Exploring the Basics of the Standard Model

In summary, the speaker is new to the forum and has a BS in Chemistry, with some knowledge of quantum mechanics. They have been studying GR on their own for a year and are currently trying to understand cosmology. They are struggling with concepts related to the SM and are looking for an introductory PDF to help them understand. Another member provides a reference for them to check out.
  • #1
Kevin McHugh
318
164
Hi all,

I am new to the forum. I have a BS in Chemistry (1984). So I remember a little quantum mechanics. I am trying to wrap my head around cosmology. I started studying GR on my own about a year ago. It took me almost that long to understand tensors. This invariably lead me to start reading Cosmological Physics by Peacock. Admittedly he is way over my head, but I am learning what I don't know. I am struggling with certain concepts that are required to understand the SM. I have a weak understanding of gauge symmetries, symmetry breaking ,the Dirac gamma matrices, and a some other issues with notation and such. I have looked for some introductory material on the web, but everything starts out with the very concepts I am struggling with. Can anybody recommend a truly introductory pdf that explains these things in a little more detail? TIA for any help..
 
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  • #2
Found this reference using what you were looking for:

http://www.math.polytechnique.fr/~renard/Susy_Quevedo.pdf
 
  • #3
Thanks Jedi, I'll give that a good going over. I'm sure I'll have a lot more questions.
 

1. What is the Standard Model?

The Standard Model is a theory in physics that describes the fundamental particles and their interactions through three of the four known fundamental forces: electromagnetism, strong nuclear force, and weak nuclear force. It is considered the most successful and comprehensive theory of particle physics to date.

2. What are the fundamental particles in the Standard Model?

The fundamental particles in the Standard Model are quarks, leptons, and bosons. There are six types of quarks (up, down, charm, strange, top, and bottom), six types of leptons (electron, electron neutrino, muon, muon neutrino, tau, and tau neutrino), and four types of bosons (photon, W and Z bosons, and gluons).

3. What are the three fundamental forces described in the Standard Model?

The three fundamental forces described in the Standard Model are the electromagnetic force, the strong nuclear force, and the weak nuclear force. The electromagnetic force is responsible for interactions between electrically charged particles, the strong nuclear force holds quarks together to form protons and neutrons, and the weak nuclear force is responsible for radioactive decay.

4. How does the Higgs boson fit into the Standard Model?

The Higgs boson is a fundamental particle predicted by the Standard Model. It is believed to give mass to all other particles by interacting with them through the Higgs field. Its discovery in 2012 at the Large Hadron Collider confirmed the validity of the Standard Model.

5. Are there any limitations or unanswered questions in the Standard Model?

While the Standard Model has been successful in predicting and explaining many observations, it is not a complete theory. It does not account for gravity, and there are still unanswered questions about the nature of dark matter and dark energy. Scientists continue to search for ways to expand or modify the Standard Model to address these limitations.

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