OVERVIEW

The course is an introduction to nuclear and particle physics, with a few elements of nuclear astrophysics.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide an introduction to the phenomenology of nuclear and particle physics and provide the student with the conceptual and phenomenological tools needed to understand and study the Standard Model of fundamental fields.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The student at the end will know about the basic phenomenology of strong, weak and electromagnetic interactions and will know enough to start the complete study of the Standard Model in the following courses. A few elements of astroparticle physics will also be part of the acquired knowledge.

At the end the student will be able to solve simple problems on relativistic kimematics of particles and will know the phenomenology of processes mediated by relativistic electromagnetic, strong and weak interactions and will know the phenomenology of basic particle physics. 

PREREQUISITES

Quanntum mechanics. Special relativity. Basic nuclear physics. Scattering theory in non-relativistic form. Angular momentum and spin in nonn-relativistic quantum mechanics. 

TEACHING METHODS

Mode of teaching provision: traditional.

Attendance: mandatory.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Nuclear structure and isospin. Muon and light mesons discovery. Weak and strong interactions. Non relativistic scattering. Relativistic Scattering and need of quantum fields. Lorentz symmetries. Scalars and Vectors. Dirac equation. Need of anti-matter. Positron discovery. Unitary symmetries. Discrete symmetries.  Particle detectors. Basic observables in Particle physics. Elements of accelerators. nuclear reactors and neutrinos. Cosmic rays and natural sources of particles. Pions and kaons properties.  Hadron classification. The idea of quark. Non-relativistic quark model and its limitations. Weak interactions and Fermi theory. P violation in weak interactions. Weak decays of hadrons. Electron proton scattering. Form factors. Deep inelastic scattering. Bjorken scaling and partons.GIM mechanism and charm. Charm discovery. Discovery of weak neutral currents. tau and b discovery.Families. CKM matrix. neutrino oscillations and PMNS matrix. Basic phenomenology of standard model. 

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Mark Thomson - Modern Particle Physics

Halzen- Martin - Quarks and Leptons

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

MARCO PALLAVICINI (President)

ALESSANDRO PETROLINI

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Late september 2021. Please check academic calendar for precise date.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam is made by a written part and an oral interview.

The written part consists of 4/5 problems to be solved in three hours. The problems are similiar or analogous to those explained during the exercise lessons. During the written exam it is allowed to use the PDG for help. 

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Written examination is usually organized on several questions / problems on the exam program with a graduate difficulties that allows the teacher to make a determination of the degree of achievement of educational goals. The oral exam is always led by the head teacher and another expert on the subject (usually a teacher role) and has a duration ranging from about 30 to about 40 minutes. It is based on exposure and subsequent discussion of a scientific publication relating to a fundamental measure presented during the course. The student generally has one week of time to prepare the exposure. The work is chosen for extraction of a set of works that present a difficulty accessible with the preparation of the students. The examination allows the Commission to judge, as well as the preparation, the degree of achievement of the objectives of communication, autonomy and so on.

Exam schedule