EXPERIMENTAL PARTICLE PHYSICS
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- Versione italiana
- Academic year
- 2022/2023
- Teacher
- MASSIMILIANO FIORINI
- Credits
- 6
- Didactic period
- Secondo Semestre
- SSD
- FIS/04
Training objectives
- Objective of the course is to present a detailed overview on the phenomenology of particle physics, starting from results of the last century up to the most recent discoveries.
During the course, the student will acquire advanced knowledge on elementary particle physics, in particular on topics which are at the forefront of research in the experimental and theoretical fields of the Standard Model of fundamental interactions.
The student will acquire abilities like the calculation of quantities commonly used in particle physics, and the capability to follow seminars, conference reports and articles on particle physics research. Prerequisites
- The knowledge of basic quantum mechanics (at the level provided by the Sakurai or Dirac textbooks), and basic knowledge of elementary particle physics (at the level provided by the Perkins textbook).
Course programme
- The course is divided in 10 modules. The main topics are listed below:
- Recap on the Standard Model of fundamental interactions [4 hours]
- Discovery of the weak neutral currents and vector bosons [6 hours]
- Precision tests of electroweak theory [6 hours]
- Search and discovery of the Standard Model Higgs boson [6 hours]
- Flavour oscillations and CP violation in K, D and B mesons [6 hours]
- Hadrons properties and interactions [6 hours]
- Hadrons spectroscopy [6 hours]
- Form factors and structure functions [6 hours]
- Measurement of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon [6 hours]
- Neutrino masses and oscillations [8 hours] Didactic methods
- The course consists of theoretical lectures and exercise classes. The lessons take place partly using the blackboard and partly through the projections of slides. The latter will be provided to the student as complementary material.
Learning assessment procedures
- The examination consists in an oral test: topics described in the course will be discussed, to verify the knowledge acquired by the student and the ability of linking the different topics described during the lectures.
Reference texts
- Lecture notes. Articles from scientific reviews.
On the theoretical part, selected chapters from:
G. Kane, “Modern Elementary Particle Physics”, Cambridge University Press
F. Halzen and A. D. Martin, “Quarks and Leptons”, John Wiley & Sons
On the experimental measurements, selected chapters from:
R. N. Cahn and G. Goldhaber, “The Experimental Foundations of Particle Physics”, Cambridge University Press
A. Bettini, “Introduction to Elementary Particle Physics”, Cambridge University Press
S. Braibant, G. Giacomelli, M. Spurio, “Particles and Fundamental Interactions”, Springer
