Andrew Kobach



Contact

akobach [at] gmail [dot] com

Research

I am typically interested in problems related to quantum field theory. Dynamical systems are becoming increasingly interesting.

Here is my CV

Here is a full list of my publications

Notable results:

  1. There is a fundamental relationship in the Standard Model of particle physics between the operator's baryon number (B), lepton number (L), and classical mass dimension (d): (B-L)/2 = d (mod 2) [hep-ph/1604.05726].
  2. The phenomenon of neutrino oscillations in quantum field theory does not require neutrino wave packets, and neutrinos are emitted from the source at differnt times, contrary to popular lore [hep-ph/1711.07491].
  3. The long-standing discrepancy between inclusive and exclusive determinations of Vcb, one of the fundamental parameters in the Standard Model, disappears by removing the assumption of heavy quark effective field theory in the exclusive parameterization [hep-ph/1703.08170].
  4. The correct operator basis for the Lagrangian of a single fermion in an external field was debated for decades, but it can be unambiguously determined using advanced methods in abstract algebra [hep-ph/1704.00008].
  5. Constraints of analyticity and unitarity can sufficiently explain the open question why lattice calculations of the semileptonic form factors of B→D and Bs→Ds are similar within a few percent over the entire kinematic range [hep-ph/1910.13024].

Problems

The following is a collection of problems that focus on underappreciated details and subtleties in theoretical physics. Email me if you want solutions. I am continuously compiling these, so more to come!

The Leaky Bucket

The Gas Guzzler

The Quantum Mechanics of Neutrino Oscillations

Miscellany

A derivation of the neutrino oscillation formula using quantum field theory.

Solutions from my adventures in group theory.

Here is a list of my patents related to preventing vehicular collisions.

In March 2025, I won first place in a piano scholarship competition at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music.

I attended The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting dedicated to Physics when the discovery of the Higgs boson was announced.

A transcription of Sidney Coleman's lecture Quantum Mechanics In Your Face, containing a forward from Prof. Howard Georgi (Harvard University), with permission from Diana Coleman.
"The problem problem isn't with quantum mechanics. The problem is with us, stupid! "
- Sidney Coleman, probably