California Institute of Technology

Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy

Physics 135a (Fall 2009) - Introduction to Particle Physics

Physics 135 is a three-term course on applications of quantum mechanics. The three terms are roughly independent of one another.

In Fall 2009 (AY 2010), Phys 135a will be an introduction to the physics of elementary particles and fields (at a level that every well-educated physicist should have been exposed to). In AY 2010, Phys 135b is Quantum Optics, 135c is Nuclear Physics.

Physics 199 (Winter term) will be a less technical focus on the frontiers of particle physics, especially at the LHC, and is a natural follow-on to this course.

Professor: Alan Weinstein

Office: 260 Lauritsen
Mail Code: 256-48
Phone: x6682
E-mail: ajw@caltech.edu (best way to reach me!)
I am often found in my LIGO office, 608 Millikan, x2166.

Prerequisites:

Quantum Mechanics at the level of Physics 125;

Classical Mechanics, E&M, relativity at the level of Physics 106.

Lectures:

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1-2:30, 269 Lauritsen.
Any changes will be announced well in advance.

Textbook for Phys 135a:

Required: Griffiths, Introduction to Elementary Particles, 2nd Ed., (Amazon.com) (1st Ed. is not acceptable).
Strongly Recommended: Huang, Fundamental Forces of Nature, (Amazon.com) This gives a broad overview of the history and current status of the Standard Model, and is an easy read with minimal technical detail. I recommend you buy and read it!

Recommended: Seiden, Particle Physics: A Comprehensive Introduction
Recommended: Perkins, Introduction to high energy physics
Recommended: Henley & Garcia, Subatomic Physics
Recommended: Kane, Modern elementary particle physics
Recommended: Cottingham & Greenwood, An Introduction to the Standard Model of Particle Physics
Recommended texts are on reserve at Millikan Library

Problem Sets:

Handed out on Thursday of each week, due in class or in the ``Physics 135a IN" box in 264 Lauritsen by 5pm on the following Wednesday, returned to the ``Physics 135a OUT" box in 264 Lauritsen hopefully by the following Monday. Solution sets will be posted on the web. You are strongly encouraged to check your work when it is returned to you. Problem sets are essential for mastering the material in this class!

Grading:

100% problem sets.
Exams: Unless people strongly object, there will be no exams, and instead, midterm and final exam weeks will be occupied by regular weekly problem sets.
Grader: Brian Willett, 418 Downs, x6717, bwillett@caltech.edu, Office hours: Tues 7pm

Extensions: Work will be accepted up to one week late at 1/2 credit, no credit thereafter. Students may request extensions from the grader; extension requests are governed by the honor system! Please email requests for extensions to the grader, before the assignment is due.

Honor Code:

Work is governed by the honor system. Discussion with others is encouraged, but the work you hand in must be your own, and should reflect your understanding of the material (so that you should be able to reproduce it, by yourself, on a blackboard). You may not use sources that contain the answer to a problem or to a very similar problem. Do not look at solution sets from previous years, or problem/solution books.

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Brief Outline of course, fall term

• Introduction to particle physics and the Standard Model
• EM, weak, and strong interactions
• Modern experiments, accelerators, detectors
• Relativistic kinematics, 4-vectors
• Symmetries, conservation laws, spin, flavor and isospin, P,C,T
• Quarkonia, mesons, Baryons
• Lifetimes, cross-sections, phase space, matrix elements
• Feynman rules
• Dirac equation, Quantum electrodynamics
• Dynamics of leptons, quarks, hadrons
• Quantum Chromodynamics
• Weak Interactions, flavor oscillations, CP violation
• Gauge Theories and the Higgs Mechanism
• Future of the field

Web links:

Particle Data Group (PDG) home page