Foundations of Perturbative QCD

The most non-trivial of the established microscopic theories of physics is quantum chromodynamics QCD the theory of the strong interaction. A critical link between theory and experiment is provided by the methods of perturbative QCD notably the well-known factorization theorems. Giving an accurate account of the concepts theorems and their justification this book is a systematic treatment of perturbative QCD. As well as giving a mathematical treatment the book relates the concepts to experimental data giving strong motivations for the methods. It also examines in detail transverse-momentum-dependent parton densities an increasingly important subject not normally treated in other books. Ideal for graduate students starting their work in high-energy physics it will also interest experienced researchers wanting a clear account of the subject. First published in 2011 this title has been reissued as an Open Access publication on Cambridge Core.