MPhys Physics with Study in Europe

This course explores the current frontiers of particle physics: the origin of mass, the origin of matter-antimatter asymmetry, and the nature of dark matter. This course builds on the year 3 Particle Physics course and covers the key theoretical frameworks, the primary experimental technologies, and cutting-edge data-analysis techniques.  

The unit aims to:

- Provide students with a broad understanding of the major scientific objectives and theoretical frameworks underlying modern particle physics.

- Develop students’ ability to critically evaluate the significance of particle physics results in the wider context of fundamental physics questions.

- Train students in the interpretation and analysis of experimental data to extract physical parameters.

- Introduce students to the experimental techniques and detector technologies employed at the frontiers of particle physics. 

ILO 1

Identify the experimental particle physics frontiers, define their objectives, and propose how physicists can answer these questions experimentally.

ILO 2

Judge the significance of particle physics results in the wider context of particle physics experiments and of the fundamental questions they address.

ILO 3

Explain the main theoretical concepts underpinning quark flavour, neutrino and dark matter physics, and apply them to calculations.

ILO 4

Describe experimental techniques used in the field, in particular the particle detection mechanisms and the methods of suppressing background.

Syllabus (S1, 33 lectures)

This course is structured around the three frontiers of particle physics: the origin of matter-antimatter asymmetry, the origin of mass, and the dark universe. The course will describe, in detail, the theoretical underpinnings of the frontiers, the resulting phenomenology that guides measurement and discovery, and the cutting-edge experimental technologies and techniques.

PART 1: Origin of matter-antimatter asymmetry

1.    Introduction (1 hour)

a.    Sakharov conditions.

2.    Neutrino oscillation (5 hours)

a.    Theory of neutrino oscillation.

b.    CP violation in the lepton sector.

c.    Matter effects and the mass hierarchy.

d.    Phenomenology of oscillation and measurement of parameters.

e.    Neutrino detection

3.    Neutral meson oscillations (6 hours)

a.    The CKM matrix and the Wolfenstein parametrisation.

b.    Theory of flavoured neutral-meson oscillation.

c.    Flavour-physics experiments.

d.    Flavour tagging.

e.    CP violation in flavoured neutral-meson oscillation.

f.    CP violation in decays.

g.    Multi-body decays and Dalitz plots.

h.    CP violation in the interference of mixing and decays.

i.    Unitarity triangles and measurements of CKM parameters.

PART 2: Origin of mass

4.    The Higgs mechanism (2 hours)

a.    The need for the Higgs

b.    Higgs mechanism and spontaneous symmetry breaking.

c.    Higgs boson interactions.

d.    The electroweak phase transition from the Higgs potential, with links to HHH couplings and Sakharov conditions.

e.    The possible metastability of the universe.

5.    Higgs property measurements (3 hours)

a.    The LHC, and the ATLAS and CMS detectors.

b.    Production and decay channels of interest.

c.    Searches for, and observations of, Higgs bosons.

d.    Mass and width measurements.

e.    Higgs coupling measurements (HVV, Hff).

f.    CP violation in the Higgs sector.

g.    The Higgs self-couplings (HHH and HHHH).

h.    Future collider outlook.

6.    Higgs-without-Higgs: Higgs properties from precision measurements (2 hours)

a.    LEP constraints: sin2(θW), mW, S, T, U.

b.    Vector-boson scattering and unitarity violation.

c.    Top quark mass.

7.    Alternative symmetry breaking models (2 hours)

a.    Naturalness, the hierarchy problem, and the possible solutions.

b.    Extended Higgs sectors (two Higgs doublet, Higgs triplet).

c.    Dynamical symmetry breaking.

d.    Composite Higgs.

8.    Origin of neutrino mass (2 hours)

a.    Majorana neutrinos and the seesaw mechanisms.

b.    Neutrinoless double-β decay.

c.    Neutrinoless double-β decay experiments.

d.    Impact of Majorana neutrinos.

9.    Absolute neutrino mass measurements (1 hour)

e.    

M. Thomson, Modern Particle Physics, Cambridge University Press

PDG review of Particle Physics

Selected papers and review articles