To build on the Year 3 module PHYS377 Particle Physics to give the student a deeper understanding of the Standard Model of Particle Physics and the basic extensions to review the detectors and accelerator technology available to investigate the questions posed by the Standard Model and its extensions.

(LO1) An understanding of the Standard Model and its extensions. This will be placed in context of the understanding of the origin of the universe, its properties and its physical laws

(LO2) An understanding of how present and future detector and accelerator technology will be applied to investigate the development of the Standard Model

(LO3) An understanding of the effects of symmetries on particle properties

(LO4) Ablity to caclulate decay rates for particles

(S1) Problem solving skills

(S2) International awareness

(S3) Organisational skills

(S4) Problem solving/ critical thinking/ creativity analysing facts and situations and applying creative thinking to develop appropriate solutions.

Week 1.   
Tensor notation. Relativistic kinematics. Mandelstam variables. Dirac equation. Gamma matrices. Solutions for particle at rest and free particle.

Week 2.

Parity. Charge Conjugation. Helicity. Chirality.

Week 3.

Decay Rates, Cross-sections, Matrix Elements. Example QED calculation of matrix element for electron/tau scattering.

Week 4.

Feynman Rules for QED. QED matrix element calculation                for e+e- -> mu+mu-  QED calculation for electron-muon scattering.

Week 5.

Deep inelastic electron-proton scattering. Kinematic variables. Proton structure functions. Bjorken scaling. Quark-Parton model. Parton momentum distributions.

Week 6.

Hadron spectroscopy. Isospin. SU(3) symmetry. Colour. QCD. Quark-gluon vertex. Quark-quark scattering. QCD Feynman rules. Colour factors. Running of Coupling Constants.

W eek 7.

Parity Violation in Weak Interaction. V-A structure.                Helicity structure. Pion Decay. Leptonic Weak Interactions. Lepton Universality.

Week 8.

Neutrino interactions. Matrix element calculation for electron-quark scattering via W exchange. Neutrino Oscillations: 2 flavours, 3 flavours. Mass Hierarchy. Quark Weak Interactions. GIM mechanism. CKM matrix.

Week 9.

The Kaon system. Decays of neutral kaons to 2, 3 pions. Decays to leptons. Strangeness oscillations. CPLEAR experiment. CP violation.

Week 10.

W Boson decay. Electroweak Unification. Z Boson resonance and decay. Precision electroweak measurements.

Week 11.

Higgs searches prior to the LHC. Discoveries of gluon, W, Z, top quark, Higgs.

Week 12.

Deficiencies of the Standard Model. Possible extensions.              & #xA0; Future prospects. Outline of current/future experiments.

Teaching Method 1 - Lecture
Description:
Attendance Recorded: Yes
Notes: 12 x 2hrs

Teaching Method 2 - Tutorial
Description:
Attendance Recorded: Yes
Unscheduled Directed Student Hours (time spent away from the timetabled sessions but directed by the teaching staff): Problem sheets issued for students for completion by and discussion in tutorials.