Postgraduate Course: Symmetries of Particles and Fields (PGPH11097)
Course Outline
School | School of Physics and Astronomy |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
Summary | This course sets out the mathematical concepts - Lie groups, Lie algebras and their representations - needed to understand the role of symmetries in particle physics, along with various physical applications, in particular the Lorentz group and SU(3), explicit and spontaneous symmetry breaking, gauge symmetries and the Higgs mechanism. |
Course description |
- Lie Groups; Unitary and Orthogonal Groups; One Dimensional Groups; Translations and Rotations; Generators; Lie Algebras; Representations; SU(2) and SO(3); Scalars, Vectors and Tensors
- Lorentz Group; Spinors and Vectors; Poincare Group
- Invariant Actions; Spin zero fields; Spin half fields; Chiral Symmetry
- Noether's Theorem; Conserved Charges; Stress-Energy Tensor
- Real Forms; Compact Lie algebras; Killing form; Casimir Operators; Cartan subalgebra; Roots and Weights; Representations of SU(3)
- Internal Symmetry; Isospin; the Quark Model; the Eight-Fold Way; Mesons and Baryons
- Broken Symmetry; Soft Breaking; Spontaneous Symmetry Breakdown; Goldstone's Theorem
- Local Symmetry; Maxwell's equations; Yang-Mills Theory; Higgs' mechanism
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Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisites | None |
High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
Academic year 2021/22, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Quota: None |
Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 22,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Revision Session Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
52 )
|
Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
100 %,
Coursework
0 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
Additional Information (Assessment) |
Degree examination, 100% |
Feedback |
Not entered |
Exam Information |
Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
|
Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) | | 2:00 | |
|
Academic year 2021/22, Part-year visiting students only (VV1)
|
Quota: None |
Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 22,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Revision Session Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
52 )
|
Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
100 %,
Coursework
0 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
Additional Information (Assessment) |
Degree examination, 100% |
Feedback |
Not entered |
No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand the concepts underlying the mathematical description of symmetries via groups, algebras and their representations.
- Be able to apply these mathematical tools in the context of particle physics, notably to work with the different representations of the Lorentz group and with local and global SU(N) symmetries.
- Understand the concepts of explicit and spontaneous symmetry breaking and their physical consequences, including the Higgs mechanism for mass generation for a general gauge group.
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Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
Keywords | SoPF |
Contacts
Course organiser | Dr Brian Pendleton
Tel: (0131 6)50 5241
Email: Brian.Pendleton@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Grace Wilson
Tel: (0131 6)50 5310
Email: Grace.Wilson@ed.ac.uk |
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