Lectures on Quantum Electrodynamics [MatSciRep:15]

Abstract

The aim of the series of lectures in 'Some topics in Quantum Electrodynamics', is to give an outline of quantum electrodynamic calculations with special emphasis on some work done by this group which might lead to some fresh problems. For the sake of completeness, a brief introduction on the theory of scattering is also given. First lecture is confined to the treatment of the single particle scattering by the old fashioned perturbation theory. The second part of this Report speaks about 'Quantisation of the electromagnetic field. The oldest known elementary particle field, the quantisation of the electromagnetic field presents difficulties. The set of Maxwell's equations without external sources can be written in terms of the antisymmetric electromagnetic tensor in the relativivstic form. To overcome the difficulty regarding inclusion of the Lorentz condition as an operator equation, Fermi suggested that it is not necessary that all the classical Maxwell equations should correspond to operator-identities in the quantized theory. The first three lectures of the present course are based on the article of Kallen on quantum Electrodynamics in the Hanbuch der Phyisk.