Content of the proseminar
We will explore particle physics as it appears at the highest energy scale achieved to-date in laboratory conditions: the TeV scale at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
The goal is to bring you in contact with cutting edge research in particle physics phenomenology, and to approach the key theory ideas, the current status and the future perspectives of the physics tested in the LHC. At the same time you will be exposed to the process of grasping new knowledge in a relatively short period of time, recognising the important concepts and presenting them to an audience of your peers in a coherent way.
To pass the proseminar...
- Be present at least 80% of the time (and preferably active)
- Hand in the set of slides for your presentation one week before your talk
- Present the topic assigned to you clearly and pedagogically
- Hand in a script written in TeX (or equivalent) with a detailed and coherent version of your talk
Further information and bibliography
proseminarHS2015.pdf
Topics
16 NOV
Introduction to Quantum Field Theory, Feynman diagrams and all that.
A very short introduction to Quantum Field Theory: what is a field and what is a particle, what is the Lagrangian density of a model, how does it correspond to Feynman diagrams, what are the rules for computing Feynman diagrams, how do we compute cross-sections.
16 NOV
The Standard Model: an overview.
The particle content of the Standard Model, its Lagrangian, its Feynman rules, and basic properties of the Standard Model interactions. What kinds of charges are there? how are the particles organized in multiplets under the different gauge groups?
23 NOV
Electroweak symmetry breaking
Short description of spontaneous symmetry breaking. The Higgs sector. Which symmetry is broken? What happens to the Goldstone bosons? What is the origin of quark masses according to the SM?
23 NOV
Higgsology I
How is the Higgs boson produced at the LHC, and how does it decay? What are the main observable channels? In which channels was it discovered, in which channels has it been observed by now? Why?
30 NOV
Higgsology II
Is what is measured the Standard Model Higgs boson? How do we measure the couplings of the Higgs boson to other particles? How do we measure other properties? What is the current measurement and what are the perspectives for the future?
30 NOV
ElectroWeak measurements
What are the main measurements within the Standard Model that do not include new particles or the Higgs boson? Are there any deviations from the SM predictions? Do they always have to signify new physics? How do we measure the mass of the W boson? Why is it important to know it with high precision?
7 NOV
Top quark, flavor physics and the CKM matrix
The top quark cross section, the top pair production in association with a Higgs boson: why are they important for new physics? What is the CKM matrix and why is it important? How can we constrain the free parameters of the CKM matrix? Do the leptons mix?
7 NOV
Supersymmetry
A very short introduction to supersymmetry, its key attractive ideas, and the main experimental signatures. Is supersymmetry excluded at the LHC?
14 DEC
Strong Dynamics
What are the main ideas behind models with strong dynamics in the TeV energy range? What are the most promising experimental signatures? Are models with strong dynamics already excluded at the LHC? What is the significance of not finding any resonance related to such models until now?
14 DEC
Dark Matter at colliders
What is dark matter and how do we know it exists? Under which conditions is dark matter even possible to be detected at the LHC? What are the main signatures that are promising at the LHC? What has been found up to now?
14 DEC
Review talk
A summary of all talks combining the best slides of each presentation, together with some perspectives on the future of particle physics.
