2025/2026 Theoretical Physics (Master)
Lecture
Thursday 3.DS (11:10 - 12:40), REC/C213/H (odd weeks)
Friday 2.DS (09:20 - 10:50), REC/C213/H
Lecturer
Prof. Dr. D. Stöckinger
Tutorials
The tutorials will begin in the week starting on 20th October. The first exercise is scheduled on Tuesday, 21/10/2025.
Tutors
Prof. Dr. D. Stöckinger
Dr. H. Stöckinger-Kim
Paul Kühler
Konrad Mickiewicz
Content:
The lecture will discuss general aspects, principles and methods of theoretical physics such as extremal principles, quantization, symmetries and symmetry breaking, and provides illustrations and concrete applications from fields such as cosmology, condensed matter and elementary particle physics.
See the script and the further material for an overview (the lecture will not follow the script exactly; it is planned to cover material of sections 1,3,4,5 and additional topics).
Planned outline:
1. Hamiltonian and Lagrangian descriptions, operator and path integral formulations of quantum mechanics
2. Elements of field theories: electrodynamics and gauge invariance, quantisation of free fields and interpretation, Feynman rules
3. Angular momentum and rotational symmetry from classical electrodynamics to the Dirac equation; magnetic moments
4. Cosmology and the development of the universe since the Big Bang; applications of statistical mechanics and thermodynamics
5. Spontaneous symmetry breaking and applications from ferromagnets to superconductors and the Higgs mechanism
More details on content and exams:
See the study documents, page 10 for the description of this module. The module extends over two semesters: 3+1 hours lecture plus tutorial in this winter semester and 1 hour per week tutorial plus self study in the coming summer semester.
The oral exam can take place in the semester break after the winter semester or after the summer semester. It tests the qualification objectives: Students have an overview of the fields of theoretical physics, understand their interrelations and expand their theoretical knowledge. Students are trained to give the most comprehensible theoretical descriptions possible of selected physical phenomena and to combine the theoretical fundamentals and methods that they had known so far predominantly as individual phenomena. They are able to explore complex physics issues independently and theoretically.
The major part of the exam focuses on theoretical foundations and their connections. A smaller part of the exam focuses on selected phenomena and special topics. For this smaller part of the exam students can select three chapters of the lecture. Students are welcome to contact examiners beforehand to discuss further details.