Symmetry in Quantum Field Theory
A special issue of Symmetry (ISSN 2073-8994). This special issue belongs to the section "Physics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2017) | Viewed by 11980
Special Issue Editor
Interests: quantum field theory; BRS renormalization; topological quantum field theory; linearized gravity; modified theories of gravity; fractons
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Symmetries plays a central and defining role in Quantum Field Theory, which, indeed, arises as the application to a particular symmetry principle (relativistic invariance) to quantum mechanics. In QFT, two main ways exist of using symmetry. In the first case, the equations or expressions of physical interest are already given, as consequences of a quantum action written in terms of quantum fields, and the strategy is to study their symmetry properties, intended as invariance under a specified group of transformations of the quantum fields. On the other hand, it is possible to start with specific symmetries and search for dynamical equations with such properties. In other words, we postulate that certain symmetries are physically significant, rather than deriving them from prior dynamical equations. On top of this is the observation that the world is only approximately symmetric, as indicated, for instance, by the mass differences of particles. This suggests the possibility that dynamics may, itself, be the mechanism whereby the symmetry is broken. Such is the underlying thought behind the spontaneous breakdown of symmetry, characterised by non-symmetrical solutions to symmetric field equations. Finally, dualities can also be seen as a class of symmetries that relate different theories, or very different regimes of the same theory, rather than solutions to theories, as one finds with standard symmetries and gauge symmetries.
The above mentioned considerations may serve as a hint for contributions to this Special Issue, but also many other aspects of Symmetries in QFT are very welcome.
Prof. Nicola Maggiore
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Symmetry is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
-
symmetry in theory of fields and particles
-
global symmetry
-
gauge symmetry
-
nonlinear symmetry
-
BRST symmetry
-
spontaneous symmetry breaking
-
dualities in QFT and strings
-
gauge-gravity correspondence
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.