Welcome to Physics 470: Subatomic Physics!
General Overview
The goal of particle physics is to explain the nature of the Universe at its most fundamental level, including the basic constituents of matter and their interactions. The field is currently undergoing a revolution, as understanding of the important role fundamental particles at the tiny scales present in the very early Universe inform our unraveling of the physics of the large scales of today’s Cosmos, and as the world’s highest energy particle collider, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) begins the third run in its scientific program.
Our best theory describing the fundamental particles in Nature and their interactions called the Standard Model:
At the center of the picture is the Higgs boson which was discovered in 2012 by the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations at the LHC.
See this video for more about the central role that the Higgs boson plays in the standard model of particle physics and Illinois researchers’ role in its discovery!
In this course, we will learn about the development of and, to a certain extent, the current state of the Standard Model. At the end of the course, we'll touch on its deficiencies that are the focus of frontier research in particle physics.
I encourage you to ask questions without worrying about whether or not you sound intelligent. I don't promise to have all the answers.
The instruction for this course will begin at 9:30 am on Wednesday, January 18, 2023 in 136 Loomis Laboratory of Physics. The complete schedule (subject to change) can be found here.
Syllabus
The syllabus can be found here.Texts
Required
- Griffiths, Introduction to Elementary Particles 2nd Revised Edition
Suggested Supplemental Reading
- Halzen and Martin, Quarks and Leptons.
- Perkins, Introduction to High Energy Physics.
- Aitchison and Hey, Gauge Theories in Particle Physics.
- The Review of Particle Physics, http://pdg.lbl.gov
- J. Hobbs, M.S. Neubauer, S. Willenbrock, Tests of Electroweak Physics at the Energy Frontier, Rev. Mod. Phys 84, 1477 (2012)
- M.S. Neubauer, Diboson Physics at Colliders Physics, Annu. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci. 61, 223 (2011)
Gradebook
You can access the gradebook here. Students enrolled in (and staff associated with) the course must log in using their UIUC NetID and their NetID password. If you are enrolled in the course and are having trouble logging in, send email to Rebecca Wiltfong You should always log out of the secure server at the end of your work session.
Lecture notes
Lectures will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:30-10:50 am in 136 Loomis. Lecture notes will be posted after each lecture at the course website. You will be able to access the lecture notes through the course schedule page.
A .pdf file containing the PHYS 325 (Spring 2010) lectures on special relativity can be found at here.
Homework
Homework is an essential part of this course. The homework to be done will generally be made available out at the beginning of the each Wednesday lecture on the course schedule page You will submit your homework electronically via Gradescope. This involves writing out your solutions, one page per problem, and submitting a single pdf file which has your solutions. Please be sure to show your work for partial credit in case you do not get the correct answer (otherwise you will receive a zero grade for the problem/subproblem). Be sure to create and anchor via Gradescope for each pdf page that corresponds to the given problem. Late work will be marked down by 15% each day that it is late and will not be graded if it is more than one week late.
I don't object to people working on the homework problems together as long as the work that you hand in for grading is your own. I strongly recommend that you thoroughly struggle with the problems yourself first. You'll learn more this way and you'll do better on the exams when you're on your own. Trust me on this one.
You will need to register on Gradescope for the first time using the following code: PXB6K7
Exams
There will be a midterm exam and a final exam. Dates will be announced. Please check the course calendar for full details.
Office hours
Office hours will start the second week of classes and will be posted here:
- Mark Neubauer: Mondays 5-6 pm via Zoom
- Saavanth Velury: Mondays 1-2 pm in ESB 4123
Campuswire
We will use Campuswire as a class forum, a way to message the course staff and each other, and a means to submit your attendance question.
Grading
Your course grade will be based on your homework (~25%), midterm exam (~30%) and final exam (~45%).
COVID-19
Policies as it relates to COVID-19 can be found at https://covid19.illinois.edu. If you feel ill or are unable to come to class or complete class assignments due to issues related to COVID-19, including but not limited to testing positive yourself, feeling ill, caring for a family member with COVID-19, or having unexpected child-care obligations, you should contact your instructor immediately, and you are encouraged to copy your academic advisor.
Academic Integrity
You must never submit the work of someone else as your own. We understand that many of you will find it helpful to work with other students to master Physics 470. But when you collaborate with your study group on homework assignments, you must be a full, active participant in developing the solutions that you submit for credit. It is cheating to receive answers from another student and then use them as your own. It is cheating to submit as your own work solutions that you find by searching on the worldwide web, or by subscribing to an online service that suborns cheating. It is cheating—and a violation of U.S. copyright law—to give (or sell) course material to someone else who intends to redistribute and/or sell it.
Please be aware that prior to or during an examination the instructional staff may wish to rearrange the student seating. Such action does not mean that anyone is suspected of inappropriate behavior.
All activities in this course, are subject to the Academic Integrity rules as described in Article 1, Part 4, Academic Integrity, of the Student Code.