PAP336 Higgs Physics

1. Course title

Higgsin fysiikka
Higgs fysik
Higgs Physics

2. Course code

PAP336

Aikaisemmat leikkaavat opintojaksot 53741Higgsin fysiikka, 7 op.

3. Course status: compulsory or 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

-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.

Can be taken after introduction to particle physics courses, but quantum field theory I/II recommended to take at the same time or earlier.

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 second year (even years) in the spring term (III-IV periods).

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

• principle of Higgs mechanism, and the reasons behind it, e.g. unitarity in the Standard Model
• to apply Higgs mechanism in various models, including the Standard Model and minimal supersymmetric standard model
• the consequences of Higgs mechanism (Higgs branching ratios, Higgs production)
• effects of radiative corrections on Higgs physics
• effective potential, its improvement
• vacuum stability, fixed point and triviality
• use of various Higgs representations, e.g. in grand 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 each weak, exercise session for the returned homework are once per weak. In the end of the term, there is a written home 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/II or corresponding knowledge.

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?

• Quantum field theory I/II
• Supersymmetry

13. Course content

-Description of the course content

• Higgs mechanism: U(1) gauge theory
• Symmetries and symmetry breaking - Goldstone theory
• The Standard Model. Unitarity.
• Higgs branching ratios
• Production of Higgs
• Radiative corrections to Higgs mass
• The Standard Model effective potential. Renormalization group improvement.
• Vacuum stability. Fixed point and triviality.
• The minimal supersymmetric standard model. The Higgs potential. Radiative electroweak symmetry breaking.
• Masses of the Higgs bosons. Radiative corrections to Higgs couplings.
• Explicit CP violation with radiative corrections
• SUSY Higgs decay modes
• SUSY Higgs production at colliders
• Grand unification: SU(5) GUT

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?

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 home exam contributes 75%, while  howework including active participation in the lectures contributes 25% to the final grade.

17. Teaching language

• English