Elementary particles
Recommendations
To have passed an introductory course in particle and nuclear physics, as the one in the bachelor’s degree in Physics at the UB.
To have been exposed to an introductory course of high energy physics and accelerators, as the one in the bachelor’s degree in Physics at the UB.
Learning objectives
Referring to knowledge
This subject is an introduction to modern elementary particle physics.
The course is an overview of the field. It starts with the basic taxonomy of particle physics. The role of conservation rules and symmetries is discussed. The basics of field theory required for the quantification of relativistic processes is introduced. The three well established gauge theories (QED, QCD and electroweak interactions) are described and the basic techniques to evaluate cross sections and decay rates for some processes at first order are given.
Teaching blocks
1. Chapter 1. Overview of particle physics
* Elementary particles and interactions; Baryons and mesons; Weak interactions; More generations
2. Chapter 2. Fields for free particles; Discrete symmetries
* Scalar fields; Dirac Fermions; Vectors fields; C, P and T symmetries; Propagators
3. Chapter 3. Continuum symmetries in particle physics
* Symmetry groups and conservation laws; Rotations and angular momentum conservation; Lie groups and lie algebras; Representations of SU(2) and SU(3)
4. Chapter 4. The quark model and effective theories of hadrons
* Internal symmetries and classification of hadrons; Non-relativistic quark model; The linear sigma model; The non-linear sigma model
5. Chapter 5. QED for leptons
* Electromagnetic interaction as a U(1) (Abelian) gauge theory (QED); Calculation of scattering amplitudes and cross sections at tree level for several processes in QED (e-mu- --> e-mu-, e+e- --> mu+mu-, e-e- --> e-e-, e-gamma --> e-gamma); Mandelstam variables; Helicity conservation at high energies
6. Chapter 6. QED and the structure of hadrons
* Concept of form factors; e-p --> e-p elastic scattering: proton form factors; e-p --> e-p elastic inelastic scattering; Bjorken scaling and quarks; Quark distribution functions; The gluons; the QCD Lagrangian
7. Chapter 6. Strong interactions: quantum chromodynamics
* Representations of SU(N); Internal symmetries and classification of hadrons: SU(2) isospin flavour and SU(3) flavour; Evidence of 3 colours: e+e- --> hadrons; Lagrangian and Feynman rules for QCD; q qbar interactions: colour singlet and colour octet configurations; Asymptotic freedom: perturbative QCD and factorisation; Tests of perturbative QCD: Drell-Yan, e+e- --> 2 jets and the spin of the quark; e+e- --> 3 jets and the spin of the gluon
8. Chapter 7. Weak interactions
* Weak decays and parity violation: V-A weak charged currents; W boson as mediator of weak charged currents; Low energy tests: muon decay, nuclear beta decay, neutrino decay, neutrino-electron scattering; Fermion mixing matrix; Weak neutral currents: Z0 and the GIM mechanism; CP violation
9. Chapter 8. Electroweak unification
* Weinberg-Salam model of electroweak interactions; Spontaneous symmetry breaking: Higgs mechanism; Masses of the gauge bosons and fermions
10. Chapter 9. Experimental techniques in particle physics
* Interaction of particles with matter; Types of sub detectors: calorimeters, tracking and Cherenkov; Accelerators; Measurement of luminosity; Trigger, event reconstruction and data analysis
11. Chapter 10. Example of a HEP experiment: ALEPH
* The ALEPH detector; Measurement of the number of light neutrinos; Jets physics; Search for new physics
12. Chapter 11. Heavy flavour experiments
* The LHCb and BaBar experiments; e+e- vs pp machines; Flavour tagging; Secondary vertex reconstruction; Lifetime measurements; Rare decays; CP violation; T violation
Teaching methods and general organization
Theory lectures and resolution of exercises. Exercise sheets to be solved by students.
Official assessment of learning outcomes
The final grade is based on the homework proposed in class and a final assignment or exam.
Repeat assessment consists of an exam.
Reading and study resources
Check availability in Cercabib
Book
Griffiths, David J. Introduction to elementary particles. 2nd rev. ed. Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2008 Enllaç
Halzen, Francis ; Martin, Alan D. Quarks and leptons. New York : Wiley 1984 Enllaç
Perkins, Donald H. Introduction to high energy physics. Menlo Park, Calif. [etc.] : Addison-Wesley, 1987
1972
Peskin, Michael E. ; Schroeder, Daniel V. An Introduction to quantum field theory. Reading (Mass.) : Addison-Wesley, 1998 Enllaç
https://cercabib.ub.edu/discovery/search?vid=34CSUC_UB:VU1&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&query=any,contains,b1402641*
More information at: http://grad.ub.edu/grad3/plae/AccesInformePDInfes?curs=2023&assig=568428&ens=M0D0B&recurs=pladocent&n2=1&idioma=ENG
Presential
FALSE
Elementary particles
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