Particle Physics
Explore the fundamental constituents of matter and the forces that govern their interactions. This comprehensive course covers the Standard Model of particle physics, experimental techniques at colliders and detectors, quantum chromodynamics, electroweak theory, the Higgs mechanism, and searches for physics beyond the Standard Model.
Course Overview
What You'll Learn
- • Fundamental particles: quarks, leptons, and gauge bosons
- • The Standard Model gauge group SU(3) × SU(2) × U(1)
- • Quantum chromodynamics and quark confinement
- • Electroweak unification and spontaneous symmetry breaking
- • Higgs mechanism and mass generation
- • Experimental methods: colliders, detectors, data analysis
- • Beyond the Standard Model: supersymmetry, GUTs, neutrino physics
Key Topics
- • Particle classification and quantum numbers
- • Feynman diagrams and scattering amplitudes
- • Gauge theories and local symmetries
- • Renormalization and running coupling constants
- • CP violation and matter-antimatter asymmetry
- • Neutrino oscillations and masses
- • Dark matter candidates and searches
Course Structure
This course is organized into 8 comprehensive parts, covering theoretical foundations, experimental methods, and cutting-edge research in particle physics. Each part includes detailed derivations, worked examples, experimental data, and connections to current research at facilities like the LHC, Fermilab, and neutrino experiments.
Video Lectures
Comprehensive video lecture series covering the fundamentals of nuclear and particle physics.
L0: Introduction to Nuclear and Particle Physics
Recommended textbooks and references
People and discoveries in particle physics
Overview of elementary particles
Natural units and conventions
Four-vectors and kinematics
Spin and angular momentum
L1: Fermions, Bosons, and Fields
Introduction to quantum fields
Diagrammatic representation of interactions
Force ranges and mediator masses
Particle decay rates and lifetimes
Particle reactions and processes
L2: Symmetries
Introduction to symmetries in particle physics
Quark and lepton flavor symmetries
Parity symmetry and its violation
C symmetry and particle-antiparticle
CP symmetry and violation
L3: Feynman Calculus
Introduction to Feynman calculus
Transition rates and cross sections
Simple model calculations
Loop diagrams and corrections
Divergences and regularization
L4: Quantum Electrodynamics (QED)
Klein-Gordon and Dirac equations
Spinor solutions and physics
Antiparticles and the Dirac sea
The photon field and gauge invariance
Rules for calculating QED amplitudes
QED calculation examples
Spin sums and trace techniques
Calculating QED cross sections
Higher-order diagrams and renormalization
Symmetries and conservation laws
L5: Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD)
e+e- to hadrons and R ratio
Bhabha and Moller scattering
Color factors and gluon vertices
Probing the proton structure with electrons
Running coupling and Nobel Prize discovery
QCD at hadron colliders
L6: Weak Interactions
Feynman rules for weak interactions
Unification of weak and electromagnetic forces
Weak decay of pions
Weak interactions of quarks and CKM matrix
Z boson and neutral current interactions
L7: Higgs Physics
Spontaneous symmetry breaking and mass generation
Yukawa couplings and fermion mass generation
Higgs production mechanisms and decay channels
LHC results and future measurements
Connection between superconductivity and the Higgs mechanism
L8: Neutrino Physics
Neutrinos in the SM framework
Neutrino mass mechanisms and seesaw
PMNS matrix and neutrino oscillations
Experimental techniques for neutrino detection
Results from oscillation experiments
Absolute mass scale and Majorana vs Dirac
L9: Nuclear Physics
Introduction to nuclear physics
Nuclear binding energy and mass defect
Nuclear stability and decay modes
Strong nuclear force and meson exchange
Nuclear shell model and magic numbers
Electromagnetic transitions in nuclei
Nuclear fission and chain reactions
Nuclear fusion and stellar nucleosynthesis
L10: Instrumentation
Energy loss and radiation
Wire chambers, silicon detectors, TPC
Electromagnetic and hadronic calorimeters
Particle accelerators and colliders
Course Parts
Part I: Fundamentals of Particle Physics
6 chaptersIntroduction to elementary particles, their classification, and quantum numbers. Special relativity and relativistic kinematics. Particle interactions and conservation laws. Natural units and dimensional analysis. Feynman diagrams and basic scattering processes. Cross sections and decay rates.
Part II: Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD)
7 chaptersThe strong force and color charge. SU(3) gauge symmetry and gluons. QCD Lagrangian and Feynman rules. Asymptotic freedom and running coupling $\alpha_s(Q^2)$. Confinement and hadronization. Parton distribution functions. Jets and jet algorithms. Deep inelastic scattering.
Part III: Electroweak Theory
7 chaptersWeak interactions and parity violation. V-A structure of weak currents. SU(2)×U(1) gauge symmetry. W and Z bosons. Electroweak unification and the Weinberg angle $\theta_W$. Neutral currents and Z boson decays. Precision electroweak measurements. Gauge boson self-interactions.
