Photon-hadron Interactions PDF

Preface

The most advanced course in graduate theoretical physics at Caltech is “Special Topics in Theoretical Physics.” Each year the professor chooses the topic with which he will deal. This year (1971-72), having just come back from the 1971 International Symposium on Electron and Photon Interactions at High Energies, held at Cornell University, my own interest in the subject was aroused, and I chose to analyze the various theoretical questions related to that conference. The lectures themselves became so extensive that the decision was made to put them into book form, with the thought that other people might also be interested. Thus, the report of the Cornell conference should be considered as a companion volume to these lecture notes. The references given here are far from complete, but a full list of references is given in the Proceedings of the Symposium, published by the Laboratory of Nuclear Studies, Cornell University, January 1972.

The material is dealt with on an advanced level; for instance, knowledge of the theory of hadron-hadron interactions is assumed. I have tried to analyze in detail where we stand theoretically today. The treatment is somewhat uneven; for example, I should have liked to study the theory of the decay of the in more detail than I was able to do. On the other hand, there are long discussions of vector meson dominance and of deep inelastic scattering. The possible consequences of the parton model are fully discussed.

Time did not permit me to complete the original plan which was to include the theory of weak interaction currents which are so closely related to electromagnetic currents.

Many thanks must go to Arturo Cisneros who edited, corrected, and extended the lectures from my class notes. Without his effort, this book would not have been possible. I also wish to thank Mrs. Helen Tuck for typing the lecture notes.

Author: Richard P. Feynman