This Element offers an introduction to selected philosophical issues that arise in contemporary particle physics, aimed at philosophers who have limited prior exposure to quantum field theory. One the one hand, it critically surveys philosophical work on the representation of particles in quantum field theory, the formal machinery and conceptual implications of renormalization and renormalization group methods, and ontological and methodological questions raised by the use of effective field theory techniques in particle physics. On the other, it identifies topics in particle physics that have not yet received philosophical attention and sketches avenues for philosophical analysis of those topics. The primary aim of the Element is to provide philosophers of physics with an entry point into the literature on the philosophy of particle physics and identify interesting directions for future research for students and researchers alike.
Author(s): Porter Williams
Series: Elements in the Philosophy of Physics
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Year: 2023
Language: English
City: Cambridge
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Philosophy of Particle Physics
Contents
1 Introduction
2 Quantum Field Theory
2.1 States
2.2 Operators
2.3 Dynamics
3 Particles
3.1 Representations of the Poincaré Group
3.2 Localizability
4 Renormalization
4.1 Correlation Functions and Path Integrals
4.2 Renormalization
4.3 Renormalization Group Methods
5 Effective Field Theory
5.1 Discovery Heuristics
5.2 Scientific Realism
References
