Nuclear and Particle Physics (Spring 2005)

PHY 431

Nuclear and Particle Physics

Spring 2006

Instructor:

Professor Concha Gonzalez-Garcia,
email concha@insti.physics.sunysb.edu , MT6-115A, tel 632-7971,
Office hrs: W 4:00-5:30 pm or by appointment

Place and Time:

Tuesday and Thursday 9:50-11:10 in Physics Room P119 (Please check)
First Lecture: Thuesday Jan 24th, 2006
This homepage: http://insti.physics.sunysb.edu/~concha/PHY431/phy431_S06.html

Prerequisites:

Modern Physics PHY 251, and/or Quantum Mechanics PHY 308

Objectives:

PHY 431 is an introductory physics course which offers comprehensive survey of particle and nuclear physics. The goal of the course is to give an overview of these diverse and exciting fields. We will discuss our present knowledge of particle interactions -- The Standard Model--, experimental techniques and on-going experiments. Rigorous field theory approach will be avoided and more phenomenological approach will be taken. Aplications of quantum mechanics and the role of symmetry principles are stressed.

The following is a tentative class syllabus

TextBook:

D. Griffiths, Introduction to Elementary Particle Physics, Wiley 1987

Supplementary Books/materials:

H. Frauenfelder and E. Henley, Subatomic Physics, 2nd Edition, Prentice Hall 1974
D. Perkins, Introduction to High Energy Physics, Addison Wesley, 2004
R.N. Cahn and G. Goldhaber, The Experimental foundations of particle physics, Cambridge University Press, 1991.
F. Halzen and A. Martin, Quark and Leptons. Wiley 1984

Useful Links:

Particle Data Group
Particle Adventure. Wonderful interactive web-based tutorial on particle physics for general audience.

Course Instructions:

Communication of homework assignments, schedules, and other informations will be done via this web site as well as in the lecture. This page can be reached from the instructor's homepage, from the Physics department home page (http://www.physics.sunysb.edu) and from the university Instructional Computing Course infomation page.

Homework:

Homework will be assigned each week. It will be collected for grading in the following week. Homework assignments will be posted on the web. Although cooperative learning is encouraged, you are required to solve the problems on your own and to consult others only after giving it a serious try yourself. The final calculations and solutions have to be done by you alone. Copied or late homeworks will not be accepted and will count as zero.

Examinations:

There will be three tests during the course. The exact dates will be given once the course starts. There will be no make-up exams.

Grading:

Your final grade will be determined as follows:
Homework 30%; Tests 70%, Attendance and Participation at Teacher's discretion

Special Notes:

Any excuses (medical or otherwise) are to be documented, and discussed with the instructors in a timely manner. If you have a physical, psychiatric, medical, or learning disability that may impact on your ability to carry out assigned course work, I urge that you contact the staff in the Disabled Student Services office (DSS), Room 133 Humanities, 632-6748. DSS will review your concerns and determine, with you, what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation of disability is confidential.

Jan. 16, 2005, Concha Gonzalez-Garcia