AN INTRODUCTION TO GAUGE THEORIES

Written by world-leading experts in particle physics, this new book from Luciano Maiani and Omar Benhar, with contributions from the late Nicola Cabibbo, is based on Feynman’s path integrals. Key elements of gauge theories are described—Feynman diagrams, gauge-fixing, Faddeev-Popov ghosts—as well as renormalization in Quantum Electrodynamics. Quarks and QCD interactions are introduced. Renormalization group and high momentum behavior of the coupling constants are discussed in QED and QCD, with asymptotic freedom derived at one-loop. These concepts are related to the Higgs boson and models of grand unification. … an excellent introduction to the quantum theory of gauge fields and their applications to particle physics. … It will be an excellent book for the serious student and a good reference for the professional practitioner. Let me add that, scattered through the pages, we can find occasional traces of Nicola Cabibbo’s style.