This is the first quarter of a two-quarter survey course in particle physics for graduate students. In this quarter we will focus our attention on the phenomenological aspects, and the "nuts and bolts", of the subject. Students are expected to have had a standard course in non-relativistic quantum mechanics, a working knowledge of special relativity. Some familiarity with relativistic quantum mechanics and Feyman diagrams will be helpful, though not a pre-requisite.
We meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 AM - 10:50 AM in room 309 Braunstein. The textbook this quarter will be Introduction to Elementary Particles by David Griffiths. I also recommend that you consult The Review of Particle Properties from the Particle Data Group where most known particles are listed, and much other useful information is available. The full biennial review and a pocket-sized booklet are availabe from their web site at no cost to you. The ordering information link will take you to a page with detailed instructions for ordering these items.
Most lecture notes will be made available on the web. These tend to follow Griffiths' book, and I acknowledge much of their content covers what is there. Some material will be covered outside the scope of this book, however.
Attendance is not mandatory, but you are responsible for all material presented in class, and for all changes to the schedule or plans which are announced in class.
Your final grade will be my best guess at your competence, and will be based on your total score from homework, midterm and final exam. At present, my plan is to count homework as 30%, the midterm as 30% and the final as 40% of your total score.
My office is room 448 in the Geology/Physics Building. My office phone number is 556-0531. My e-mail address is Brian.Meadows@uc.edu .
The exact schedule for lectures, homework, etc., will depend on how long it takes to cover the material, whether there are any school closings due to inclement weather, etc. I will try to keep the best-guess schedule up to date. However, you are responsible for all changes announced in class.
last modified September 23, 2008