- Conformal field theory (CFT): It is a quantum field theory (or statistical mechanics model at the critical point) that is invariant under conformal transformations. Conformal field theory is often studied in two dimensions where there is an infinite-dimensional group of local conformal transformations, described by the holomorphic functions. Conformal field theory has important applications in string theory, statistical mechanics, and condensed matter physics.
- Dirac field: It describes spin-1/2 particles: electrons, protons, quarks, etc. The Dirac field is a 4-component spinor. It can also be described by two 2-component Weyl spinors. Spin-1/2 particles that have no antiparticles (possibly the neutrinos) can be described by a single 2-component Weyl spinor (or by a 4-component Majorana spinor, whose components are not independent).
- Einstein field equations (EFE) or Einstein's equations are a set of ten equations in Einstein's theory of general relativity in which the fundamental force of gravitation is described as a curved space-time caused by matter and energy. The EFE are used to determine the curvature of space-time resulting from the presence of mass and energy.
- Electric field: In physics, the space surrounding an electric charge or in the presence of a time-varying magnetic field has a property called an electric field. This electric field exerts a force on other electrically charged objects. The electric field is a vector field.
- Electromagnetic field: It is a physical field produced by electrically charged objects. It affects the behaviour of charged objects in the vicinity of the field. The electromagnetic field extends indefinitely throughout space and describes the electromagnetic interaction. It is one of the four fundamental forces of nature (the others are gravitation, the weak interaction, and the strong interaction). The field can be viewed as the combination of an electric field and a magnetic field. The electric field is produced by stationary charges, and the magnetic field by moving charges (currents); these two are often described as the sources of the field.
- Fermionic field: It is a quantum field whose quanta are fermions; that is, they obey Fermi-Dirac statistics. Fermionic fields obey canonical anticommutation relations rather than canonical commutation relations. The most common example is the Dirac field which can describe spin-1/2 particles: electrons, protons, quarks, etc.
- Force Fields: The term force field refers to the lines of force one object (the "source object") exerts on another object or a collection of other objects. An object might be a mass particle or an electric or magnetic charge, for example. The lines do not have to be straight, in the Euclidean geometry case, but may be curved. A conservative force field is a special kind of vector field that can be represented as the gradient of a potential. A force field does not exist in reality but it is really a Kuhnian construct that allows scientists to visualize the effects of objects on other objects; in other words, it makes the math easy.
- Gravitational field: It is a model used within physics to explain how gravity exists in the universe. In its original concept, gravity was a force between point masses.
- Higgs field: In the Standard Model it consists of two neutral and two charged component fields. Both of the charged components and one of the neutral fields are Goldstone bosons, which are massless and become, respectively, the longitudinal third-polarization components of the massive W+, W-, and Z bosons. The quantum of the remaining neutral component corresponds to the massive Higgs boson. Since the Higgs field is a scalar field, the Higgs boson has spin zero and has no intrinsic angular momentum. The Higgs boson is also its own antiparticle and is CP-even.
- Inflaton: It is the generic name of the unidentified scalar quantum field (and its associated particle) that may be responsible for an episode of inflation in the very early universe. According to inflation theory, the inflaton field provided the mechanism to drive a period of rapid expansion from 10?35 to 10?34 seconds after the initial expansion that formed the universe.
- Interstellar Radiation Field: While the interstellar medium refers to the matter that exists between the stars within a galaxy, the energy, in the form of electromagnetic radiation that occupies the same volume is called the interstellar radiation field.
- Magnetic field: In physics it is a field that permeates space and which exerts a magnetic force on moving electric charges and magnetic dipoles. Magnetic fields surround electric currents, magnetic dipoles, and changing electric fields.
- Scalar field: In physics and mathematics it associates a scalar value, which can be either mathematical in definition, or physical, to every point in space. Scalar fields are often used in physics, for instance to indicate the temperature distribution throughout space, or the air pressure. In mathematics, or more specifically, differential geometry, the set of functions defined on a manifold define the commutative ring of functions.
- Schwarzschild solution (or the Schwarzschild vacuum): It describes the gravitational field outside a spherical, non-rotating mass such as a (non-rotating) star, planet, or black hole. It is also a good approximation to the gravitational field of a slowly rotating body like the Earth or Sun. The Schwarzschild solution is the most general spherically symmetric, vacuum solution of the Einstein field equations.
- Supergravity (supergravity theory): It is a field theory that combines the principles of supersymmetry and general relativity. Together, these imply that, in supergravity, the supersymmetry is a local symmetry (in contrast to non-gravitational supersymmetric theories, such as the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM)).
- Tensor field: It is a general concept of variable geometric quantity. It is used in differential geometry and the theory of manifolds, in algebraic geometry, in general relativity, in the analysis of stress and strain in materials, and in many applications in the physical sciences and engineering. It is a generalisation of the idea of vector field, which can be thought of as a 'vector that varies from point to point'.
- Unified field theory is a type of field theory that allows all of the fundamental forces between elementary particles to be written in terms of a single field. There is no accepted unified field theory yet, and this remains an open line of research. The term was coined by Albert Einstein who attempted to unify the general theory of relativity with electromagnetism. A Theory of Everything is closely related to unified field theory, but differs by not requiring the basis of nature to be fields, and also attempts to explain all physical constants of nature.
- Vector field: A tool in vector calculus associating a vector to every
point in a (locally) Euclidean space. Vector fields are often used in physics
to model, for example, the speed and direction of a moving fluid throughout
space, or the strength and direction of some force, such as the magnetic
or gravitational force, as it changes from point to point.