Content of the course
The aim is to understand the need of physics beyond the Standard Model,
the basic techniques of model building in theories BSM and the elements of collider physics
required to analyze their phenomenological implications.
Topics include the role of symmetries in field theory, the effective action,
spontaneous symmetry breaking and the Goldstone theorem, approximate symmetries
and pseudo-Goldstone bosons, effective field theories
and the related renormalizability issues. We will use the non-linear sigma model
as toy example, will describe chiral perturbation theory and then focus on the Standard Model
Electroweak theory and its breaking mechanism. We'll discuss custodial symmetry, unitarity violation,
and the hierarchy problem and describe the experimental constraints before the LHC.
In the final part of the course we will look into proposed solutions for the hierarchy problem
in the context of (i) supersymmetric and (ii) composite Higgs models,
and examine the theoretical and experimental situation at the end of the first LHC run.
Prerequisites
Quantum Field Theory I and II (or equivalent) are prerequisites for this course, in the sense that we'll assume you have a good understanding of the material there. The course of Advanced Field Theory would also help as an introduction to spontaneous symmetry breaking, and chiral perturbation theory, but is not a prerequisite.
Exercises
The exercises for each lecture will be introduced after the lecture. Those interested should hand in the solutions one week later. Two weeks later they'll get them back, corrected, and we'll ask one of you to type in the solutions. Those solutions will be available below, as part of the studying material.
Lectures, notes and exercises
20 SEP
Lecture 1: symmetries of the action, of the Lagrangian, of the effective action, Noether's theorem, degeneracy of states
27 SEP
Lecture 2: spontaneous symmetry breaking of global symmetries: the Goldstone theorem, and its two proofs
04 OCT
Lecture 3: corollaries of the Goldstone theorem. Approximate symmetries and pseudo-Goldstone bosons
11 OCT
Lecture 4: pions as goldstone Bosons
18 OCT
Lecture 5: the non-linear sigma model and effective theories for physical systems with spontaneously broken global symmetries
25 OCT
Lecture 6: Spontaneously broken local (gauge) symmetries: the Higgs mechanism
1 NOV
Lecture 7: The electroweak theory (the Standard Model)
8 NOV
Lecture 8: Standard Model special topics 1: custodial symmetry, WW unitarization
15 NOV
Lecture 9: Standard Model special topics 2: the hierarchy problem.
22 NOV
Lecture 10: The SM as an effective theory, oblique electroweak corrections and LEP
29 NOV
Lecture 11: Generic susy solutions to the hierarchy problem
06 DEC
Lecture 12: Generic composite Higgs solutions to the hierarchy problem
13 DEC
Lecture 13: Extra dimensions, small large and warped
20 DEC
Lecture 14: Experimental and theoretical situation today
Lecturer
Teaching Assistant
Time & place
- lecture: Friday 10:00-12:00
- exercises: Friday 12:00-13:00
Bibliography
