NWI-NM109
Particles and the Cosmos
Course infoSchedule
Course moduleNWI-NM109
Credits (ECTS)6
CategoryMA (Master)
Language of instructionEnglish
Offered byRadboud University; Faculty of Science; Wiskunde, Natuur- en Sterrenkunde;
Lecturer(s)
Coordinator
dr. S. Caron
Other course modules lecturer
Lecturer
dr. S. Caron
Other course modules lecturer
Contactperson for the course
dr. S. Caron
Other course modules lecturer
Lecturer
prof. dr. J.R. Hörandel
Other course modules lecturer
Academic year2017
Period
KW1-KW2  (04/09/2017 to 04/02/2018)
Starting block
KW1
Course mode
full-time
Remarks-
Registration using OSIRISYes
Course open to students from other facultiesYes
Pre-registrationNo
Waiting listNo
Placement procedure-
Aims
Objectives
  • The student understands the interactions of particles with matter and how detectors use these interactions in collider and astroparticle experiments.
  • The student has a good knowledge of electromagnetic interactions, strong interactions (QCD and hadrons), weak interactions and the Higgs mechanism.
  • The student has a good knowledge of the sources, propagation, acceleration and detection of cosmic rays.
  • The student is able to describe the concordance model of cosmology and knows why we need new physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics
  • The student knows candidates of Dark Matter and how we search for them
Content
Experimental methods (3 lectures) :
1. Interactions of particles with matter (cross sections, decay rates)
2. Particle detectors
3. Observables (decay rates, cross sections), colliders and experiments
Standard Model of Particle Physics (4 lectures)
4. Particles, electromagnetic interactions (QED), Feynman graphs
5. strong interactions (QCD) , Hadrons
6. Weak interactions, CP violation 
7. Higgs and Standard Model structure
Astroparticle physics (5 lectures)  
8. Charged cosmic rays (satellites, balloons)
9. Charged cosmic rays (air shower)
10. Gamma rays
10. Neutrinos
11. Sources / acceleration
Beyond the Standard Model, Dark Matter (4 lectures)   
13. Lambda CDM (links with "Gravity & the Cosmos"), big bang nucleosynthesis 
14. Why do we need physics beyond the Standard Model ?
15. Dark Matter candidates
16. Dark Matter searches (direct, indirect, collider, etc.)
Test information
Depending on the amount of students, oral or written examPresentations during problem sessions are graded, and part of the evaluation

Prerequisites
Bachelor Physics, Natural Science or Chemistry

Recommended: Structure of Matter: Atomic and Molecular Physics (physics/chemistry), Spectroscopy of Atoms and Molecules (chemistry)

Recommended materials
Book
Introduction to Elementary Particles , 2nd, Revised Edition David Griffiths ISBN: 978-3-527-40601-2
Book
Cosmic Rays and Particle Physics Tom Gaisser, Ralph Engel Cambridge University Press
ISBN:9780521016469

Instructional modes
Course
Attendance MandatoryYes

Lecture

Tutorial
Attendance MandatoryYes

Zelfstudie

Tests
Tentamen
Test weight1
OpportunitiesBlock KW2, Block KW4