Instantons, or pseudoparticles, are solutions to the equations of motion in classical field theories on a Euclidean spacetime. Instantons are found everywhere in quantum theories as they have many applications in quantum tunnelling. Diverse physical phenomena may be described through quantum tunnelling, for example: the Josephson effect, the decay of meta-stable nuclear states, band formation in tight binding models of crystalline solids, the structure of the gauge theory vacuum, confinement in 2+1 dimensions, and the decay of superheated or supercooled phases. Drawing inspiration from Sidney Coleman's Erice lectures, this volume provides an accessible, detailed introduction to instanton methods, with many applications, making it a valuable resource for graduate students in many areas of physics, from condensed matter, particle and nuclear physics, to string theory.
| ISBN: | 9781107155473 |
| Publication date: | 13th February 2023 |
| Author: | Manu (Université de Montréal) Paranjape |
| Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
| Format: | Hardback |
| Pagination: | 322 pages |
| Series: | Cambridge Monographs on Mathematical Physics |
| Genres: |
Statistical physics |