Elementary Particle Physics

About this programme

Top left: elementary particles in the standard model. Bottom left: hadrons. Middle: simulated proton-proton collision in ATLAS. Top right: neutron decay and the weak interaction. Bottom right: neutrino oscillations. In this course you will learn about nature’s building blocks – quarks and leptons. You will see how they interact through the weak, electromagnetic and strong forces via the exchange of boson. Quarks are mysterious particles which have never been directly observed but which we believe exist in so-called hadrons like protons and neutrons. You will learn evidence for the existence of quarks. The course also includes experimental methods which are used in particle physics research. You will learn how particle accelerators and detectors work and how they are used to make discoveries such as that of the Higgs particle. The Higgs particle was the missing piece in the so-called Standard Model of particle physics which describes everything we know about the particles in nature and their properties. Observing the Higgs particle means that we understand why particles have masses. This is a second cycle course given at half speed during daytime. This course can also be taken as a third cycle course. The course is given in collaboration with Department of Physics, KTH. The course is examined through home work assignments, and written and oral examinations at the end of the course. Elementary Particle Physics, an intuitive introduction, Andrew J. Larkoski (Cambridge University Press)