Particle Physics and the Standard Model
Learning Objectives
- Students will be able to describe the structure of matter in terms of quarks and leptons
- Students will be able to understand the fundamental forces mediated by gauge bosons
- Students will be able to explain particle-antiparticle annihilation and creation
Core Concepts
- Quarks and leptons
- Standard Model
- Fundamental forces
- Gauge bosons
Formulas
$$p = uud$$
Quark composition of proton
$$n = udd$$
Quark composition of neutron
$$e^+ + e^- \rightarrow \gamma + \gamma$$
Particle-antiparticle annihilation producing photons
Units
| Mega-electron volt | MeV |
| Giga-electron volt | GeV |
Interesting Fact
Up and down quarks make up protons and neutrons; every other quark is more massive
Key Scientist
Peter Higgs
Predicted the existence of the Higgs boson
Modern Research
Physics beyond the Standard Model research explores supersymmetry, dark matter particles, and extra dimensions at experiments like the Large Hadron Collider.
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