Overview

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• Announcements
• Vital Information
• Course Material, Plan, Grading, and References
• Presentation Guidelines
• Course Calendar, Reading Materials, and Topic Assignment
• Announcements Archive

Announcements

• 2007/06/07
• All movies and talks posted.
  
• Thanks for your nice talks this term!
  

Vital Information

Course Material, Plan, Grading, and References

The class material will be adapted to class's interests.  Here are some topics we could cover:

• Dark matter: motivation, WIMP/neutralinos, axions, other candidates.  Theory, direct and indirect searches.
  
• Neutrino mass and oscillations: theory of oscillations, experimental evidence, theory of neutrino mass, sterile neutrinos, cosmological implications, neutrinoless double-beta decay
• Precision measurements sensitive to beyond-the-standard-model physics:
  
• Electron electric dipole moment
• Neutron electric dipole moment
• muon g-2
• neutrino magnetic moment
  
• Particles in astrophysics:
  
• neutrinos and axions in supernovae and the sun
• cosmic rays
• gamma rays
• neutrinos
  
• Nonstandard theories of gravity and tests thereof.

This course will be run in seminar/journal club fashion, focusing primarily on reading and presenting recent papers -- reviews and original work -- on the topics we will cover.  Most classes will be occupied with student presentations and discussion of the assigned papers.  Grades will be based on the presentations and class participation.  There will be no homework sets or exams.

A basic background in particle physics will help, but a rigorous one is not needed.  I will spend the first week lecturing on general background information.  Some texts will be placed on reserve at the library to help you get up to speed (below), but even the most recent texts are rather old and so do not cover the most recent developments. 

• Fayazzudin, Modern Introduction to Elementary Particle Physics (2000)
  
• Griffiths, Introduction to Elementary Particles (1987)
• Halzen and Martin, Quarks and Leptons (1984)
  
• Kane, Modern Elementary Particle Physics (1993) (I have a 1987 edition I can loan out, it is up-to-date enough)
  
• Perkins, Introdution to High Energy Physics (2000) (I have an older edition I can loan out, it is up-to-date enough)
  
• Perkins, Particle Astrophysics (2003)

Some good reviews on supersymmetry:

• Martin, A Supersymmetry Primer: Good and up-to-date basic primer on SUSY.  The first section (10 pp) is a good qualitative run-through of supersymmetry that anyone can read.  The rest fills in the details and will probably only be of interest to those with a basic background in field theory and a desire to learn the theory in some detail.
• Rosiek, Complete Set of Feynman Rules for the MSSM: In addition to all the Feynman diagram rules, this paper also writes out the Lagrangian in its full glory, separated in a way to make it reasonably comprehensible.  Discusses the particle and field content in great detail.  The first four sections are quite readable, the remainder becomes tougher but probably worth skimming through to identify all the interactions.
• Chung et al., The Soft Supersymmetry-Breaking Lagrangian, Theory and Applications: Though the title does not make it evident, this review paper begins with a short but good summary of supersymmetry.  Then focuses on mechanisms for breaking supersymmetry.  Also contains good sections on: CP violation, which is relevant for EDM experiments and for axions; dark matter, both theory and detection; baryogenesis; inflation; collider signatures; and extensions to minimal supersymmetry.
• Vuk Mandic Ph. D dissertation (Berkeley, 2004): contains a good pedagogical chapter on supersymmetry (Ch. 2), as well as some calculations of expectations for dark matter direct detection experiments.

Dark Matter:

• S. Golwala Ph. D dissertation (Berkeley, 2000): If I may say so, Chapters 1 and 2 are a good pedagogical review of the evidence for dark matter, candidates, and details of direct and indirect detection of WIMPs.  But somewhat out of date.
  
