Basics of thermal field theory. A tutorial on perturbative computations (Q267840)

Applications of thermal field theory are found in cosmology and heavy ion collisions. The book addresses a readership at the level of master students in theoretical physics, who have followed standard courses on quantum mechanics, statistical physics and (zero-temperature) quantum field theory. Building on these prerequisites, it gives a very good introduction to perturbative finite-temperature quantum field theory. In particular, the derivations are very detailed, explaining carefully potential pitfalls other texts may just glance over. As such the book is also suitable for self-studies for researchers interested in thermal quantum field theory. The structure of the book is very pedagogical, starting from the partition function in quantum mechanics, thermal quantum field theory is first developed for scalar fields, followed by the generalisations towards fermions and gauge bosons. There are three dedicated chapters on low-energy effective theories, systems with finite chemical potentials and real time observables, respectively. After these techniques and methods have been developed, the book concludes with a longer chapter on applications, covering the fields of cosmology and heavy ion collisions. In summary, this book closes a gap between standard master-level university courses on (non-thermal) quantum field theory and current research in perturbative finite-temperature quantum field theory.