The Standard Model in a Nutshell

Dave Goldberg

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Hardback

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English

Princeton University Pres
09 May 2017

Mathematics & Sciences; Physics

Series: In a Nutshell

"A concise and authoritative introduction to one of the central theories of modern physics For a theory as genuinely elegant as the Standard Model--the current framework describing elementary particles and their forces--it can sometimes appear to students to be little more than a complicated collection of particles and ranked list of interactions. The Standard Model in a Nutshell provides a comprehensive and uncommonly accessible introduction to one of the most important subjects in modern physics, revealing why, despite initial appearances, the entire framework really is as elegant as physicists say. Dave Goldberg uses a ""just-in-time"" approach to instruction that enables students to gradually develop a deep understanding of the Standard Model even if this is their first exposure to it. He covers everything from relativity, group theory, and relativistic quantum mechanics to the Higgs boson, unification schemes, and physics beyond the Standard Model. The book also looks at new avenues of research that could answer still-unresolved questions and features numerous worked examples, helpful illustrations, and more than 120 exercises.
* Provides an essential introduction to the Standard Model for graduate students and advanced undergraduates across the physical sciences
* Requires no more than an undergraduate-level exposure to quantum mechanics, classical mechanics, and electromagnetism
* Uses a ""just-in-time"" approach to topics such as group theory, relativity, classical fields, Feynman diagrams, and quantum field theory
* Couched in a conversational tone to make reading and learning easier
* Ideal for a one-semester course or independent study
* Includes a wealth of examples, illustrations, and exercises
* Solutions manual (available only to professors)"

By: Dave Goldberg
Imprint: Princeton University Pres
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 254mm, Width: 178mm, Spine: 23mm
Weight: 851g
ISBN: 9780691167596
ISBN 10: 0691167591
Series: In a Nutshell
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 09 May 2017
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Preface for Instructors ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction xiii Table of Symbols xv 1 Special Relativity 1 1.1 Galileo 2 1.2 Vectors and Tensors 3 1.3 Foundations of Relativity 13 1.4 Spacetime 15 1.5 Relativistic Dynamics 19 2 Scalar Fields 24 2.1 The Principle of Least Action 25 2.2 Continuous Fields 29 2.3 The Klein-Gordon Equation 32 2.4 Which Lagrangians Are Allowed? 33 2.5 Complex Scalar Fields 35 3 Noether's Theorem 43 3.1 Conserved Quantities for Particles 44 3.2 Noether's First Theorem 46 3.3 The Stress-Energy Tensor 49 3.4 Angular Momentum 52 3.5 Electric Charge 53 3.6 Digression: Inflation 54 4 Symmetry 61 4.1 What Groups Are 62 4.2 Finite Groups 63 4.3 Lie Groups 66 4.4 SU(2) 70 4.5 SU(3) 74 5 The Dirac Equation 79 5.1 Relativity and Quantum Mechanics 80 5.2 Solutions to the Dirac Equation 86 5.3 The Adjoint Spinor 88 5.4 Coordinate Transformations 90 5.5 Conserved Currents 93 5.6 Discrete Transforms 97 5.7 Quantum Free-Field Theory 100 6 Electromagnetism 109 6.1 A Toy Model of Electromagnetism 109 6.2 Gauge Transformations 112 6.3 Interpreting the Electromagnetic Lagrangian 116 6.4 Solutions to the Classical Free Field 122 6.5 The Low-Energy Limit 123 6.6 Looking Forward 126 7 Quantum Electrodynamics 129 7.1 Particle Decay 130 7.2 Scattering 140 7.3 Feynman Rules for the Toy Scalar Theory 148 7.4 QED 153 8 The Weak Interaction 164 8.1 Leptons 165 8.2 Massive Mediators 168 8.3 SU(2) 171 8.4 Helicity 177 8.5 Feynman Rules for the Weak Interaction 180 9 Electroweak Unification 184 9.1 Leptons and Quarks 184 9.2 Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking 192 9.3 The Higgs Mechanism 195 9.4 Higgs-Fermion Interactions 199 9.5 A Reflection on Free Parameters 202 10 Particle Mixing 205 10.1 Quarks 207 10.2 Neutrinos 216 10.3 Neutrino Masses 222 11 The Strong Interaction 229 11.1 SU(3) 229 11.2 Renormalization 238 11.3 Asymptotic Freedom 245 12 Beyond the Standard Model 253 12.1 Free Parameters 253 12.2 Grand Unified Theories 255 12.3 Supersymmetry 259 12.4 The Strong CP Problem 264 12.5 Some Open Questions 266 Appendix A Spinors and c-Matrices 271 Appendix B Decays and Cross Sections 274 Appendix C Feynman Rules 277 Appendix D Groups 281 Bibliography 283 Index 291

Dave Goldberg is professor of physics at Drexel University, where he also serves as associate dean for research and graduate studies at the College of Arts and Sciences. He is the author of The Universe in the Rearview Mirror: How Hidden Symmetries Shape Reality and the coauthor of A User's Guide to the Universe: Surviving the Perils of Black Holes, Time Paradoxes, and Quantum Uncertainty.

Reviews for The Standard Model in a Nutshell

This text is another great example of the 'In a Nutshell' series of science books from Princeton University Press. . . . The book offers an abundance of worked out examples and many interesting end-of-chapter problems. This is a text that is obviously designed for the advanced undergraduate or graduate physics student--these groups of individuals will find the work an excellent introduction to the standard model. --Choice This has the potential to become the standard book for an introductory course on the Standard Model. It builds up all the essential tools from basic knowledge, impressively merging fields, Lagrangians, and symmetries to allow for an appreciation of the structure and beauty of the Standard Model. It also gives students the needed tools to actually perform basic calculations. --Craig Copi, Case Western Reserve University I've never read a clearer or more approachable presentation of the Standard Model. This book is a welcome gem for students. --Christopher G. Tully, author of Elementary Particle Physics in a Nutshell Novel and timely. Goldberg presents an accessible, bare-bones approach to quantum field theory and the Standard Model of particle physics. He builds up the Standard Model step-by-step, and provides numerous exercises. --Derek Raine, coauthor of Black Holes: A Student Text A very complete book, with a lot of information, nice problems, and reference appendixes. --Mario Campanelli, University College London