• Vuk Mandic Ph. D dissertation (Berkeley, 2004): A more recent summary of evidence for dark matter, candidates, and detection methods.
• Jungman, Kamionkowski, and Greist, Supersymmetric Dark Matter: Classic though out-of-date review (1995).  The introductory sections are quite good, but don't let yourself get buried in details.
• Bertone, Hooper, and Silk, Particle Dark Matter: Evidence, Candidates, and Constraints: As the title says, a review of the evidence for dark matter as well as a survey of direct and indirect detection constraints.
• Overduin and Wesson, Dark Matter and Background Light: Similar in content to Bertone, Hooper, and Silk.
  
• Hooper and Profumo, Dark Matter and Collider Phenomenology of Universal Extra Dimensions: UED is one class of extra-dimensions theories developed to resolve the hierarchy problem.  This paper reviews the basic theory and then discusses implications for dark matter searches and collider experiments.
• Gaitskell, Direct Detection of Dark Matter: Review of the experimental situation in direct detection of dark matter.
• Fairbairn et al., Stable Massive Particles at Colliders: Review of signatures of a variety of stable massive particles, include SUSY and extra-dimensions particles, at colliders.
• See also the Formaggio and Martoff review below.
• Some slides on direct detection techniques
  
• Asztalos et al., Searches for Astrophysical and Cosmological Axions: Fairly recent Annual Review on searches for axions.  Good theory summary, has references on theory.
• Raffelt, Astrophysical Axion Bounds: As the name says, bounds on the axion from astrophysical searches.
• Raffelt, Axions -- Motivation, Limits, and Searches: Largely duplicates other axion articles, but some unique information on axion conversion in astrophysical magnetic fields.
  
• Zitoukas et al., First Results from the CERN Axions Solar Telescope: A search for axions from the sun using conversion to x-rays in a high magnetic field.
• Zavattini et al., Experimental Observation of Optical Rotation Generated in Vacuum by a Magnetic Field: Claimed detection of optical rotation of polarization of light passing through a vacuum permeated with a transverse magnetic field, possibly due to interactions with axions.
  

Extra Dimensions:

• Ramsey-Musolf and Su, Low-Energy Precision Tests of Supersymmetry: Summary of a variety of low-energy precision tests of SUSY such as muon g-2, EDM searches, etc.  Will be a good starting point for many of your literature searches.
• Kribs, TASI 2004 Lectures on the Phenomenology of Extra Dimensions: Nice review of the spectrum of extra dimensions theories that have originated since ADD proposition in 1998.
• Hooper and Profumo, Dark Matter and Collider Phenomenology of Universal Extra Dimensions: UED is one class of extra-dimensions theories developed to resolve the hierarchy problem.  This paper reviews the basic theory and then discusses implications for dark matter searches and collider experiments.

References on neutrinos:

• Zuber, Neutrino Physics: Relatively recent and up-to-date textbook on neutrino physics.  Sean has a copy also.
  
• Mohapatra and Smirnov, Neutrino Mass and New Physics: Annual Review on neutrino masses and mixings.
• See also the PDG sections below.
• Hannestad, Primordial Neutrinos: Annual Review on the relation between neutrinos and cosmology, esp. neutrino dark matter and constraints on neutrino mass from cosmology.
• Buchmuller, Peccei, Yanagida, Leptogenesis as the Origin of Matter: CP violation in the neutrino sector is frequently invoked as a means to obtain lepton asymmetry in the early universe, which then engenders baryon asymmetry.  These asymmetries give leptogenesis and baryogenesis, the present matter-antimatter imbalance in the universe.  This Annual Review article summarizes the situation.
• Gomez-Cadenas, Harris, Physics Opportunities at Neutrino Factories: Annual review (old, 2002) on studies of neutrino physics at a future possible neutrino factory -- neutrino mass and mixing, CP violation, etc.
  
