Physics 539, Spring Semester 1997

GAUGE THEORIES & PARTICLE PHYSICS

CHRIS QUIGG

This course will cover the basic elements of the standard model of particle physics: quarks, leptons, and the gauge fields of the SU(3)c×SU(2)L×U(1)Y interactions. The emphasis will be on ideas, calculation, and comparison with experiment, not formal details and technicalities. We will rely on recent data, especially from LEP and the Tevatron collider, to draw a detailed portrait of the standard model and to identify goals of future research­both theoretical and experimental. The course is intended for students interested in theory and experiment alike.

Students who do not intend to specialize in particle physics will be welcome.

PREREQUISITES: Graduate-level quantum mechanics and introduction to particle physics with exposure to Dirac algebra and Feynman diagrams, or permission of the instructor. A prior or concurrent course in quantum field theory, though helpful, is not required.

TEXTBOOK: C. Quigg, Gauge Theories of the Strong, Weak, and Electromagnetic Interactions  (Addison-Wesley, 1983), ISBN 0­8053­6021­2.