Physics 630
Symmetries in Subatomic Physics
Spring 2017
Home Page: http://www.pa.uky.edu/~gardner/p630/
T: 9:30 - 10:15AM, Th: 9:30 - 10:15AM CP 183
Syllabus
Symmetries in Subatomic Physics
Spring 2017
Home Page: http://www.pa.uky.edu/~gardner/p630/
T: 9:30 - 10:15AM, Th: 9:30 - 10:15AM CP 183
Syllabus
General Information:
Lecturer: Prof. Susan Gardner
Required textbook:
Recommended textbook:
This semester, Phy 630 provides an overview of
our current understanding of the symmetries, both exact and approximate,
that inform our theoretical description of the electromagnetic, weak, and
strong interactions, as well as the manner in which such
symmetries can be used to construct that description --- and limit
new extensions to it.
A knowledge of quantum mechanics,
at the level of Physics 614 and 615, is required.
Familarity with
quantum field theory at the level of Phy 616 will prove immensely useful.
The course relies largely on the required and recommended
textbooks, though material
from other sources, both textbooks and monographs, will be integrated
into the presentation.
A bevy of texts, of varying sophistication and coverage of
applications, exist in the literature. An annotated
bibliography of them has been included in the course web site, and
a selection of them should be available in the Science Library.
Note that the class lectures are the intellectual
property of the professor and can only be recorded for a student's
personal use. Recordings for any business or commerical purpose are
prohibited.
The primary learning outcome is a basic understanding of the principles that
drive our current description of subatomic physics.
Office: CP 361
Phone: 257-4391
E-mail: gardner "@" pa.uky.edu
Office Hours: TBA and by appointment.
M. D. Schwartz,
Quantum Field Theory and the Standard Model (2014).
A. A. Petrov and A. E. Blechman,
Effective Field Theories (2016).
Course Description and Prerequisites
Course Topics
(to be adjusted and/or treated as time permits):
| Yang-Mills Theory [Ch. 25, S] |
|---|
| Feynman Rules: Calculating Cross Sections [Ch. 26, S] |
| Asymptotic Freedom [Ch. 26, S] |
| Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking [Ch. 28, S] |
| Weak Interactions [Ch. 29, S] |
| Anomalies [Ch. 30, S] |
| Precision Tests of the Standard Model [Ch. 31, S] |
| Quantum Chromodynamics and the Parton Model [Ch. 32, S] |
| Non-renormalizable Theories [Ch. 22, S] |
| Effective Actions [Ch. 33, S] |
| Heavy-Quark Physics [Ch. 35, S] |
| Permanent Electric Dipole Moments |
| Massive Neutrinos |
Course Grades
Your grade will be determined in the following manner: from problem sets (70%) and from an oral presentation of a research paper of your choice (30%).
The bulk of the grade in the course is associated with the problem sets, and rightly so. Working significant problem sets is necessary to develop a deeper understanding of the material. You may discuss the problems with others, and even collaborate, but you are required to write out your solutions independently. The problem sets will be issued in approximately two-week intervals, and late work will not be accepted.
In lieu of a final examination, you are asked to choose a research paper(s) of interest to you within the sphere of topics touched upon in Physics 630 (please see me for advice and/or suggestions) and then to present that topic in a 30 minute presentation. [N.B. It is inappropriate to pick a paper which is closely connected to your thesis research.] We will have our presentations at a to-be-scheduled time during the last week of classes.
The bulk of the grade in the course is associated with the problem sets, and rightly so. Working significant problem sets is necessary to develop a genuine understanding of the material. You may discuss the problems with others, and even collaborate, but you are required to write out your solutions independently. The problem sets will be issued in one-two week intervals, and late work will not be accepted. In the event that our class is large, I reserve the right to institute ``die'' homework; that is, for each problem set, the homework problem(s) that are actually graded will be determined by the roll of a die. Note that complete problem set solutions will be available on reserve in the Science library.
Examples of excusable absences are (University Senate Rule 5.2.4.2):
It is good for you to discuss the course material with others, but you really must perform all your course work *independently*. You should write out your solutions by yourself, expressing your solutions in your own words. Cheating and plagiarism in tests or exams, indeed, in all aspects of the course, are very serious academic offenses. Violators of the academic code are subject to punishment in accordance to the University Senate Rules in Sections 6.3 and 6.4.
On-line Course Evaluation
The Course Evaluations will be made available 15 days before the Monday of finals week.