• Elliott, Vogl, Double-Beta Decay: Annual Review on double-beta decay.  A bit old (2002).  Errata.
• Kusenko, Sterile Neutrino Dark Matter (Kellogg Seminar, 2007): Very recent talk on sterile neutrinos as a dark matter candidate.  Makes a compelling case.  Lots of references included.  See also Asaka, Shaposhnikov, and Kusenko (2006).
  

Related topics:

• Dine and Kusenko, Origin of the Matter-Antimatter Asymmetry: Review on mechanisms for baryogenesis, including leptogenesis.
• Formaggio, Martoff, Backgrounds to Sensitive Experiments Underground: Radioactive and cosmogenic background particles dominate the sensitivity of most dark matter and double-beta-decay searches.  This is a review of these sources.
  

You may also find it useful to read the relevant review sections in the Particle Data Group's Review of Particle Properties (2006), available here.  Especially useful will be the following sections (links are to PDFs):

• Electroweak Model and Constraints on New Physics
• Grand Unified Theories
  
• Neutrinos
  
• Neutrino Mass, Mixing, and Flavor Change
• Three-neutrino Mixing Parameters
  
• Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay
• Solar Neutrinos Review
  
• Muon Anomalous Magnetic Moment
• Supersymmetry
• Theory
• Experiment
• Axions
• Theory
• Astrophysical Constraints
• Experimental Limits
• Extra Dimensions
  
• Cosmology
• Experimental Test of Gravity
  
• Big Bang Cosmology
  
• Big Bang Nucleosynthesis
• Cosmological Parameters
• Cosmic Microwave Background
• Dark Matter
• Cosmic Rays
  

As a final important point, please don't feel obligated to learn every theoretical detail about the topics we study.  The working experimentalist usually chooses topics to work on not through an incredibly detailed understanding of the theory, but by relatively simple considerations of what kind of experiments are important to do and also enjoyable to work on.  The fine level appreciation of the theory usually only comes later after many years of working in a field.

Presentation Guidelines

Aim your presentation for senior undergrads/first year grad students -- people with a basic knowledge of classical and quantum physics, but no other significant background material.  Physics colloquia are a good example of the right level.  Don't feel obligated to explain everything from first principles, but explain enough that your listener can follow along the line of reasoning behind a given topic.

Focus at least half of your time on how the experiments are done, especially why they are hard and what clever things the experimentalists have had to do to achieve their goals.

If possible, make your presentations electronically so we can easily post them online (PPT or PDF only).  Otherwise, you will have to scan them for posting.  All the rooms we use will have electronic projectors.

Make an appointment with me or Sean to discuss the material well ahead of your presentation slot.  You will no doubt have many questions after a first reading of the material, we can help you work through those.  We don't need to review your presentations (which, no doubt, you will be working on the night before), but we do want to help you understand the material and to focus your presentations on the most interesting parts.

We will do Q&A in the following manner.  Questions are welcome during the presentations -- the more interruptions, the better.  The speaker may not have the answers immediately, so we will have a recording secretary for each session document all the questions and forward them to the speaker.  The speaker should dig up the answers as best he/she can by the next class session and we can spend the first 30 minutes of the next class answering those questions, and any others that may have occurred to the audience in between the two sessions.  After this is done, the speaker should provide a written listing of the questions and answers for posting on the web page.

Course Calendar, Reading Materials, and Topic Assignment

Note: links may be to e-journals for which Caltech has a subscription.  You will need to be on the Caltech campus network or log in through the library proxy service to access these.

