Physics 627 -- Elementary Particle Physics

Instructor: Roland E. Allen

1-979-845-4341, Room 519 Engineering/Physics Building

allen@tamu.edu , http://faculty.physics.tamu.edu/allen/Phys627-2004.html

Office hours: 3:00-4:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or by appointment.

Physics 627 is the introductory course in elementary particle physics (i.e. high energy physics) for experimental and theoretical students.

The textbook is Quarks and Leptons: An Introductory Course in Modern Particle Physics , by Francis Halzen and Alan Martin, This book was chosen out of the several now available because it contains very physical and clear discussions of all the central topics.

You may want to bring your book to class for easier note-taking. Be sure to look at the hints on homework near the back of the book.

First reading: Chapters 1 and 2.

Also glance at the Feynman rules on p. 149, and the formulas for cross-sections and decay rates in (4.27), or (4.29)-(4.30), and (4.36).

Grading:

weekly homework assignments 50%

midterm exam (over first half of course) 25%

final exam (over second half of course) 25%

Homework is due at the beginning of class each Tuesday. Homework late by < 48 hours, 1/2 credit. Homework late by > 48 hours, no credit.

First homework, HW1: 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.6, 2.7.

The midterm exam will be on Thursday, October 14, and the final on the date scheduled by the university. However, if everyone in the class agrees, we can have each exam during a longer period at night, and can shift the date and time of the final exam.

An optional 10-minute talk on a historical, current, or future experiment or experimental technique (in high energy physics) can be given for extra credit equal to one homework set.

Time: 7:00-9:30 p.m., Monday, November 22.

There will be no classes the week of October 4-8. Instead, you are asked to attend the public lectures presented by 5 of the world's leading astronomers and cosmologists, as listed on the accompanying color handout, and also encouraged to attend as many of the technical talks as you like .

The homework for October 5 should be turned in at the normal class meeting time of 11:10 a.m. in room 213, but there will be no class that day.

website for Particle Data Group with much useful information:

http://pdg.lbl.gov/pdg.html