Search result: Catalogue data in Autumn Semester 2018

High-Energy Physics (Joint Master with EP Paris) Information
Electives
Optional Subjects in Physics
NumberTitleTypeECTSHoursLecturers
402-0715-00LLow Energy Particle PhysicsW6 credits2V + 1UA. S. Antognini, P. A. Schmidt-Wellenburg
AbstractLow energy particle physics provides complementary information to high energy physics with colliders. In this lecture, we will concentrate on flagship experiments which have significantly improved our understanding of particle physics today, concentrating mainly on precision experiments with neutrons, muons and exotic atoms.
Learning objectiveYou will be able to present and discuss:
- the principle of the experiments
- the underlying technique and methods
- the context and the impact of these experiments on particle physics
ContentLow energy particle physics provides complementary information to high energy physics with colliders. At the Large Hadron Collider one directly searches for new particles at energies up to the TeV range. In a complementary way, low energy particle physics indirectly probes the existence of such particles and provides constraints for "new physics", making use of high precision and high intensities.

Besides the sensitivity to effects related with new physics (e.g. lepton flavor violation, symmetry violations, CPT tests, search for electric dipole moments, new low mass exchange bosons etc.), low energy physics provides the best test of QED (electron g-2), the best tests of bound-state QED (atomic physics and exotic atoms), precise determinations of fundamental constants, information about the CKM matrix, precise information on the weak and strong force even in the non-perturbative regime etc.

Starting from a general introduction on high intensity/high precision particle physics and the main characteristics of muons and neutrons and their production, we will then focus on the discussion of fundamental problems and ground-breaking experiments:

- search for rare decays and charged lepton flavor violation
- electric dipole moments and CP violation
- spectroscopy of exotic atoms and symmetries of the standard model
- what atomic physics can do for particle physics and vice versa
- neutron decay and primordial nucleosynthesis
- atomic clock
- Penning traps
- Ramsey spectroscopy
- Spin manipulation
- neutron-matter interaction
- ultra-cold neutron production
- various techniques: detectors, cryogenics, particle beams, laser cooling....
LiteratureGolub, Richardson & Lamoreaux: "Ultra-Cold Neutrons"
Rauch & Werner: "Neutron Interferometry"
Carlile & Willis: "Experimental Neutron Scattering"
Byrne: "Neutrons, Nuclei and Matter"
Klapdor-Kleingrothaus: "Non Accelerator Particle Physics"
Prerequisites / NoticeEinführung in die Kern- und Teilchenphysik / Introduction to Nuclear- and Particle-Physics
402-0725-00LExperimental Methods and Instruments of Particle Physics Information
Special Students UZH must book the module PHY461 directly at UZH.
W6 credits3V + 1UU. Langenegger, M. Dittmar, T. Schietinger, University lecturers
AbstractPhysics and design of particle accelerators.
Basics and concepts of particle detectors.
Track- and vertex-detectors, calorimetry, particle identification.
Special applications like Cherenkov detectors, air showers, direct detection of dark matter.
Simulation methods, readout electronics, trigger and data acquisition.
Examples of key experiments.
Learning objectiveAcquire an in-depth understanding and overview of the essential elements of experimental methods in particle physics, including accelerators and experiments.
Content1. Examples of modern experiments
2. Basics: Bethe-Bloch, radiation length, nucl. interaction length, fixed-target vs. collider, principles of measurements: energy- and momentum-conservation, etc
3. Physics and layout of accelerators
4. Charged particle tracking and vertexing
5. Calorimetry
6. Particle identification
7. Analysis methods: invariant and missing mass, jet algorithms, b-tagging
8. Special detectors: extended airshower detectors and cryogenic detectors
9. MC simulations (GEANT), trigger, readout, electronics
Lecture notesSlides are handed out regularly, see http://www.physik.uzh.ch/en/teaching/PHY461/
402-0713-00LAstro-Particle Physics I Information W6 credits2V + 1UA. Biland
AbstractThis lecture gives an overview of the present research in the field of Astro-Particle Physics, including the different experimental techniques. In the first semester, main topics are the charged cosmic rays including the antimatter problem. The second semester focuses on the neutral components of the cosmic rays as well as on some aspects of Dark Matter.
Learning objectiveSuccessful students know:
- experimental methods to measure cosmic ray particles over full energy range
- current knowledge about the composition of cosmic ray
- possible cosmic acceleration mechanisms
- correlation between astronomical object classes and cosmic accelerators
- information about our galaxy and cosmology gained from observations of cosmic ray
ContentFirst semester (Astro-Particle Physics I):
- definition of 'Astro-Particle Physics'
- important historical experiments
- chemical composition of the cosmic rays
- direct observations of cosmic rays
- indirect observations of cosmic rays
- 'extended air showers' and 'cosmic muons'
- 'knee' and 'ankle' in the energy spectrum
- the 'anti-matter problem' and the Big Bang
- 'cosmic accelerators'
Lecture notesSee lecture home page: http://ihp-lx2.ethz.ch/AstroTeilchen/
LiteratureSee lecture home page: http://ihp-lx2.ethz.ch/AstroTeilchen/
402-0833-00LParticle Physics in the Early Universe
Does not take place this semester.
W6 credits2V + 1U
AbstractAn introduction to key concepts on the interface of Particle Physics and Early Universe cosmology. Topics include inflation and inflationary models, the ElectroWeak phase transition and vacuum stability, matter-antimatter asymmetry, recombination and the Cosmic Microwave Background, relic abundances and primordial nucleosynthesis, baryogenesis, dark matter and more.
Learning objective
Prerequisites / NoticePrerequisites: Particle Physics Phenomenolgy 1 or Quantum Field Theory 1
Recommended: Quantum Field Theory 2, Advanced Field Theory, General Relativity
402-0767-00LNeutrino Physics Information W6 credits2V + 1UA. Rubbia, C. Regenfus
AbstractTheoretical basis and selected experiments to determine the properties of neutrinos and their interactions (mass, spin, helicity, chirality, oscillations, interactions with leptons and quarks).
Learning objectiveIntroduction to the physics of neutrinos with special consideration of phenomena connected with neutrino masses.
Lecture notesScript
LiteratureB. Kayser, F. Gibrat-Debu and F. Perrier, The Physics of Massive Neutrinos, World Scientific Lecture Notes in Physic, Vol. 25, 1989, and newer publications.