Tuesday Class	Friday Class
Mar 27 Course Plan Review of Standard Model Brief Summary of Candidate Topics (instructor lecture) Slides (pdf) (updated 3/30/07)	Mar 30 Universal Extra Dimensions Supersymmetry (instructor lecture) Slides (pdf)
Apr 3 NO CLASS	Apr 6 NO CLASS
Apr 10 Example presentation by TA Sean Tulin 469 Lauritsen starting today Talk (notes and ppt) and answers to questions QuickTime movie Secretary: Sunil Golwala	Apr 13 NO CLASS
Apr 17 Electron g-2 Nick Hutzler Talk Q&A QuickTime Movie Refs: measurement paper interpretation paper Nature blurb Odom dissertation review of theoretical calculations Secretary: Ersen Bilgin	Apr 20 Neutron EDM Matt Eichenfield Talk no questions to be posted QuickTime Movie Refs: SNS nEDM Experiment Proposal Best Current Limits Secretary: Alex Himmel
Apr 24 Astronomical Evidence for Dark Matter Matt Ferry Talk QuickTime Movie bullet cluster movie movie simulating evolution of cluster Secretary: Gary Cheng Refs: See Dark Matter refs	Apr 27 WIMP/Neutralino Dark Matter Direct Detection and/or Accelerator Signatures Chris Rogan Talk QuickTime Movie Secretary: Nick Hutzler Refs: See Dark Matter refs Also: CDMS II recent results (spin-ind, spin-dep) XENON recent results talks (Aprile, Gaitskell) WARP recent results
May 1 Axions David Moore Talk QuickTime Movie Secretary: Chelsea Sharon Refs: See Dark Matter refs May 1/4 Exotic Dark Matter Candidates Ersen Bilgin Talk QuickTime Movie Session 1 QuickTime Movie Session 2 Secretary: Dalziel Wilson Refs: See Bertone, Hooper, and Silk for short summary and refs on such candidates Kusenko on sterile neutrinos is esp. interesting May 4 Muon g-2 Caryn Bullard QuickTime Movie Secretary: Ning Bao Refs: Davier, Marciano, theory review Hertzog, Morse, experimental review Stockinger more recent review
May 8 Neutrino Theory Alex Himmel Talk Q&A Quicktime movie Secretary: Prashant Saraswat, Ning Bao Refs: See Neutrino Refs above	May 11 NO CLASS
May 15 Precision Tests of Short-Range Gravity Justus Brevik Talk Quicktime movie Secretary: Michael Mendenhall Refs: Adelberger, Heckel, Nelson Experimental Review UWash group recent results 1 UWash group recent results 2 Stanford group recent results Recent Casimir effect measurement May 15/18 Double Beta Decay Michael Mendenhall Talk Quicktime movie 1 Quicktime movie 2 Secretary: Justus Brevik Refs: See Neutrino Refs above May 18 Baryogenesis Prashant Saraswat/Ning Bao Talk Quicktime movie Secretary: Sunil Golwala Refs: Dine and Kusenko Review Evidence for matter-domination Dolgov Review Trodden EW Baryogenesis Buchmuller Review May 22 TeV Gamma-Ray Astronomy, incl. WIMP annihilation Chelsea Sharon Talk Quicktime movie Secretary: Matt Eichenfield Refs: Ong review paper See also Bertone, Hooper, and Silk for a starting point on WIMP annihilation Bertone summary paper May 22/25 Neutrino Astronomy incl. WIMP annihilation Scott Wilbur Talk Quicktime movie 1 Quicktime movie 2 Secretary: Caryn Bullard Refs: Halzen review paper Hooper review paper See also Bertone, Hooper, and Silk for a starting point on WIMP annihilation May 25 UHE Cosmic Rays Dalziel Wilson Talk Quicktime movie Secretary: Matt Ferry Refs: Torres, Anchordorqui review paper HiRes Experiment website @ Columbia Recent HiRes results on GZK cutoff Comparison of AGASA, HiRes, and Auger spectral measurements Auger Observatory website Auger Observatory Progress Report (see references therein) May 29 Extra Dimensions Prashant Saraswat, Ning Bao Talk Quicktime movie Secretary: Chris Rogan Refs: See Extra Dimensions Refs May 29/Jun 1 Tests for CPT Violation Michael Kolodrubetz Talk Quicktime movie 1 Quicktime movie 2 Secretary: Scott Wilbur Refs: Kostolecky web page Hooper et al paper on Lorentz and CPT violation in high-energy neutrinos See Michael's web page for more Jun 1 Neutrino Oscillations Gary Cheng Talk Quicktime movie Secretary: David Moore Refs: See Neutrino Refs above

Announcements Archive

• 2007/06/02
• All movies posted, still waiting on a few talks. 
  
