Read more
Written for a two-semester Master's or graduate course, this comprehensive treatise intertwines theory and experiment in an original approach that covers all aspects of modern particle physics. The author uses rigorous step-by-step derivations and provides more than 100 end-of-chapter problems for additional practice to ensure that students will not only understand the material but also be able to apply their knowledge. Featuring up-to-date experimental material, including the discovery of the Higgs boson at CERN and of neutrino oscillations, this monumental volume also serves as a one-stop reference for particle physics researchers of all levels and specialties. Richly illustrated with more than 450 figures, the text guides students through all the intricacies of quantum mechanics and quantum field theory in an intuitive manner that few books achieve.
List of contents
Preface; 1. Introduction and notation; 2. Basic concepts; 3. Overview of accelerators and detectors; 4. Non-relativistic quantum mechanics; 5. Relativistic formulation and kinematics; 6. The Lagrangian formalism; 7. Free boson fields; 8. Free fermion dirac fields; 9. Interacting fields and propagator theory; 10. Quantum electrodynamics (QED); 11. Computations in QED; 12. QED radiative corrections; 13. Tests of QED at high energy; 14. Tests of QED at low energy; 15. Hadrons; 16. Electron-proton scattering; 17. Partons; 18. Quantum chromodynamics (QCD); 19. Experimental tests of QCD; 20. Heavy quarks: charm and bottom; 21. Neutrinos and the three lepton families; 22. Parity violation in weak interactions; 23. The weak charged current interaction; 24. Gauge field theories and spontaneous symmetry breaking; 25. The electroweak theory; 26. Computations in the electroweak theory; 27. Experimental tests of the electroweak theory; 28. Neutrino-nucleon interactions; 29. Completing the standard model; 30. Flavor oscillations and CP violation; 31. Beyond the standard model; 32. Outlook; Appendix A Mathematical and calculus tools; Appendix B. Linear algebra tools; Appendix C. Notions of non-relativistic quantum mechanics; Appendix D. Lorentz transformations and 4D mathematical tools; Appendix E. Dirac matrices and trace theorems; Appendix F. Some tools to compute higher order diagrams; Appendix G. Statistics; Appendix H. Monte-Carlo techniques; Textbooks; References; Index.
About the author
André Rubbia is a professor in experimental particle physics at ETH Zurich. After obtaining his Ph.D. in particle physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he worked on the research staff at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. His research interests include high-energy physics and, in particular, studies of neutrino properties, and he has been a primary contributor to the development of novel particle detectors. He has proposed, developed, and led several international projects in Europe, Asia, and the USA. While continuing his focus on research in particle physics, he has acquired an extended experience in teaching undergraduate and Master's-level courses.
Summary
Written for a two-semester graduate course on particle physics, this text offers a rigorous treatment of the phenomenology of particle physics that remains accessible to experimental students. It is richly illustrated and features detailed examples that link theory to experimental results, and it includes more than 100 end-of-chapter problems.
