C6 Homepage 2020/2021

Homepage for C6 & AQT - Theoretical Physics & Advanced Quantum Theory

COVID update: in 2022-2023 academic year, normal (not online) mode is planned for all classes

Please follow updates and instructions from the Physics Teaching Office

Contacts (before you contact someone, please read the simple guidelines to ensure you receive an answer quickly):

C6 Coordinator and Hilary Term Lecturer: Prof Andrei Starinets <andrei.starinets@physics.ox.ac.uk>

C6 & AQT Michaelmas Term Lecturer: Prof John Chalker <John.Chalker@physics.ox.ac.uk>

Physics Teaching Office:

Hannah Glanville <hannah.glanville@physics.ox.ac.uk>

Carrie Leonard-McIntyre <carrie.leonard-mcintyre@physics.ox.ac.uk>

MMathPhys Office

<mathematical.physics@maths.ox.ac.uk>

Aims and Objectives of the Course

This course covers both the C6 (Theory) MPhys option (in MT & HT) and the MMathPhys Advanced Quantum Theory course (in MT only). The course is intended to give an introduction to some aspects of classical and quantum field theory, many-body systems and related issues. It also serves as an introduction to the path integral technique. These form the basis of our current theoretical understanding of particle physics, condensed matter and statistical physics. An aim is to present some core ideas and important applications in a unified way. The applications include classical mechanics of continuum systems, quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics of many-particle systems, and some basic aspects of relativistic quantum field theory.

Course Structure

MICHAELMAS TERM: Schedule of classes, problem sheets, lecture notes and other materials (lecturer - Prof John Chalker)

MT-2022 tutorial classes schedule (weeks 4, 6, 8):

Tutorial group 1 (tutor - Michael Nee, michael.nee@physics.ox.ac.uk): Monday, 17:00-18:30, Dennis Sciama Lecture Theatre, DWB (Denys Wilkinson Building)

Tutorial group 2 (tutor - Martin Mosny, martin.mosny@sjc.ox.ac.uk), Tuesday, 17:00-18:30, Dennis Sciama Lecture Theatre, DWB (Denys Wilkinson Building)

Tutorial group 3 (tutor - Carolin Wille, carolin.wille@physics.ox.ac.uk): Wednesday, 17:00-18:30, Dennis Sciama Lecture Theatre, DWB (Denys Wilkinson Building)

The lists of tutorial groups can be found here. If you don't find your name there but would like to join one of the groups, please email the tutor of the relevant group directly with the request (please cc to andrei.starinets@physics.ox.ac.uk). Your tutors will contact you shortly with instructions on homework submission and other arrangements. Please communicate with your tutors directly regarding all matters related to the tutorials.

HILARY TERM: Schedule of classes, problem sheets, lecture notes and other materials (lecturer - Prof Andrei Starinets)

HT-2023 tutorial classes schedule (weeks 4, 6, 8):

Tutorial group 1 (tutor - Sirui Ning, sirui.ning@st-hughs.ox.ac.uk): Monday, 17:00-18:30, Seminar room 501, DWB (Denys Wilkinson Building)

Tutorial group 2 (tutor - Carolin Wille, carolin.wille@physics.ox.ac.uk), Tuesday, 17:00-18:30, Seminar room 501, DWB (Denys Wilkinson Building)

Tutorial group 3 (tutor - Gowri Kurup, gowri.kurup@gmail.com): Wednesday, 17:00-18:30, Seminar room 501, DWB (Denys Wilkinson Building)

The lists of tutorial groups can be found here. If you don't find your name there but would like to join one of the groups, please email the tutor of the relevant group directly with the request (please cc to andrei.starinets@physics.ox.ac.uk). Your tutors will contact you shortly with instructions on homework submission and other arrangements. Please communicate with your tutors directly regarding all matters related to the tutorials.

TRINITY TERM: Revision classes (details below)

MT-2022 Topics

1. Functionals: Mathematical background

2. Path integrals in quantum mechanics

3. Path integrals in quantum statistical mechanics

4. Path integrals and Feynman diagrams

5. Ising model and transfer matrices in 1D

6. 2D Ising model

7. Second quantisation

8. Ideal Fermi gas

9. Weakly interacting bosons

10. Bogliubov excitations and spin waves

11. Spin waves. Path integral for bosons

12. Phase transitions. Ising model and mean-field theory

13. Critical behavior and universality. Landau theory

14. Beyond Landau theory: fluctuations

15. Fluctuations. Other phase transitions

16. Stochastic processes

HILARY TERM: Schedule of classes, problem sheets, lecture notes and other materials (lecturer - Andrei Starinets)

HT-2023 Topics

1. Classical field theory

2. Symmetries of the action. Noether's theorem

3. Spontaneous symmetry breaking. Goldstone's theorem

4. Canonical quantization of fields

5. Path integrals in quantum field theory

6. Interacting quantum fields

5. Feynman diagrams

6. Examples of interacting quantum field theories

TRINITY TERM: REVISIONS

There will be two revision lectures (in weeks 4 and 6) and two revision tutorials (in weeks 3 and 5) - please see details below.

TT-2023 Revision Lectures

MT-material (C6-AQT) revision lecture (Prof John Chalker) - week 4: Tuesday, 16 May, 11 am, Dennis Sciama Lecture Theatre, DWB (Denys Wilkinson Building)

HT-material (C6) revision lecture (Prof Andrei Starinets) - week 6: Tuesday, 30 May, 4 pm, Dennis Sciama Lecture Theatre, DWB (Denys Wilkinson Building)

TT-2023 Revision Tutorials

Please sign up for one of the tutorial groups by filling in the poll by 1 May 2023.

TT-2023 tutorial classes schedule (weeks 3 and 5):

Tutorial group 1 (tutor - Carolin Wille, carolin.wille@physics.ox.ac.uk): Monday, 17:00-18:30, Dennis Sciama Lecture Theatre, DWB (Denys Wilkinson Building)

Tutorial group 2 (tutor - Sirui Ning, sirui.ning@st-hughs.ox.ac.uk), Wednesday, 17:30-19:00, Dennis Sciama Lecture Theatre, DWB (Denys Wilkinson Building)

TT- 2023 Revision Problems Sheets

1. MT-material revision problems

2. HT-material revision problems