Approaches to fundamental physics : an assessment of current theoretical ideas / Ion-Olimpiu Stamatescu, Erhard Seiler (Eds.).

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Stamatescu, I.-O. (Ion-Olimpiu), 1941-

Seiler, Erhard, 1942-

Series:

Lecture notes in physics 0075-8450 ; 721.

Lecture notes in physics, 0075-8450 ; 721

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Physics.

Physical Description:

xi, 422 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Berlin ; New York : Springer, [2007]

Summary:

This book presents contributions on particle theory, quantum field theory, general relativity, quantum gravity, string theory and cosmology. These represent the outcome of numerous discussions, taking place among the authors over a period of several years, about the research landscape of present-day fundamental theoretical physics. Indeed, the resultant book documents their attempt, out of their respective and highly specialized scientific positions, to find a way of communicating about methods, achievements and promises of the different approaches which shape the development of this field. It is therefore also an attempt to elucidate the connections between these approaches, and present them not as disjoint ventures but rather as facets of a common quest for understanding. Readers interested in fundamental approaches of theoretical physics will find this book highly stimulating and enlightening.

Contents:

Introduction - The Many-Fold Way of Contemporary High Energy Theoretical Physics / E. Seiler, I.-O. Stamatescu 3

1 Historical Remarks 5

2 Systematic Considerations 7

3 Conceptual Questions 14

Part II Elementary Particle Theory

The Standard Model of Particle Physics / H. G. Dosch 21

2 The Development of the Standard Model 21

3 Systematic Description of the Standard Model 29

4 Achievements and Deficiencies of the Standard Model 37

5 Extrapolation to the Near Future 46

Beyond the Standard Model / M. G. Schmidt 51

Part III Quantum Field Theory

Quantum Field Theory: Where We Are / K. Fredenhagen, K.-H. Rehren, E. Seiler 61

2 Axiomatic Approaches to QFT 62

3 The Gauge Principle 67

4 The Field Concept 69

5 The Perturbative Approach to QFT 71

6 The Constructive Approach to QFT 73

7 Effective Quantum Field Theories 77

8 Gravity 79

Part IV General Relativity Theory

General Relativity / J. Ehlers 91

2 Basic Assumptions of GRT 93

3 General Comments on the Structure of GRT 97

4 Theoretical Developments, Achievements and Problems in GRT 99

Remarks on the Notions of General Covariance and Background Independence / D. Giulini 105

2 Attempts to Define General Covariance and/or Background Independence 106

Part V Quantum Gravity

Why Quantum Gravity? / C. Kiefer 123

The Canonical Approach to Quantum Gravity: General Ideas and Geometrodynamics / D. Giulini, C. Kiefer 131

2 The Initial-Value Formulation of GR 133

3 Why Constraints 134

4 Comparison with Conventional Form of Einstein's Equations 135

5 Canonical Gravity 138

6 The General Kinematics of Hypersurface Deformations 140

7 Topological Issues 141

8 Geometric Issues 144

9 Quantum Geometrodynamics 145

10 Applications 148

Loop and Spin Foam Quantum Gravity: A Brief Guide for Beginners / H. Nicolai, K. Peeters 151

1 Quantum Einstein Gravity 151

2 The Kinematical Hilbert Space of LQG 154

3 Area, Volume, and the Hamiltonian 157

4 Implementation of the Constraints 160

5 Quantum Space-Time Covariance? 164

6 Canonical Gravity and Spin Foams 167

7 Spin Foam Models: Some Basic Features 171

8 Spin Foams and Discrete Gravity 175

9 Predictive (Finite) Quantum Gravity? 178

Loop Quantum Gravity: An Inside View / T. Thiemann 185

2 Classical Preliminaries 189

3 Canonical Quantisation Programme 193

4 Status of the Quantisation Programme for Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG) 198

5 Physical Applications 236

Quantum Einstein Gravity: Towards an Asymptotically Safe Field Theory of Gravity / O. Lauscher, M. Reuter 265

2 Asymptotic Safety 266

3 RG Flow of the Effective Average Action 268

4 Scale-Dependent Metrics and the Resolution Function l(k) 272

5 Microscopic Structure of the QEG Spacetimes 276

6 The Spectral Dimension 279

Part VI String Theory

String Theory: An Overview / J. Louis, T. Mohaupt, S. Theisen 289

2 Beyond the Standard Model 290

3 The Free String 293

4 The Interacting String 297

5 Compactification 299

6 Duality and M-Theory 302

7 AdS/CFT 305

8 Black-Hole Entropy 309

9 Approaches to Phenomenology 315

10 Open Questions 319

11 Some Concluding Remarks 321

Part VII Cosmology

Dark Energy / N. Straumann 327

2 Einstein's Original Motivation of the [Lambda]-Term 328

3 From Static to Expanding World Models 330

4 The Mystery of the [Lambda]-Problem 334

5 Luminosity-Redshift Relation for Type Ia Supernovae 340

6 Microwave Background Anisotropies 349

7 Observational Results and Cosmological Parameters 355

8 Alternatives to Dark Energy 359

A Essentials of Friedmann-Lemaitre Models 366

B Thermal History below 100 MeV 374

C Inflation and Primordial Power Spectra 379

D Quintessence Models 391

1 Quantum Theory 399

2 Field Theory 400

3 Gauge Theory 401

4 The Standard Model 402

5 Symmetries 403

6 Spacetime and General Relativity 404.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

3540711155

9783540711155

OCLC:

144228541