Introduction to the relativistic thermal field theory and its applications in particle physics and astrophysics.

This book presents thermal field theory techniques, which can be applied in both cosmology and the theoretical description of the QCD plasma generated in heavy-ion collision experiments. It focuses on gauge interactions (whether weak or strong), which are essential in both contexts. As well as the many differences in the physics questions posed and in the microscopic forces playing a central role, the authors also explain the similarities and the techniques, such as the resummations, that are needed for developing a formally consistent perturbative expansion. The formalism is developed step by step, starting from quantum mechanics; introducing scalar, fermionic and gauge fields; describing the issues of infrared divergences; resummations and effective field theories; and incorporating systems with finite chemical potentials. With this machinery in place, the important class of real-time (dynamic) observables is treated in some detail. This is followed by an overview of a number of applications, ranging from the study of phase transitions and particle production rate computations, to the concept of transport and damping coefficients that play a ubiquitous role in current developments. The book serves as a self-contained textbook on relativistic thermal field theory for undergraduate and graduate students of theoretical high-energy physics.

This book discusses all three formalisms used in the study of finite temperature field theory, namely the imaginary time formalism, the closed time formalism and thermofield dynamics. In addition, the finite temperature description on an arbitrary path in the complex t-plane is also described in detail. Gauge field theories and symmetry restoration at finite temperature are among the practical examples discussed in depth. The thermal operator representation relating the zero temperature Feynman graphs to the finite temperature ones are also explained in depth. Applications of the formalisms are worked out in detail. The consistent generalization of light-front field theories to finite temperature is systematically explained as well as the phenomenon of Unruh radiation. Cutting (Cutcosky) rules for the imaginary parts of amplitudes at finite temperature are discussed in careful detail and examples are worked out. Spontaneous and dynamical symmetry breaking and possible symmetry restoration at finite temperature are described. The question of gauge dependence of the effective potential as well as physical parameters (like mass) and the Nielsen identities are explained with examples. The methods for calculating effective actions at finite temperature are described with examples. The subtleties which arise at finite temperature are pointed out in detail also with examples. The nonrestoration of some of the symmetries at high temperature (such as supersymmetry) and theories on nonsimply connected space-times are described thoroughly. Examples of nonequilibrium phenomena are discussed with the disoriented chiral condensates as an illustration. Fluctuation-dissipation theorem is explained in detail and is worked out systematically for glassy materials. Several appendices are added at the end of some of the chapters to help the readers appreciate the discussions of the individual chapters.This book is a very useful tool for graduate students, teachers and researchers in theoretical physics.

This monograph presents recent developments in quantum field theory at finite temperature. By using Lie groups, ideas from thermal theory are considered with concepts of symmetry, allowing for applications not only to quantum field theory but also to transport theory, quantum optics and statistical mechanics. This includes an analysis of geometrical and topological aspects of spatially confined systems with applications to the Casimir effect, superconductivity and phase transitions. Finally, some developments in open systems are also considered. The book provides a unified picture of the fundamental aspects in thermal quantum field theory and their applications, and is important to the field as a result, since it combines several diverse ideas that lead to a better understanding of different areas of physics.

This 2008 book, reissued as OA, captures the essence of nonequilibrium quantum field theory, graduate students and researchers.

"Thermal field theory is the study of quantum field theory at non-zero temperature. This proceedings introduces both retrospect and prospect for various aspects of thermal field theory as well as their extensive applications to condensed matter physics, high energy physics, cosmology, nuclear physics, etc. Also included are speeches memorizing the recently lamented Professor Hiroomi Umezawa, a leading physicist in thermal field theory, by his former students and colleagues."--Publisher's website.

This work begins by distinguishing the difference between quantum mechanics and quantum field theory. It then attempts to extend field theory by adding a thermal degree of freedom to phenomena occurring within a vacuum. The resulting quantum field theory is called Thermo Field Dynamics (TFD).

It has been almost thirty years since the publication of a book that is entirely dedicated to the theory, description, characterization and measurement of the thermal conductivity of solids. The recent discovery of new materials which possess more complex crystal structures and thus more complicated phonon scattering mechanisms have brought innovative challenges to the theory and experimental understanding of these new materials. With the development of new and novel solid materials and new measurement techniques, this book will serve as a current and extensive resource to the next generation researchers in the field of thermal conductivity. This book is a valuable resource for research groups and special topics courses (8-10 students), for 1st or 2nd year graduate level courses in Thermal Properties of Solids, special topics courses in Thermal Conductivity, Superconductors and Magnetic Materials, and to researchers in Thermoelectrics, Thermal Barrier Materials and Solid State Physics.

The AdS/CFT correspondence is a powerful tool in studying strongly coupled phenomena in gauge field theories, using results from a weakly coupled gravity background studied in the realm of string theory. AdS/CFT was first successfully applied to the study of phenomena such as the quark-gluon plasma produced in heavy ions collisions. Soon it was realized that its applicability can be extended, in a more phenomenological approach, to condensed matter systems and to systems described by fluid dynamics. The set of tutorial reviews in this volume is intended as an introduction to and survey of the principle of the AdS/CFT correspondence in its field/string theoretic formulation, its applicability to holographic QCD and to heavy ions collisions, and to give a first account of processes in fluid dynamics and condensed matter physics, which can be studied with the use of this principle. Written by leading researchers in the field and cast into the form of a high-level but approachable multi-author textbook, this volume will be of benefit to all postgraduate students, and newcomers from neighboring disciplines wishing to find a comprehensive guide for their future research.