Electroweak Interactions

The objective of the course is an introduction to the quantum field theory and to the standard model of particle physics. Special emphasis is on the development of weak interactions theory and to the unification with quantum electrodynamics

At the end of the course the student:
1.Will know the Klein-Gordon and the Dirac equations as the relativistic generalization of the Schrödinger equation;
2.Will have understood the difficulties of the interpretation of the relativistic equations and will understand the necessity of a quantum field theory
3.Will have learnt to perform cross sections and decay widths calculations for tree level processes
4.Will have understood the connections between the structure of the weak current and the consequent phenomenology as, for example, angular distributions, energy distributions, polarization effects;
5.Will have studied the most important experiments useful for the undertanding of chaged current weak interactions and parity violation;
6.Wiil have understood neutral currents and the unification of electroweak interactions and the spontaneous symmetry breaking mechanism.