University of Geneva - Particle Physics: an Introduction
- Offered byCoursera
- Public/Government Institute
Particle Physics: an Introduction at Coursera Overview
Duration | 41 hours |
Total fee | Free |
Mode of learning | Online |
Official Website | Explore Free Course  |
Credential | Certificate |
Particle Physics: an Introduction at Coursera Highlights
- Shareable Certificate Earn a Certificate upon completion
- 100% online Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
- Flexible deadlines Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
- Approx. 41 hours to complete
- English Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, Spanish
Particle Physics: an Introduction at Coursera Course details
- This course introduces you to subatomic physics, i.e. the physics of nuclei and particles.
- More specifically, the following questions are addressed:
- - What are the concepts of particle physics and how are they implemented?
- - What are the properties of atomic nuclei and how can one use them?
- - How does one accelerate and detect particles and measure their properties?
- - What does one learn from particle reactions at high energies and particle decays?
- - How do electromagnetic interactions work and how can one use them?
- - How do strong interactions work and why are they difficult to understand?
- - How do weak interactions work and why are they so special?
- - What is the mass of objects at the subatomic level and how does the Higgs boson intervene?
- - How does one search for new phenomena beyond the known ones?
- - What can one learn from particle physics concerning astrophysics and the Universe as a whole?
- The course is structured in eight modules. Following the first one which introduces our subject, the modules 2 (nuclear physics)
- and 3 (accelerators and detectors) are rather self contained and can be studied separately. The modules 4 to 6 go into more depth about matter and forces as described by the standard model of particle physics. Module 7 deals with our ways to search for new phenomena. And the last module introduces you to two mysterious components of the Universe, namely Dark Matter and Dark Energy.
Particle Physics: an Introduction at Coursera Curriculum
Matter and forces, measuring and counting
General presentation of the course
1.1 Matter
1.2 Forces
1.2a Natural units (optional)
1.2b Special relativity and four-vectors (optional)
1.2c Virtual particles (optional)
1.3 Probability and cross section
1.3a Attenuation of a photon beam (optional)
1.4 Rutherford experiment
1.4a Rutherford cross section (optional)
1.4b Counting rate Rutherford (optional)
1.5 Quantum scattering
1.6 Rutherford experiment in practice (optional)
1.1 Matter
1.2 Forces
1.3 Probability and cross section
1.4 Rutherford experiment
1.5 Quantum scattering
Graded quiz for Module 1
Nuclear physics
2.1 Nuclear mass and binding energy
2.2 Nuclear size and spin
2.3 Models of nuclear structure
2.3a QCD and nuclear force (optional)
2.4 Radioactivity: alpha decay
2.4a Energy of alpha particles (optional)
2.5 Beta and gamma decay
2.5a Exponential decay law (optional)
2.6 Radioactivity in practice (optional)
2.7 Radiocarbon dating and NMR imaging
2.8 Nuclear fission
2.9 Nuclear power
2.10 Nuclear fusion, the Sun and ITER
2.11 The tokamak of EPFL (optional)
2.12 The Beznau nuclear power plant (optional)
2.4 Radioactivity: alpha decay
2.1 Nuclear mass and binding energy
2.2 Nuclear size and spin
2.3 Models of nuclear structure
2.4 Radioactivity: alpha decay
2.5 Beta and gamma decay
2.7 Radiocarbon dating and NMR imaging
2.8 Nuclear fission
2.9 Nuclear power
2.10 Nuclear fusion, the Sun and ITER
Graded quiz for Module 2
Accelerators and detectors
3.1 Principles of particle acceleration
3.1a Cyclotron frequency (optional)
3.2 Acceleration and focalisation
3.2a The CERN accelerator complex (optional)
3.3 Components of the LHC (optional)
3.4 Heavy particles in matter
3.5 Light particles in matter
3.6 Photons in matter
3.7 Ionisation detectors
3.8 Semiconductor detectors
3.9 Scintillation and Cherenkov detectors
3.10 Spectrometers and calorimeters
3.10a Particle detection with ATLAS (optional)
3.11 Particle detectors at DPNC (optional)
3.9 Scintillation and Cherenkov detectors
3.10 Spectrometers and calorimeters
3.11 Particle detectors at DPNC (optional)
3.1 Principles of particle acceleration
3.2 Acceleration and focalisation
3.4 Heavy particles in matter
3.5 Light particles in matter
3.6 Photons in matter
3.7 Ionisation detectors
3.8 Semiconductor detectors
3.9 Scintillation and Cherenkov detectors
3.10 Spectrometers and calorimeters
Graded quiz for Module 3
Electromagnetic interactions
4.1 Reminder: Describing particle interactions
4.1a How to construct a Feynman diagram (optional)
4.2 Electromagnetic scattering
4.3 Spin and magnetic moment
4.3a Motion in a Penning Trap
4.4 Compton scattering and pair annihilation
4.5 Electron-positron annihilation
4.1 Reminder: Describing particle interactions
4.2 Electromagnetic scattering
4.3 Spin and magnetic moment
4.4 Compton scattering and pair annihilation
4.5 Electron-positron annihilation
Graded quiz for Module 4
Hadrons and strong interaction
5.1 Elastic electron-nucleon scattering
5.2 Inelastic scattering and quarks
5.3 Quark-antiquark resonances and mesons
5.4 Color and strong interactions
5.5 Hadronisation and jets
5.1 Elastic electron-nucleon scattering
5.2 Inelastic scattering and quarks
5.3 Quark-antiquark resonances and mesons
5.4 Color and strong interactions
5.5 Hadronisation and jets
Graded quiz for Module 5
Electro-weak interactions
6.1 Particles and antiparticles
6.2 The discrete transformations C, P and T
6.3 Weak charges and interactions
6.4 Muon and tau lepton decay
6.5 The W boson
6.6 The Z boson
6.7 Weak decays of quarks
6.8 Particle-antiparticle oscillations and CP violation
6.9 Neutrino scattering
6.10 Neutrino oscillations
6.11 The Higgs mechanism
6.12 The Higgs boson
6.13 The discovery of the Higgs boson (optional)
6.1 Particles and antiparticles
6.2 The discrete transformations C, P and T
6.3 Weak charges and interactions
6.4 Muon and tau lepton decay
6.5 The W boson
6.6 The Z boson
6.7 Weak decays of quarks
6.8 Particle-antiparticle oscillations and CP violation
6.9 Neutrino scattering
6.10 Neutrino oscillations
6.11 The Higgs mechanism
6.12 The Higgs boson
Graded quiz for Module 6
Discovering new phenomena
7.1 The world beyond the Standard Model
7.2 Sifting chaff from the wheat
7.3 Hunting peaks
7.4 Hunting tails
7.5 Hunting new physics with LHCb (optional)
7.1 The world beyond the Standard Model
7.2 Sifting chaff from the wheat
7.3 Hunting peaks
7.4 Hunting tails
Graded quiz for Module 7
Dark matter and dark energy
8.1 The Big Bang and its consequences
8.2 Dark matter
8.3 Dark energy
8.3a Motivating the Friedmann equation (optional)
8.4 What hides behind dark matter and dark energy? (optional)
8.1 The Big Bang and its consequences
8.2 Dark matter
8.3 Dark energy
Graded quiz for Module 8
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