Approaches to Fundamental Physics: An Assessment of Current Theoretical Ideas Book

Introduction
Introduction - The Many-Fold Way of Contemporary High Energy Theoretical Physics   E. Seiler   I.-O. Stamatescu     3
Historical Remarks     5
Systematic Considerations     7
Conceptual Questions     14
Elementary Particle Theory
The Standard Model of Particle Physics   H. G. Dosch     21
Introduction     21
The Development of the Standard Model     21
Systematic Description of the Standard Model     29
Achievements and Deficiencies of the Standard Model     37
Extrapolation to the Near Future     46
Conclusion     48
Literature     49
Beyond the Standard Model   M. G. Schmidt     51
Selected References     56
Quantum Field Theory
Quantum Field Theory: Where We Are   K. Fredenhagen   K.-H. Rehren   E. Seiler     61
Introduction     61
Axiomatic Approaches to QFT     62
The Gauge Principle     67
The Field Concept     69
The Perturbative Approach to QFT     71
The Constructive Approach to QFT     73
Effective Quantum Field Theories     77
Gravity     79
Conclusions and Outlook     84
References     85
General Relativity Theory
General Relativity   J. Ehlers     91
Introduction     91
Basic Assumptions of GRT     93
General Comments on the Structure of GRT     97
Theoretical Developments, Achievements and Problems in GRT     99
Selected References     103
Remarks on the Notions of General Covariance and Background Independence   D. Giulini     105
Introduction     105
Attempts to Define General Covariance and/or Background Independence     106
Conclusion     118
References     119
Quantum Gravity
Why Quantum Gravity?   C. Kiefer     123
References     130
The Canonical Approach to Quantum Gravity: General Ideas and Geometrodynamics   D. Giulini   C. Kiefer     131
Introduction     131
The Initial-Value Formulation of GR     133
Why Constraints     134
Comparison with Conventional Form of Einstein's Equations     135
Canonical Gravity     138
The General Kinematics of Hypersurface Deformations     140
Topological Issues      141
Geometric Issues     144
Quantum Geometrodynamics     145
Applications     148
References     150
Loop and Spin Foam Quantum Gravity: A Brief Guide for Beginners   H. Nicolai   K. Peeters     151
Quantum Einstein Gravity     151
The Kinematical Hilbert Space of LQG     154
Area, Volume, and the Hamiltonian     157
Implementation of the Constraints     160
Quantum Space-Time Covariance?     164
Canonical Gravity and Spin Foams     167
Spin Foam Models: Some Basic Features     171
Spin Foams and Discrete Gravity     175
Predictive (Finite) Quantum Gravity?     178
References     180
Loop Quantum Gravity: An Inside View   T. Thiemann     185
Introduction     185
Classical Preliminaries     189
Canonical Quantisation Programme     193
Status of the Quantisation Programme for Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG)     198
Physical Applications     236
Conclusions and Outlook     244
References     254
Quantum Einstein Gravity: Towards an Asymptotically Safe Field Theory of Gravity   O. Lauscher   M. Reuter     265
Introduction     265
Asymptotic Safety     266
RG Flow of the Effective Average Action     268
Scale-Dependent Metrics and the Resolution Function l(k)     272
Microscopic Structure of the QEG Spacetimes     276
The Spectral Dimension     279
Concluding Remarks     283
References     283
String Theory
String Theory: An Overview   J. Louis   T. Mohaupt   S. Theisen     289
Introduction     289
Beyond the Standard Model     290
The Free String     293
The Interacting String     297
Compactification     299
Duality and M-Theory     302
AdS/CFT     305
Black-Hole Entropy     309
Approaches to Phenomenology     315
Open Questions     319
Some Concluding Remarks     321
Selected References     322
Cosmology
Dark Energy   N. Straumann     327
Introduction     327
Einstein's Original Motivation of the [Lambda]-Term     328
From Static to Expanding World Models     330
The Mystery of the [Lambda]-Problem      334
Luminosity-Redshift Relation for Type Ia Supernovae     340
Microwave Background Anisotropies     349
Observational Results and Cosmological Parameters     355
Alternatives to Dark Energy     359
Essentials of Friedmann-Lemaitre Models     366
Thermal History below 100 MeV     374
Inflation and Primordial Power Spectra     379
Quintessence Models     391
References     393
Appendix   K.-H. Rehren   E. Seiler     399
Quantum Theory     399
Field Theory     400
Gauge Theory     401
The Standard Model     402
Symmetries     403
Spacetime and General Relativity     404
Glossary   K.-H. Rehren   E. Seiler   I.-O. Stamatescu     407
Index     415