ID:
510302
Duration (hours):
48
CFU:
6
SSD:
FISICA NUCLEARE E SUBNUCLEARE
Year:
2025
Overview
Date/time interval
Primo Semestre (22/09/2025 - 09/01/2026)
Syllabus
Course Objectives
The goal of the course is to provide students with the necessary knowledge to understand and interpret experimental measurements in particle physics. In particular, precision measurements and discoveries achieved at lepton and hadron colliders will be discussed to understand their importance and their impact on the Standard Model.
Course Prerequisites
Students are required to have attended an introductory course in nuclear and subnuclear physics, providing a preliminary understanding of particle physics.
Knowledge of quantum mechanics and basic concepts of relativistic kinematics is also required.
Knowledge of quantum mechanics and basic concepts of relativistic kinematics is also required.
Teaching Methods
Oral lectures, assisted by presentations, that will be made available to students in pdf format on the Kiro platform.
Students can also access the professor's notes on Kiro.
Students can also access the professor's notes on Kiro.
Assessment Methods
The exam will be oral.
The first part of the exam will consist of a critical discussion of a scientific article related to a topic studied during the course. Students can choose their preferred article and notify the teacher in advance. The discussion of the article can be supported by a brief presentation, using a few slides (10-15 minutes maximum).
The exam will then continue with general questions related to the course content.
The first part of the exam will consist of a critical discussion of a scientific article related to a topic studied during the course. Students can choose their preferred article and notify the teacher in advance. The discussion of the article can be supported by a brief presentation, using a few slides (10-15 minutes maximum).
The exam will then continue with general questions related to the course content.
Texts
- M. Thomson, Modern Particle Physics, Cambridge University Press
- A. Rubbia, Phenomenology of Particle Physics, Cambridge University Press
- D. Griffiths, Introduction to Elementary Particles, 2nd edition, Wiley
Additional material (articles, reviews, instructor's notes, ...) will be provided by the instructor and will be made available on the Kiro platform.
- A. Rubbia, Phenomenology of Particle Physics, Cambridge University Press
- D. Griffiths, Introduction to Elementary Particles, 2nd edition, Wiley
Additional material (articles, reviews, instructor's notes, ...) will be provided by the instructor and will be made available on the Kiro platform.
Contents
- Introduction to colliders, measurement of variables of interest, and their interpretation.
- Relativistic formulation of quantum mechanics: from the Schrödinger equation to the Dirac equation in covariant form.
- The QED Lagrangian: study of the cross section in the center-of-mass frame.
- Tests of QED at low and high energies: study of positronium, the process e+e- → mu+mu-, Bhabha scattering e+e- → e+e-, pair production e+e- → γγ, and comparison with experimental results from colliders (PETRA, TRISTAN, LEP).
- Elastic e-p scattering: differential cross section in helicity amplitudes for Rutherford and Mott scattering, and form factors. Relativistic elastic electron-proton scattering: Rosenbluth formula, Dirac and Pauli form factors, GE and GM form factors, and their experimental measurement (Hofstadter experiment). Deep inelastic e-p scattering: Lorentz-invariant kinematic variables, differential cross section, Bjorken scaling, Callan-Gross relation, and results of the SLAC-MIT experiment.
- Electron-quark scattering and the constituent quark model; Parton Distribution Functions (PDFs): determination and measurement of PDFs, scaling violations, e-p scattering at the HERA collider.
- From QED to QCD: color charge, color confinement, hadronization, running of the electromagnetic and strong coupling constants, asymptotic freedom. Static quark model: SU(2) and SU(3) flavor symmetries.
- QCD in electron-positron annihilation: the Rμμ ratio, jet observations, discovery and production of gluons, cross section for the process ud → ud.
- Discovery of heavy quarks (charm and beauty): spectroscopy of charmonium and bottomonium states.
- Study of hadronic collisions: kinematic variables (rapidity and pseudorapidity), the Drell-Yan process (pp ̄ → μ+μ−X) as an example of cross-section calculation in hadron-hadron collisions. Resonance analysis: formation, production, and Dalitz plot.
- Universality of the weak interaction in leptons and hadrons: parametrization of the CKM matrix and analysis of experimental measurements to determine its elements. CP parity violation: neutral kaon and heavy neutral meson (B0 and D0) oscillations.
- Tests of the Standard Model: experimental measurements at lepton colliders (LEP) and hadron colliders (Tevatron and LHC), including discovery and measurement of the mass and width of the W and Z0 bosons; discovery and mass measurement of the top quark; properties, indirect limits, searches, and discovery of the Higgs boson.
- Relativistic formulation of quantum mechanics: from the Schrödinger equation to the Dirac equation in covariant form.
- The QED Lagrangian: study of the cross section in the center-of-mass frame.
- Tests of QED at low and high energies: study of positronium, the process e+e- → mu+mu-, Bhabha scattering e+e- → e+e-, pair production e+e- → γγ, and comparison with experimental results from colliders (PETRA, TRISTAN, LEP).
- Elastic e-p scattering: differential cross section in helicity amplitudes for Rutherford and Mott scattering, and form factors. Relativistic elastic electron-proton scattering: Rosenbluth formula, Dirac and Pauli form factors, GE and GM form factors, and their experimental measurement (Hofstadter experiment). Deep inelastic e-p scattering: Lorentz-invariant kinematic variables, differential cross section, Bjorken scaling, Callan-Gross relation, and results of the SLAC-MIT experiment.
- Electron-quark scattering and the constituent quark model; Parton Distribution Functions (PDFs): determination and measurement of PDFs, scaling violations, e-p scattering at the HERA collider.
- From QED to QCD: color charge, color confinement, hadronization, running of the electromagnetic and strong coupling constants, asymptotic freedom. Static quark model: SU(2) and SU(3) flavor symmetries.
- QCD in electron-positron annihilation: the Rμμ ratio, jet observations, discovery and production of gluons, cross section for the process ud → ud.
- Discovery of heavy quarks (charm and beauty): spectroscopy of charmonium and bottomonium states.
- Study of hadronic collisions: kinematic variables (rapidity and pseudorapidity), the Drell-Yan process (pp ̄ → μ+μ−X) as an example of cross-section calculation in hadron-hadron collisions. Resonance analysis: formation, production, and Dalitz plot.
- Universality of the weak interaction in leptons and hadrons: parametrization of the CKM matrix and analysis of experimental measurements to determine its elements. CP parity violation: neutral kaon and heavy neutral meson (B0 and D0) oscillations.
- Tests of the Standard Model: experimental measurements at lepton colliders (LEP) and hadron colliders (Tevatron and LHC), including discovery and measurement of the mass and width of the W and Z0 bosons; discovery and mass measurement of the top quark; properties, indirect limits, searches, and discovery of the Higgs boson.
Course Language
English
More information
For further information, students are invited to contact the professor to schedule an appointment.
Degrees
Degrees (2)
PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Master’s Degree
2 years
SCIENZE FISICHE
Master’s Degree
2 years
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