General Information

Covers the standard model of particle physics; Introduction to fields and particles and relativistic Quantum Mechanics; Symmetries in physics; Basic introduction to the Feynman diagrams. At the level of Introduction to Elementary Particles by Griffiths or Modern Elementary Particle Physics by Kane.

Prerequisites

PHYS 3316 and PHYS 3318.

Topics Covered

Workload

Weekly problem sets (~6-10 hrs), one open-note take-home prelim, and an open-note take-home final. One or two of the problem sets may be significantly longer than the rest. [Spring 2023]

General Advice

  • While attendance will not be taken, it is strongly recommended that you go to lecture. The professor will provide lecture notes and a textbook (which he wrote), but some important concepts, Feynman diagrams, and calculations may be omitted/missing, so reading alone will not be sufficient for properly learning the material. Yuval’s lecturing style is very casual, and he does not like to stand at the board tediously going through every derivation. He will also sometimes make mistakes. So, it is more important to focus on the big picture of what he is saying than being bogged down by details or transcribing the board. This being said, if you have any questions or corrections, don’t be afraid to speak up—he is always eager to help students. Additionally, you should take advantage of the homework parties. Particle physics is a very deep and complex subject, and the professor and TAs will help break down concepts intuitively. Finally, a note about the prerequisites: you do not need to have any prior knowledge of particle physics. However, you will need to know Einstein notation in the context of special relativity (you can learn this in PHYS 3327, general relativity, or, to some level, in AEP 3200; otherwise, the first chapter of Spacetime and Geometry by Sean Carroll should provide enough background), the basics of Lagrangian mechanics (PHYS 3318, AEP 3330), some basic quantum mechanics (PHYS 3316, AEP 3610), and perturbation theory (PHYS 3317, PHYS 4443, AEP 3620). While some group theory will be taught, it is helpful to have exposure beforehand. [Spring 2023]

Testimonials

I highly recommend this course. As an undergraduate 4000-level course, PHYS 4444 finds the perfect middle ground between botany and actual quantum field theory; there is just enough math to keep you satisfied, but you stop short of having to deal with dozens of pages of divergent integrals. The course is split into two parts: the first half, in Yuval’s words, is “baby QFT,” and the second half delves into the consequences of various models, ultimately leading to the crown jewel of particle physics—the Standard Model. The class will start from the principle of minimal action and symmetry arguments to build up to the basics of quantum field theory. By the third week, you will be learning about Feynman diagrams—exciting!—and various calculations you can do with them. Then comes the second half, which you will begin by briefly embarking on a detour to learn some basic group theory. In my opinion, this was one of the more confusing parts of the course and is something that could have been improved/taught better. The rest of the course is rather formulaic in stucture, but certainly not in content: given some Lagrangian, what are its predictions? You will be led through various models (QED, QCD, the works), adding on different terms and seeing their consequences. Then, combining everything together, you find yourself with the Standard Model. Along the way, you will get a flavor (pun intended) of what model building is like, and whether you like it or not, you will recognize the power of dimensional analysis and approximation. [Spring 2023]

Past Offerings

Semester Professor Median Grade Syllabus
Spring 2022 Andre LeClair A  
Spring 2023 Yuval Grossman A- PHYS4444_SP23.pdf