PHYS 4500

Relativistic Quantum Fields and Particles
Fall 2026

Professor Nikolaos Kidonakis
Office: SC437
Phone: (470) 578-6607
email: nkidonak@kennesaw.edu
Web: http://facultyweb.kennesaw.edu/nkidonak

Lectures: TTH 11:10am-12:30pm, Academic Bldg 321

Recommended reference book: Quantum Field Theory by Lewis Ryder, second edition

Course description
PHYS 4500: Relativistic Quantum Fields and Particles
3 Credit Hours
Prerequisite: PHYS 3710 and MATH 2203
This course is an introduction to relativistic quantum mechanics, quantum field theory, elementary particle physics, and gauge theory. Students will learn how the combination of the two revolutionary physics theories of the first half of the 20th century, relativity and quantum mechanics, leads us to the concept of quantum fields and the description of the fundamental forces and particles in the universe. Students will see how electromagnetism, the strong and weak nuclear interactions, and even gravity, can be described in a unified way as gauge theories.

Learning outcomes
1. Learn how to derive relativistic Klein-Gordon and Dirac equations.
2. Learn how to use gauge symmetries to derive conservation laws in physics.
3. Analyze the quantization of scalar, vector, and spinor fields.
4. Use perturbation theory in elementary particle interactions.
5. Describe fundamental interactions in nature in terms of unitary groups.

Grading
Homework 30%
Tests 45% (3 tests, 15% each)
Final Exam 25%

Grades: A >90%; B 80%-90%; C 70%-80%; D 60%-70%; F <60%

Tentative Schedule

August 25-27
Relativistic kinematics; Klein-Gordon equation

September 1-3
Dirac Equation; antiparticles

September 8-10
Lagrangian formulation for particles and fields; Noether's theorem;
canonical quantization of scalar fields

September 15-17
Test 1; Quantization of spinor fields; local gauge invariance

September 22-24
Quantization of gauge fields

September 29-October 1
Perturbation theory

October 6-8
Feynman diagrams; Quantum Electrodynamics

October 13-15
Test 2; Cross sections

October 20-22
Ultraviolet and infrared divergences; dimensional regularization

October 27-29
Renormalization

November 3-5
Path-integral quantization; Non-abelian gauge theories

November 10-12
Test 3; SU(2) and Electroweak theory; Higgs mechanism

November 17-19
SU(3) and Quantum Chromodynamics

November 24-26
Fall break; no classes

December 1-3
QCD and asymptotic freedom; soft gluons

Final Exam
Tuesday, December 8, 10:30am-12:30pm