• Thanks for your nice talks this term!
• 2007/05/19
• Movies and talks through 5/18 posted.
  
• 2007/05/16
• Movies through 5/15 posted.  Talks mostly up to date too.
• 2007/05/04
• Exotic dark matter talk and movie posted.
• Muon g-2 movie posted.
  
• 2007/04/30
• 4/27 slides and movie posted
  
• 2007/04/27
• 4/17 slides and Q&A posted
  
• 2007/04/25
• 4/24 presentation posted
  
• 2007/04/23
• Moved g-2 presentation to week of May 1/4; added baryogenesis presentation on May 18.
• Couple more refs added in dark matter (Jungman et al) and neutrinos (Zuber, Kusenko)
  
• 2007/04/21
• Few more refs added for WIMP direct detection (see Dark Matter Refs and course schedule)
• 2007/04/19
• Presentation schedule filled out with remaining subjects.  Since we seem to need only ~1hr per topic, the additional talks will be split between Tuesday and Friday sessions.  Please double-check your talk date -- I may have moved you from Friday to Tuesday/Friday.  Speakers with split talks should try to think of a good stopping point midway through the talk.  We may add a talk of this type during the week of May 1/4.
  
• I am going to require that speakers meet with me prior to their talks so that I can confirm that all the important points are being hit and the material is being covered to the depth I would like.  Please email me to arrange a time to meet at least 1 day prior to your presentation.  You don't have to have the presentation complete, but you should have a good outline of what you will discuss.
• Many more references added, both under Course Material and under Course Calendar.
  
• 2007/04/18
• QuickTime fast-start is nominally working -- you should see movies start to play only a few seconds after downloading.  Have tested it on Windows also, though you'll need the QuickTime plug-in (link provided in browser if you don't already have it).
  
• 4/17 lecture movie posted.
• 2007/04/17
• Notes and question answers for 4/10 lecture posted.  Sorry, still working on how to get the movie to stream.
  
• 2007/04/10
• More reference material added.  4/10 lecture movie posted, notes and question answers to come.
  
• 2007/04/07
• Added some additional references on background material, esp. supersymmery.  More to come.
  
• 2007/04/02
• We have 3-4 more presentations for which there are no dates left.  Let me know your preference among two options:
• We split some of the classes into two talks, at a cost in depth of presentation, time for questions, and fairness.
• We add some additional sessions at irregular times.
• 2007/03/31
• Forgot that I will be out of town Apr 13.  Schedule shifted accordingly.  There are still a couple students with no topic assigned, so evening makeup classes may be necessary.  Let me know if you have conflicts as currently written.
  
• Recording secretary assignments made.  Let me know if you have conflicts.
• Figured out how to force browser to always refresh page!
  
• 2007/03/30
• More updates to presentation schedule.
• First week lecture slides posted.
  
• SUSY refs will be posted soon.
  
• 2007/03/29
• More topics have been assigned, tentative calendar set up.  Let me know about any problems with calendar.
• There are 9 students (whom I know of) without topics and only 6 unassigned classes.  It may be necessary to share some topics between two presenters or split some class periods into two presentations.
• 2007/03/28
• Class location changed to 469 Lauritsen, class days change from TuTh to TuF.  Class on Fri Mar 30 will still be held in 107 Downs, the next class will be on Apr 10 in 469 Lauritsen.
• See new section on Presentation Guidelines.
• Course reserve list request has been sent in.
• Kellogg seminar this week (Friday, 4 pm) is on dark matter, should be interesting.
• Some topics have been assigned and the first week of presentations has been set.