Phys 450/550: Relativistic Quantum Mechanics, Spring 2024

Rules for Term-Paper Project

The main aim of the term-paper project in Phys 450/550 is to provide an opportunity for the students to explore a subject of their interest that is related to relativistic quantum mechanics on their own and to develop their scientific writing skills.

Rules and Procedure:

1) Students must determine the subject of their term paper and inform the instructor by email before Sunday April 14.

2) Each student must choose a different topic. To avoid overlap, topics will be assigned by the instructor on the first come first serve basis. If a topic has already been chosen by a student, other students choosing the same topic will be informed and asked to choose a different topic. For this reason, it is important to inform the instructor of your choice of topics as soon as possible, and begin working on your term paper after receiving confirmation from the instructor.

The following are possible topics for the term paper project.

- Wigner’s symmetry theorem

- Position operator and localized states of a free Klein-Gordon field

- Klein paradox for Klein-Gordon fields

- Solution of the Klein-Gordon field coupled to a Coulomb potential and determination of its bound-state energies

- Lagrangian formulation of massive spin zero fields and symmetries responsible for the corresponding conserved current density (implications of Nöther’s theorem)

- Klein paradox for Dirac fields

3) Search the internet and library for literature on this topic starting from the available books.

4) Write a paper trying to emphasize the most important aspects of the subject. Try not to include all the details unless they are indispensable for understanding the subject. In discussing an example only explain how a calculation is done and then include the end result. You should however do all the calculations on your own and include the details in a readable appendix.

5) The term paper should be typed in LaTeX 12pt article style and consist of the following parts:

a. Title page which includes the title, name of the author, and the abstract (a short paragraph stating the content of the paper)

b. The body of the paper which should be divided into sections and subsections if necessary and be limited to a maximum of 5 typed pages

c. Appendix or appendices (if necessary)

d. List of references.

6) The deadline for handing in the first draft and the final version of the term paper are respectively May 12^th and 26^th, 2024. The penalty for late term-papers is a deduction of 10% from your term-paper grade for each day passed the deadlines.

7) Including a copy of a text written by others or a part of such in your term paper will be considered cheating and you will be punished according to KU regulations. In suspicious cases, the student will be required to take a written or an oral exam on the subject.