Relativistic Quantum Mechanics and Introduction to Field Theory - 9783642646744

Relativistic Quantum Mechanics and Introduction to Field TheoryAuthor(s): Francisco J. Yndurain\nFormat: Paperback\nPublisher: Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg GmbH & Co. KG, Germany\nImprint: Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg GmbH & Co. K\nISBN-13: 9783642646744, 978-3642646744\nSynopsis\nA fully relativistic treatment of the quantum mechanics of particles requires the introduction of quantum field theory, that is to say, the quantum mechan ics of systems with an infinite number of degrees of freedom. This is because the relativistic equivalence of mass and energy plus the quantum possibility of fluctuations imply the existence of (real or virtual) creation and annihilation of particles in unlimited numbers. In spite of this, there exist processes, and energy ranges, where a treat ment in terms of ordinary quantum mechanical tools is appropriate, and the approximation of neglecting the full field-theoretic description is justified. Thus, one may use concepts such as.