Quantum Chromodynamics

Lecturer:

Ján Nemčík (gar.), Jana Bielčíková (gar.), Boris Tomášik (gar.)

Tutor:

Ján Nemčík (gar.), Jana Bielčíková (gar.), Boris Tomášik (gar.), Jan Čepila

Supervisor:

Department of Physics

Synopsis:

The lecture focuses on understanding of basic principles of quantum chromodynamics and their practical applications in the context of modern experiments in particle and relativistic heavy-ion physics.

Requirements:

Knowledge of basic course of physics, knowledge of quantum mechanics and quantum field theory

Syllabus of lectures:

1. Hadron spectra, basic ideas of group theory

2. Non-relativistic model of constituent quarks

3.Elastic and inelastic scattering of leptons and nucleons

4.Parton model (parton distribution functions, counting rules)

5. Fragmentation and fragmentation functions

6. High energy electron - positron annihilation, Drell-Yan dilepton production

7. Lagrangian of quantum chromodynamics (QCD), differences between electrodynamics and chromodynamics

8. Feynman rules on tree level, calculation of elementary processes: quark-quark, quark-gluon and gluon-gluon scattering

9. Running coupling constant of QCD and it's measurement, asymptotic freedom, perturbative quantum chromodynamics

10. Jets, high-energy physics experiments and jet reconstruction algorithms

11. Quark confinement, chiral symmetry, quark-gluon plasma

12. Lattice QCD calculations

Syllabus of tutorials:

1. Hadron spectra, basic ideas of group theory

2. Non-relativistic model of constituent quarks

3.Elastic and inelastic scattering of leptons and nucleons

4.Parton model (parton distribution functions, counting rules)

5. Fragmentation and fragmentation functions

6. High energy electron - positron annihilation, Drell-Yan dilepton production

7. Lagrangian of quantum chromodynamics (QCD), differences between electrodynamics and chromodynamics

8. Feynman rules on tree level, calculation of scatterings: quark-quark, quark-gluon and gluon-gluon

9. Running coupling constant of QCD and it's measurement, asymptotic freedom, perturbative quantum chromodynamics

10. Jets, high-energy physics experiments and jet reconstruction algorithms

11. Quark confinement, chiral symmetry, quark-gluon plasma

12. Lattice QCD calculations

Study Objective:

Knowledge:

Basics of the theory of strong interactions and quantum chromodynamics focused mainly on present particle experiments

Skills:

Independent solution of simple examples in quantum chromodynamics and following difficult calculations

application of the above mentioned knowledge

Study materials:

Key references:

[1] F. Halzen, A.D. Martin, Quarks and Leptons, John Wiley and sons, 1984

[2] W. Greiner, S. Schramm, E. Stein, Quantum Chromodynamics, Springer, 1989

[3] J. Chýla, Quarks, partons and Quantum Chromodynamics (lecture notes, MFF UK Praha 2003)

[4] R. Vogt, Ultrarelativistic Heavy-Ion Collisions, Elsevier Science, 2007, Chapter 6.

Recommended references:

[5] H. Georgi, Lie Algebras in Particle Physics, Perseus Books, 1999

[6] J. D. Bjorken, S. D. Drell, Relativistic Quantum Theory, McGraw-Hill Book Co.,1965

[7] M. E. Peskin, D. Schroeder, An Introduction To Quantum Field Theory, Westview Press, 1992

Note:

Time-table for winter semester 2011/2012:

Time-table is not available yet

Time-table for summer semester 2011/2012:

Time-table is not available yet

The course is a part of the following study plans: