman axioms and the corresponding relativistic wave equation in the distributional sense. We underline the mathematical differences to massive models. The construction is based on the notion of massless free net (cf. Section 3) and the detailed analysis of covariant and massl...

Relativistic Quantum Field Theory

8.324 Relativistic Quantum Field Theory II

The renormalization program has been shown to be a success operationally: 1. For a renormalizable theory, all ultraviolet divergences can be absorbed into redefinitions of bare quan­ tities, which are not observable. What is meant by the set of physical observables is unambiguous: it is well-defined in terms of a small number of physical couplings, masses and so forth. 2. The requirement of ren...

Introduction to Relativistic Quantum Field Theory

Quasiparticle excitations in relativistic quantum field theory

We analyze the particle-like excitations arising in relativistic field theories in states different than the vacuum. The basic properties characterizing the quasiparticle propagation are studied using two different complementary methods. First we introduce a frequency-based approach, wherein the quasiparticle properties are deduced from the spectral analysis of the twopoint propagators. Second,...