This page is http://www.physics.wustl.edu/ClassInfo/474/      Last updated 2007-May-2

Physics 474, Introduction to particle and nuclear physics, Spring 2007

Please supply your evaluation of the course at the course evaluation website by Fri April 29th.

Final will be Tuesday May 8th, 2007 in Crow 206.
The officially allocated time slot is 10:30am to 12:30pm, but we will run longer, with a choice of 9:30am to 12:30pm, or 10am to 1pm.
Please check your other final exam times, and let the professor know if there will be a conflict.

Teaching

The course meets on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 11am-12noon in Crow 206.

Instructor: Prof. Mark Alford

Office: Compton 358; Phone: 5-5034;  Email: p474@wuphys.wustl.edu

Office hour: Wednesday, 3-4pm. (Department colloquium is at 4pm.)

Students are also welcome to make appointments to see Prof. Alford at other times.
TA: Joyce Myers

Office: Compton 364; Phone: 5-4968; Email: jcmyers(at)wustl.edu

Office hour: Wednesday, 2-3pm.
Sections: Thurs 5-6pm in Compton 241, across the hall from the physics office.

Books

Course Textbook: Particle Physics by Martin and Shaw, ISBN 0-471-97285-1.

You must own a copy of this book: the course will follow it closely.
Other useful books: Introduction to High Energy Physics  by D. Perkins
Particle Physics at the New Millennium  by B. Roe
Nuclear and particle physics, an introduction  by B. Martin
(on reserve in the physics library)

Course outline

This course will cover the modern "standard model" of particle physics, including the strong interaction, the weak interaction, the role of symmetries and conservation laws, and some basic nuclear physics.

Grading

The final grade will be a weighted average of homework (30%), the midterm (30%) and the final exam (40%).

Homework: Problem sets will be handed out every week. Students are expected to hand in the solutions on the due date, typically a Friday. Late homework will only be accepted by prior arrangement with Prof. Alford. In no case can homework be given a grade after the solutions have been distributed.

Students are encouraged to form study groups and discuss the homework with each other, but each student must formulate his or her own solutions.

When answering a question, you will usually only get partial credit if you just write down an answer, with no justification. To get full credit you need to give reasons why your answer is correct.
Midterm: Mon March 5th, 2007, from 10am to noon or 11am to 1pm, in Crow 206
Final: The final exam is scheduled for Tuesday May 8th 2007 in Crow 206. The officially allocated time slot is 10:30am to 12:30pm, but the professor would like to offer more time, by allowing students to take the exam from 9:30am to 12:30pm, or 10am to 1pm. Please check your other final exam times, and let the professor know if there will be a conflict.
Exam rules: These rules apply to both the midterm and the final.
  1. Each student may compile a single letter-size hand-written "crib sheet" of formulae. Both sides of the sheet may be used, but the sheet must be an original hand-written document, not a copy.
  2. Each student is expected to bring a calculator to the exam.
  3. The exam will include one question (perhaps slightly edited) that has previously appeared in the homework.
  4. When answering a question, you will usually only get partial credit if you just write down an answer, with no justification. To get full credit you need to give reasons why your answer is correct.

Course materials

Homework assigned so far: PostScript version PDF version
Suggested reading: follow this link
Flavor diagram of the lightest, lowest-spin hadrons   PostScript version PDF version PNG image
Flavor diagram of all light hadrons PostScript version PDF version PNG image
Light hadron spectrum PostScript version PDF version PNG image
Matlab info: Matlab Hints from P217
Final lecture on cosmology PostScript version PDF version

For more detailed information on particle physics, see the particle data group website.
To look up masses and other properties of atoms, use the Lawrence Berkeley Lab Atomic mass table.

Course Evaluation

During the evaluation period you can supply your evaluation of the course at the course evaluation website.


Valid XHTML 1.0!