Part IV: Higgs Mechanism and Mass Generation
6 chaptersSpontaneous symmetry breaking and the Goldstone theorem. The Higgs mechanism in the Standard Model. Gauge boson masses. Fermion masses and Yukawa couplings. Higgs boson properties: mass $m_H = 125$ GeV, decay modes, production mechanisms. LHC discovery in 2012. Higgs coupling measurements.
Part V: Experimental Particle Physics
8 chaptersParticle accelerators: synchrotrons, storage rings, linear colliders. The LHC and its detectors (ATLAS, CMS). Detector technologies: tracking, calorimetry, muon systems. Trigger and data acquisition. Particle identification. Event reconstruction and analysis. Statistical methods and systematic uncertainties. Monte Carlo simulations.
Part VI: Flavor Physics and CP Violation
7 chaptersQuark mixing and the CKM matrix. CP violation in the kaon and B meson systems. The unitarity triangle. Flavor-changing neutral currents. Rare decays and precision measurements. B factories (BaBar, Belle). LHCb experiments. Matter-antimatter asymmetry and baryogenesis.
Part VII: Neutrino Physics
7 chaptersNeutrino oscillations and mixing. PMNS matrix and mixing angles. Mass hierarchy problem. Neutrino experiments: solar (SNO, Super-K), atmospheric, reactor (Daya Bay), accelerator (T2K, NOvA). Absolute neutrino masses. Majorana vs. Dirac neutrinos. Neutrinoless double-beta decay. Sterile neutrinos.
Part VIII: Beyond the Standard Model
8 chaptersLimitations of the Standard Model: hierarchy problem, dark matter, neutrino masses. Supersymmetry (SUSY): motivation, phenomenology, searches. Grand Unified Theories (GUTs) and proton decay. Extra dimensions. Dark matter candidates: WIMPs, axions, sterile neutrinos. Direct and indirect detection. Collider searches for new physics. Future experiments and facilities.
Prerequisites
Required Background
- • Quantum Mechanics (operators, Dirac equation)
- • Quantum Field Theory (canonical quantization, Feynman diagrams)
- • Special Relativity (four-vectors, Lorentz transformations)
- • Group Theory (SU(N), Lie algebras)
Recommended
- • Gauge theories and Yang-Mills theory
- • Renormalization techniques
- • Statistical data analysis
- • Computational methods (Monte Carlo)
The Standard Model
The Standard Model is a quantum field theory describing three of the four fundamental forces (electromagnetic, weak, and strong) and classifying all known elementary particles. It is one of the most precisely tested theories in physics.
Fermions (spin 1/2)
- • Up, Down (1st generation)
- • Charm, Strange (2nd gen)
- • Top, Bottom (3rd gen)
- • Electron, e-neutrino
- • Muon, μ-neutrino
- • Tau, τ-neutrino
Gauge Bosons (spin 1)
- • Photon (γ): EM force, massless
- • Gluons (8): Strong force, massless
- • W± bosons: Weak force, $m_W = 80.4$ GeV
- • Z boson: Weak neutral current, $m_Z = 91.2$ GeV
Scalar Boson (spin 0)
Higgs boson (H):
- • Mass: $m_H = 125.1$ GeV
- • Discovered: July 4, 2012 (LHC)
- • Responsible for mass generation
- • Couples to massive particles
Gauge Symmetry Group
The Standard Model is based on the gauge group:
- • SU(3)C: Color symmetry (QCD), 8 gluons
- • SU(2)L: Weak isospin, 3 generators
- • U(1)Y: Weak hypercharge, 1 generator
- • After symmetry breaking: SU(3)C × U(1)EM
Historic Discoveries
First elementary particle discovered via cathode ray experiments.
First detection of neutrinos from nuclear reactor experiments.
Discovery in K0 decays, crucial for matter-antimatter asymmetry.
November Revolution - discovery of charm quark via charmonium states.
Discovery of weak force carriers at the SPS collider.
Heaviest known elementary particle, mass $m_t \approx 173$ GeV.
Final missing piece of the Standard Model, confirming the Higgs mechanism.
Resources & Further Reading
Textbooks
- • Griffiths: Introduction to Elementary Particles
- • Halzen & Martin: Quarks and Leptons
- • Peskin & Schroeder: Introduction to Quantum Field Theory
- • Schwartz: Quantum Field Theory and the Standard Model
- • Thomson: Modern Particle Physics
Experiments & Facilities
- • LHC: ATLAS, CMS, LHCb, ALICE
- • Fermilab: CDF, D0, NOvA, MicroBooNE
- • KEK: Belle II, T2K
- • SLAC: BaBar (historic)
- • Neutrino: Super-K, IceCube, DUNE
Learning Path & Prerequisites
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