N. Schmitz, Neutrinophysik, Teubner-Studienbücher Physik, 1997.

D.O. Caldwell, Current Aspects of Neutrino Physics, Springer.

C. Giunti & C.W. Kim, Fundamentals of Neutrino Physics and Astrophysics, Oxford.
402-0830-00LGeneral Relativity Information W10 credits4V + 2UR. Renner
AbstractManifold, Riemannian metric, connection, curvature; Special Relativity; Lorentzian metric; Equivalence principle; Tidal force and spacetime curvature; Energy-momentum tensor, field equations, Newtonian limit; Post-Newtonian approximation; Schwarzschild solution; Mercury's perihelion precession, light deflection.
Learning objectiveBasic understanding of general relativity, its mathematical foundations, and some of the interesting phenomena it predicts.
LiteratureSuggested textbooks:

C. Misner, K, Thorne and J. Wheeler: Gravitation
S. Carroll - Spacetime and Geometry: An Introduction to General
Relativity
R. Wald - General Relativity
S. Weinberg - Gravitation and Cosmology
N. Straumann - General Relativity with applications to Astrophysics
402-0898-00LThe Physics of Electroweak Symmetry Breaking Information
Does not take place this semester.
W6 credits2V + 1U
AbstractThe aim is to understand the need of physics beyond the Standard Model, the basic techniques of model building in theories BSM and the elements of collider physics required to analyze their phenomenological implications. After an introduction to the SM and alternative theories of electroweak symmetry breaking, we will investigate these issues in the context of models with warped extra dimensions.
Learning objectiveAfter the course the student should have a good knowledge of some of the most relevant theories beyond the Standard Model and have the techniques to understand those theories that have not been surveyed in the course. He or she should be able to compute the constraints on any model of new physics, its successes explaining current experimental data and its main phenomenological implications at colliders.
Prerequisites / NoticeThe former title of this course unit was "The Physics Beyond the Standard Model". If you already got credits for "The Physics Beyond the Standard Model" (402-0898-00L), you cannot get credits for "The Physics of Electroweak Symmetry Breaking" (402-0898-00L).

