PAP325 Introduction to Particle Physics II

1. Course title

Johdatus hiukkasfysiikkaan II
Introduktion till partikelfysiken II
Introduction to Particle Physics II

2. Course code

PAP325

Aikaisemmat leikkaavat opintojaksot 53250 Johdatus hiukkasfysiikkaan II, 5 op.

3. Course status: optional

-Which degree programme is responsible for the course?
Master’s Programme in Particle Physics and Astrophysical Sciences

-Which module does the course belong to?
PAP300 Advanced Studies in Particle Physics and Astrophysical Sciences (optional for Study Track in Particle Physics and Cosmology)
TCM300 Advanced Studies in Theoretical and Computational Methods (optional)

-Is the course available to students from other degree programmes?
Yes

4. Course level (first-, second-, third-cycle/EQF levels 6, 7 and 8)

Master’s level, degree programmes in medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine = secondcycle
degree/EQF level 7
Doctoral level = third-cycle (doctoral) degree/EQF level 8

-Does the course belong to basic, intermediate or advanced studies (cf. Government Decree
on University Degrees)?
Advanced studies.

5. Recommended time/stage of studies for completion

-The recommended time for completion may be, e.g., after certain relevant courses have
been completed.

Preferably early stage of MSc studies.

6. Term/teaching period when the course will be offered

-The course may be offered in the autumn or spring term or both.
-If the course is not offered every year, this must be indicated here.
-Specification of the teaching period when the course will be offered

Given every year in autumn, period 2.

7. Scope of the course in credits

5 cr

8. Teacher coordinating the course

Katri Huitu

9. Course learning outcomes

-Description of the learning outcomes provided to students by the course
- See the competence map (https://flamma.helsinki.fi/content/res/pri/HY350274).

The student will learn

• the structure and some essential features of quantum chromodynamics and of weak interactions.
• weak interactions of leptons, including neutrino oscillations
• the tree-level structure of the  Standard Model of particle physics, including Higgs mechanism and electroweak unification

10. Course completion methods

-Will the course be offered in the form of contact teaching, or can it be taken as a distance
learning course?
-Description of attendance requirements (e.g., X% attendance during the entire course or
during parts of it)
-Methods of completion

• Lectures are twice a weak, exercise session for the returned homework are once per weak,  and in the end of the term, there is a written final exam.

11. Prerequisites

-Description of the courses or modules that must be completed before taking this course or
what other prior learning is required

• Introduction to particle physics I

12. Recommended optional studies

-What other courses are recommended to be taken in addition to this course?
-Which other courses support the further development of the competence provided by this
course?

• The course provides introductory material of particle physics. Recommended next courses include Quantum field theory I and II, particle physics phenomenology, particle physics experiments.

13. Course content

-Description of the course content

• quantum chromodynamics
• V-A -structure of weak interactions
• weak interactions of leptons
• neutrino oscillations
• weak interactions of quarks and CP violation
• W and Z bosons, and tests of the Standard Model

14. Recommended and required literature

-What kind of literature and other materials are read during the course (reading list)?
-Which works are set reading and which are recommended as supplementary reading?

The course will mostly follow

• M. Thomson: Modern Particle Physics  (Cambridge University Press)

15. Activities and teaching methods in support of learning

-See the competence map (https://flamma.helsinki.fi/content/res/pri/HY350274).
-Student activities
-Description of how the teacher’s activities are documented

• Weekly lectures and exercises (individual work).Final exam. Total hours 135.

16. Assessment practices and criteria, grading scale

-See the competence map (https://flamma.helsinki.fi/content/res/pri/HY350274).
-The assessment practices used are directly linked to the learning outcomes and teaching
methods of the course.

• The written final exam contributes 80%, while  howework contributes 20% to the final grade.

17. Teaching language

• English