Particle Physics and Cosmology

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This course is an introduction for advanced undergraduate physics majors to two of the major fields of physics. The first half of the course introduces the phenomenology of particle physics as well as its mathematical description. Topics will include fundamental and composite particles, forces, fields, symmetries, and conservation laws of The Standard Model. Students will also learn Feynman calculus and use it to make simple calculations in quantum electrodynamics. The second half of the course will tackle some areas of cosmology, including expansion of the universe, gravitational phenomena, cosmological models, cosmic inflation, and other topics as time allows. Students will also learn the background of general relativity and apply it to simple situations.