Subatomic Physics
Physics 457 - Winter 2005
Professor Tim Chupp (chupp@umich.edu)
Grader: Cheng Peng (cpeng@umich.edu)
Course Description
Subatomic Physics, the study of the structure and dynamics of the nucleus and its constituents, encompasses the modern fields of nuclear and particle physics. From its beginnings with Rutherford's experiments to the recent discoveries such as the top quark and neutrino masses, an increasingly refined picture of the subatomic world has emerged. We now have a Standard Model that describes normal matter as we know it and as it is observed in the highest energy interactions. The Standard Model is nearly complete experimentally, but there is reason to believe that there is Physics Beyond the Standard Model that will be revealed in future experiments.
In this course in Subatomic Physics, we will set the stage
for Physics Beyond the Standard Model by learning about the foundation of the
Standard Model. The topics include the quark model, scattering theory and structure,
the nuclear shell model and nuclear structure, the weak interaction and neutrinos,
nuclear reactions and nucleosynthesis. Quantum mechanics at the level of Physics
453 will be used, however crucial topics will be reviewed or introduced as necessary.
For example, it will be important to be comfortable with the physics of the
spin-1/2 system and addition of angular momenta.
The course will follow the text Subatomic Physics, by H. Frauenfelder
and E. Henley (Prentice Hall, 1991). This has been listed as a recommended text.
It is STRONGLY recommended, and a few copies will be put on reserve. Supplemental
reading, including some original
Syllabus (tentative)