Introduction to Thermal Field Theory: From First Principles to Applications
This review article provides the basics and discusses some important applications of thermal field theory, namely, the combination of statistical mechanics and relativistic quantum field theory. In the first part, the fundamentals are covered: the density matrix, the corresponding averages, and the...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Universe |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1997/11/1/16 |
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| author | Alberto Salvio |
| author_facet | Alberto Salvio |
| author_sort | Alberto Salvio |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This review article provides the basics and discusses some important applications of thermal field theory, namely, the combination of statistical mechanics and relativistic quantum field theory. In the first part, the fundamentals are covered: the density matrix, the corresponding averages, and the treatment of fields of various spin in a medium. The second part is dedicated to the computation of thermal Green’s function for scalars, vectors, and fermions with path-integral methods. These functions play a crucial role in thermal field theory as explained here. A more applicative part of the review is dedicated to the production of particles in a medium and to phase transitions in field theory, including the process of vacuum decay in a general theory featuring a first-order phase transition. To understand this review, the reader should have good knowledge of non-statistical quantum field theory. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-15f1d9bf7c7e43439e9f7de3db8cc33d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2218-1997 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Universe |
| spelling | doaj-art-15f1d9bf7c7e43439e9f7de3db8cc33d2025-01-24T13:51:29ZengMDPI AGUniverse2218-19972025-01-011111610.3390/universe11010016Introduction to Thermal Field Theory: From First Principles to ApplicationsAlberto Salvio0Physics Department, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, I-00133 Rome, ItalyThis review article provides the basics and discusses some important applications of thermal field theory, namely, the combination of statistical mechanics and relativistic quantum field theory. In the first part, the fundamentals are covered: the density matrix, the corresponding averages, and the treatment of fields of various spin in a medium. The second part is dedicated to the computation of thermal Green’s function for scalars, vectors, and fermions with path-integral methods. These functions play a crucial role in thermal field theory as explained here. A more applicative part of the review is dedicated to the production of particles in a medium and to phase transitions in field theory, including the process of vacuum decay in a general theory featuring a first-order phase transition. To understand this review, the reader should have good knowledge of non-statistical quantum field theory.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1997/11/1/16quantum field theoryspecial relativitystatistical mechanics |
| spellingShingle | Alberto Salvio Introduction to Thermal Field Theory: From First Principles to Applications Universe quantum field theory special relativity statistical mechanics |
| title | Introduction to Thermal Field Theory: From First Principles to Applications |
| title_full | Introduction to Thermal Field Theory: From First Principles to Applications |
| title_fullStr | Introduction to Thermal Field Theory: From First Principles to Applications |
| title_full_unstemmed | Introduction to Thermal Field Theory: From First Principles to Applications |
| title_short | Introduction to Thermal Field Theory: From First Principles to Applications |
| title_sort | introduction to thermal field theory from first principles to applications |
| topic | quantum field theory special relativity statistical mechanics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1997/11/1/16 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT albertosalvio introductiontothermalfieldtheoryfromfirstprinciplestoapplications |