Supersymmetry in Particle Physics
An Elementary Introduction

The textbook, first published in 2007, provides a simple, practical introduction to supersymmetry for graduates and researchers.

Ian Aitchison (Author)

9780521880237, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 20 September 2007

238 pages, 15 b/w illus. 39 exercises
25.4 x 17.6 x 1.8 cm, 0.63 kg

'Any student or practising physicist who wants to learn about the phenomenological implications of TeV-scale supersymmetry without spending the time to master the more mathematical approaches to the subject would do well to acquire a copy of Supersymmetry in Particle Physics. It is a unique text that has value both on its own accord and as a supplement to larger and more comprehensive texts. This is indeed entry-level supersymmetry in its best and most practical sense.' Physics Today

Supersymmetry represents the culmination of the search for fundamental symmetries that has dominated particle physics for 50 years. Traditionally, the constituents of matter (fermions) were regarded as different from the particles (bosons) transmitting the forces between them. In supersymmetry, fermions and bosons are unified. Intended for graduate students in particle physics, and researchers in experimental and phenomenological supersymmetry, this textbook, first published in 2007, provides a simple introduction to a previously formidably technical field. Its elementary, practical treatment brings readers to the frontier of contemporary research, in particular the experiments at the Large Hadron Collider. Theories are constructed through an intuitive 'trial and error' approach. Basic elements of spinor formalism and superfields are introduced, allowing readers to access more advanced treatments. Emphasis is placed on physical understanding, and on detailed derivations of important steps. Many short exercises are included, making for a valuable and accessible self-study tool.

1. Introduction and motivation
2. Spinors: Weyl, Dirac and Majorana
3. A simple supersymmetric Lagrangian, and a first glance at the MSSM
4. The supersymmetry algebra and supermultiplets
5. The Wess-Zumino model
6. Superfields
7. Vector (or gauge) supermultiplets
8. The MSSM
9. SUSY breaking
10. The Higgs sector and electroweak symmetry breaking in the MSSM
11. Sparticle masses in the MSSM
12. Some simple tree-level calculations in the MSSM
References
Index.

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