Electroweak Theory

A concise graduate-level introduction to the structure of the electroweak theory and its applications, reissued as an Open Access book.

E. A. Paschos (Author)

9781009402385, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 27 July 2023

260 pages
25 x 17.5 x 2 cm, 0.61 kg

The electroweak theory unifies two basic forces of nature: the weak force and electromagnetism. This is a concise introduction to the structure of the electroweak theory and its applications. It describes the structure and properties of field theories with global and local symmetries, leading to the standard model. It describes the particles and processes predicted by the theory, and compares them with experimental results. It also covers neutral currents, the properties of W and Z bosons, the properties of quarks and mesons containing heavy quarks, neutrino oscillations, CP-asymmetries in K, D, and B meson decays, and the search for Higgs particles. Each chapter contains problems to supplement the text, stemming from the author's long teaching experience. This will be of great interest to graduate students and researchers in elementary particle physics. Originally published in 2007, this title has been reissued as an Open Access publication on Cambridge Core.

Preface
Part I. The Road to Unification: 1. The electromagnetic current and its properties
2. The weak currents
3. The quark model
Part II. Field Theories with Global or Local Symmetries: 4. Yang–Mills theories
5. Spontaneous breaking of symmetries
6. Construction of the model
7. The Higgs mechanism in the Glashow–Salam–Weinberg model
8. The leptonic sector
9. Incorporating hadrons
Part III. Experimental Consequences and Comparisons: 10. Deep inelastic scattering
11. Charged current reactions
12. Neutral currents in semileptonic reactions
13. Physics of neutrinos
14. Heavy quarks
15. CP violation: K mesons
16. CP violation: D and B mesons
17. Higgs particles
Epilogue
Appendix A. Conventions, spinors, and currents
Appendix B. Cross sections and traces
Appendix C. Identities for quark bilinears
Index.

Subject Areas: Particle & high-energy physics [PHP]