The knowledge of basic concepts in quantum field theory is assumed.

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Weekly schedule
Tuesdays:
> 13 - 15: Class
> By 18: Hand in exercises (TA: Nicolas Deutschmann)

Thursdays:
> By 13: New exercise series (to be introduced the following day) posted

Fridays
> 12 - 13: Exercise class
402-0899-65LHiggs PhysicsW6 credits2V + 1UM. Donegà, M. Grazzini
AbstractThe course introduces the theory and phenomenology of the recently discovered Higgs boson. With this course the students will receive a detailed introduction to the physics of the Higgs boson in the Standard Model. They will acquire the necessary theoretical background and learn about the main experimental methods used for the discovery of the Higgs boson.
Learning objectiveWith this course the students will receive a detailed introduction to the physics of the Higgs boson in the Standard Model. They will acquire the necessary theoretical background to understand the main production and decay channels of the Higgs boson at high-energy colliders, and the corresponding experimental signatures.
ContentTheory part:
- the Standard Model and the mass problem: WW scattering and the no-lose theorem
- the Higgs mechanism and its implementation in the Standard Model
- radiative corrections and the screening theorem
- theoretical constraints on the Higgs mass; the hierarchy problem
- Higgs production in e+e- collisions
- Higgs production at hadron colliders
- Higgs decays to fermions and vector bosons
- Higgs differential distributions, rapidity distribution, pt spectrum and jet vetoes
- Higgs properties and beyond the Standard Model perspective
- Outlook: The Higgs sector in weakly coupled and strongly coupled new physics scenarios.

Experimental part:
Introductory material:
- basics of accelerators and detectors
- reminders of statistics: likelihoods, hypothesis testing
- reminders of multivariate techniques: Boosted Decision Trees and Neural Networks
Main topics:
- pre-history (pre-LEP)
- LEP1: measurements at the Z-pole
- Electroweak constraints
- LEP2: towards the limit mH<114 GeV
- TeVatron searches
- LHC:
-- main channels overview
-- dissect one analysis
-- combine information from all channels
-- differential measurements
-- off-shell measurements
Literature- Higgs Hunter's Guide
(by S.Dawson, J. Gunion, H. Haber and G. Kane)
- A. Djouadi, The Anatomy of electro-weak symmetry breaking. I: The Higgs boson in the standard model, Phys.Rept. 457 (2008) 1.
- PDG review of "Passage of particles through matter" http://pdg.lbl.gov/2014/reviews/rpp2014-rev-passage-particles-matter.pdf
- PDG review of "Accelerators" http://pdg.lbl.gov/2014/reviews/rpp2014-rev-accel-phys-colliders.pdf
- "The searches for Higgs Bosons at LEP" M. Kado and C. Tully, Annu. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci. 2002. 52:65-113
- "Combination of Tevatron searches for the standard model Higgs boson in the W+W- decay mode" HWW TeVatron combination - http://arxiv.org/abs/1001.4162
- "Evidence for a particle produced in association with weak bosons and decaying to a bottom-antibottom quark pair in Higgs boson searches at the TeVatron" http://arxiv.org/abs/1207.6436
- "Higgs Boson Studies at the Tevatron" http://arxiv.org/abs/1303.6346
- “Asymptotic formulae for likelihood-based tests of new physics” Cowan, Cranmer, Gross, Vitells http://arxiv.org/abs/1007.1727
- "Precise determination of the mass of the Higgs boson and tests of compatibility of its couplings with the standard model predictions using proton collisions at 7 and 8 TeV" https://arxiv.org/abs/1412.8662
- "Measurement of the Higgs boson mass from the H→γγ and H→ZZ∗→4ℓ channels with the ATLAS detector using 25 fb−1 of pp collision data" http://arxiv.org/abs/1406.3827
- "Combined Measurement of the Higgs Boson Mass in pp Collisions at √s=7 and 8 TeV with the ATLAS and CMS Experiments" http://arxiv.org/abs/1503.07589
- "Measurements of the Higgs boson production and decay rates and constraints on its couplings from a combined ATLAS and CMS analysis of the LHC pp collision data at √s=7 and 8 TeV" https://arxiv.org/abs/1606.02266
- "Projections of Higgs Boson measurements with 30/fb at 8 TeV and 300/fb at 14 TeV" https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/CMSPublic/HigProjectionEsg2012TWiki
Prerequisites / NoticePrerequisites: Quantum Field Theory I, Phenomenology of Particle Physics I
402-0897-00LIntroduction to String TheoryW6 credits2V + 1UB. Hoare
AbstractThis course gives an introduction to string theory. The first half of the course will cover the bosonic string and its quantization in flat space, concluding with the introduction of D-branes and T-duality. The second half will cover various advanced topics selected from those listed below.
Learning objectiveThe aim of this course is to motivate the subject of string theory, exploring the important role it has played in the development of modern theoretical and mathematical physics. The goal of the first half of the course is to give a pedagogical introduction to the bosonic string in flat space. Building on this foundation, the goal of the second half of the course is to give a flavour of various more advanced topics.
ContentI. Introduction
II. The relativistic point particle
III. The classical closed string
IV. Quantizing the closed string
V. The open string and D-branes
VI. T-duality in flat space

