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MSc in Particle and Nuclear Physics

Reading list for the MSc in Particle and Nuclear Physics

Course Options

Apart from the compulsory skills courses, the MSc allows you the flexibility to specialize for example in particle physics, nuclear physics or more applied aspects such as data analysis or detector development. There is a lot of flexibility in your choice of core and optional courses to tailor a program that suits you. The course details are now on drps:

http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/23-24/dpt/ptmscpanup1f.htm

Below we pick out a subset of possible program options. You will discuss ayour final choices with your Personal Tutor who will help you build a program that achieves your goals.

We are also aware that students coming into the program have a wide range of backgrounds. It could be you have limited knowledge of particle physics. In this case we recommend you take the 10-point Level 10 course Nuclear and Particle Physics in semester 1. If in addition you have limited knowledge of Special Relativity. In this case you should consider the 20-point Level 10 option Relativity, Nuclear and Particle physics. These courses will provide you with sufficient knowledge in these areas to take the semester 2 courses Current Topics in Particle Physics and Nuclear Physics. What the best option is for you is something to discuss with your Personal Tutor in Welcome Week. To give you some idea of what we expect in terms of prerequisites some questions from previous NP and RNP exams are attached at the end of this document. 

Particle Physics route

If you are interested in experimental particle physics, then you might consider the course list below.

  1. Particle Physics
  2. Current Topics in Particle Physics
  3. Nuclear Physics
  4. Detectors in Particle and Nuclear Physics
  5. Medical Physics
  6. Symmetries of Quantum Mechanics
  7. Data  and Handling or Numerical Recipes
  8. Lagrangian Dynamics
Nuclear Physics route

If you want to go down a nuclear physics route, then you might consider the course list below.

  1. Particle Physics
  2. Nuclear Physics
  3. Nuclear Astrophysics
  4. Medical Physics
  5. Detectors in Particle and Nuclear Physics
  6. Lagrangian dynamics or Lasers
  7. Data Acquisition and Handling or Numerical Recipes
  8. Quantum Physics or Current Topics in Particle Physics
More theoretical route

If you want to go down a more theoretical route and have a strong mathematical physics background you should consider the courses below.

  1. Particle Physics
  2. Nuclear Physics
  3. Current Topics in Particle Physics
  4. Quantum Field Theory
  5. Symmetries of Particles and Fields
  6. Hamiltonian Dynamics
  7. Statistical physics
  8. Classical Electrodynamics
Detector development route

If you love playing detectors you should consider taking the following courses.

  1. Particle Physics
  2. Nuclear Physics
  3. Medical Physics
  4. Detectors
  5. Lasers
  6. Data Acquisition and Handling
  7. Nuclear astrophysics or Current Topics in Particle Physics
Reading List

The core of the taught element of the MSc is related to particle and nuclear physics. Throughout the year you will be developing your data analysis techniques in preparation for your dissertation. We have prepared a recommended reading list for this summer below

Particle Physics
  1. Exploring Fundamental Particles, L. Wolfenstein and J. Silva. A very readable introduction to the key concepts and historical development of Particle Physics and the Standard Model. Recommended summer reading.
  2. Modern Particle Physics, M. Thomson. This is a relatively recent publication that has become a standard textbook. The style is quite formal.
  3. Elementary Particle Physics: An intuitive introduction, A Larkorski. Another recent publication and a good alternative to Thomson with a less formal approach.
Nuclear Physics
  1. Nuclear Physics: Principles and Applications J. Lilley. Not to advanced. A good started point. Clear and concise
  2.  Introductory Nuclear Physics K Krane, Very didactic and clear. The textbook for the more advanced, dedicated student
Data analysis

We assume that you have some prior programming experience in either python or C++. Your skills in this area will be developed further in the core Data Analysis and Machine Learning course. If your programming knowledge in these languages is limited, we recommend you invest some time over the summer to work through an online course in one of them. There are a number of good online tutorials in python and C++.  A non-complete list is:

  1. https://www.datacamp.com/courses/intro-to-python-for-data-science(link is external)
  2. https://www.python.org/(link is external)
  3. https://www.learnpython.org/(link is external)
  4. http://www.cplusplus.com/doc/tutorial/(link is external)

A good C++ textbook is Scientific and Engineering C++: An introduction with Advanced Techniques and Examples, Barton and Nackman.

For data analysis techniques we recommend Data Analysis in High Energy Physics Behnke et al.

Example Questions
These questions are based on previous exam questions and designed to help you decide if you need to take the NP or RNP courses in semester 1.
Particle Physics
  1. Draw the lowest order Feynman diagram for inverse beta decay, p + ν→  n + e+
  2. What are the main W− boson decay modes ? What is the minimum centre-of-mass energy needed to produce a W+W- pair in e+e- collisions ?  
  3. Draw Feynman diagrams for the decays
    1. K+→ μν
    2. π0 →γγ
    3. ϕ→ K+K-
  4.  What are the centre-of-mass energies of the following accelerators:
    1. LEP e+ e- collider where both beams had energy 45.6 GeV.
    2. HERA: ep collider, with beam energies Ee = 30 GeV and Ep = 820 GeV.
Nuclear Physics
  1. What is meant by the saturation of the nuclear force? Sketch the binding energy per nucleon as a function of mass number, A, and describe two main features of the plot that can be accounted for by considering nuclear force saturation.
  2. Describe the spontaneous fission of heavy nuclei from the perspective of the liquid drop model of nuclei. You should use a sketch of potential energy as a function of nuclear shape to illustrate your answer. Explain what is meant by the fission barrier height and scission point.
  3. A beam of electrons of energy 315 MeV scatters off an unknown target nucleus producing a first diffraction minimum at 30◦ . Estimate the radius of the nucleus in units of fm, and hence determine its mass number, A, on the basis of systematic trends in nuclear radii.
  4. Using the Yukawa pion exchange model, explain with the aid of a sketch how to obtain an expression for the range of the attractive strong force between a neutron and proton in terms of the pion mass mπ ∼ 140 MeV/c2 . Hence estimate the range in units of fm. Explain the significance of your answer for the saturation of the nuclear force.
Relativity
  1. A spaceship travels away from the Earth with a constant speed of c/3. After a while the spaceship launches a lifeboat at a right angle to its direction of motion and with speed c/4, as measured in the inertial frame of the spaceship. What is the magnitude and direction of the velocity of the lifeboat, as observed from the Earth? Assume that the Earth is an inertial frame.
  2. Two particles of mass m1 and m2, and having the same momentum, p, travel between two scintillation counters that are a distance, L, apart. Show that the difference in their flight times decreases as p2 for large momenta.
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