Possible advanced topics include:
VII. Conformal field theory
VIII. The Polyakov path integral
IX. String interactions
X. Low energy effective actions
XI. Superstring theory
LiteratureLecture notes:

String Theory - D. Tong
http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/tong/string.html

Lectures on String Theory - G. Arutyunov
http://stringworld.ru/files/Arutyunov_G._Lectures_on_string_theory.pdf

Books:

Superstring Theory - M. Green, J. Schwarz and E. Witten (two volumes, CUP, 1988)
Volume 1: Introduction
Volume 2: Loop Amplitudes, Anomalies and Phenomenology

String Theory - J. Polchinski (two volumes, CUP, 1998)
Volume 1: An Introduction to the Bosonic String
Volume 2: Superstring Theory and Beyond
Errata: http://www.kitp.ucsb.edu/~joep/errata.html

Basic Concepts of String Theory - R. Blumenhagen, D. Lüst and S. Theisen (Springer-Verlag, 2013)
402-0777-00LParticle Accelerator Physics and Modeling IW6 credits2V + 1UA. Adelmann
AbstractThis is the first of two courses, introducing particle accelerators from a theoretical point of view and covers state-of-the-art modelling techniques.
Learning objectiveYou understand the building blocks of particle accelerators. Modern analysis tools allows you to model state-of-the-art particle accelerators. In some of the exercises you will be confronted with next generation machines. We will develop a Python simulation tool
(pyAcceLEGOrator) that reflects the theory from the lecture.
ContentHere is the rough plan of the topics, however the actual pace may vary relative to this plan.

- Recap of Relativistic Classical Mechanics and Electrodynamics
- Building Blocks of Particle Accelerators
- Lie Algebraic Structure of Classical Mechanics and Applications to Particle Accelerators
- Symplectic Maps & Analysis of Maps
- Symplectic Particle Tracking
- Collective Effects
- Linear & Circular Machines incl. Cyclotrons
- Radiation and Free Electron Lasers
Lecture notesLecture notes
Prerequisites / NoticePhysics, Computational Science (RW) at BSc. Level

This lecture is also suited for PhD. students
402-0851-00LQCD: Theory and ExperimentW3 credits3GG. Dissertori, University lecturers
AbstractAn introduction to the theoretical aspects and experimental tests of QCD, with emphasis on perturbative QCD and related experiments at colliders.
Learning objectiveKnowledge acquired on basics of perturbative QCD, both of theoretical and experimental nature. Ability to perform simple calculations of perturbative QCD, as well as to understand modern publications on theoretical and experimental aspects of perturbative QCD.
ContentQCD Lagrangian and Feynman Rules
QCD running coupling
Parton model
DGLAP
Basic processes
Experimental tests at lepton and hadron colliders
Measurements of the strong coupling constant
Literature1) G. Dissertori, I. Knowles, M. Schmelling : "Quantum Chromodynamics: High Energy Experiments and Theory" (The International Series of Monographs on Physics, 115, Oxford University Press)
2) R. K. Ellis, W. J. Stirling, B. R. Webber : "QCD and Collider Physics" (Cambridge Monographs on Particle Physics, Nuclear Physics & Cosmology)"
Prerequisites / NoticeWill be given as block course, language: English.
For students of both ETH and University of Zurich.
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