The Standard Model in a Nutshell - Hardcover

Goldberg, Dave

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0691167591 ISBN 13: 9780691167596

Publisher: Princeton University Press, 2017

Synopsis

A concise and authoritative introduction to one of the central theories of modern physics

For a theory as genuinely elegant as the Standard Model―the current framework describing elementary particles and their forces―it can sometimes appear to students to be little more than a complicated collection of particles and ranked list of interactions. The Standard Model in a Nutshell provides a comprehensive and uncommonly accessible introduction to one of the most important subjects in modern physics, revealing why, despite initial appearances, the entire framework really is as elegant as physicists say.

Dave Goldberg uses a "just-in-time" approach to instruction that enables students to gradually develop a deep understanding of the Standard Model even if this is their first exposure to it. He covers everything from relativity, group theory, and relativistic quantum mechanics to the Higgs boson, unification schemes, and physics beyond the Standard Model. The book also looks at new avenues of research that could answer still-unresolved questions and features numerous worked examples, helpful illustrations, and more than 120 exercises.

• Provides an essential introduction to the Standard Model for graduate students and advanced undergraduates across the physical sciences
• Requires no more than an undergraduate-level exposure to quantum mechanics, classical mechanics, and electromagnetism
• Uses a "just-in-time" approach to topics such as group theory, relativity, classical fields, Feynman diagrams, and quantum field theory
• Couched in a conversational tone to make reading and learning easier
• Ideal for a one-semester course or independent study
• Includes a wealth of examples, illustrations, and exercises
• Solutions manual (available only to professors)

About this title

From the Back Cover

"I've never read a clearer or more approachable presentation of the Standard Model. This book is a welcome gem for students."--Christopher G. Tully, author of Elementary Particle Physics in a Nutshell

"A very complete book, with a lot of information, nice problems, and reference appendixes."--Mario Campanelli, University College London

"This has the potential to become the standard book for an introductory course on the Standard Model. It builds up all the essential tools from basic knowledge, impressively merging fields, Lagrangians, and symmetries to allow for an appreciation of the structure and beauty of the Standard Model. It also gives students the needed tools to actually perform basic calculations."--Craig Copi, Case Western Reserve University

"Novel and timely. Goldberg presents an accessible, bare-bones approach to quantum field theory and the Standard Model of particle physics. He builds up the Standard Model step-by-step, and provides numerous exercises."--Derek Raine, coauthor of Black Holes: A Student Text

About the Author

Dave Goldberg is professor of physics at Drexel University, where he also serves as associate dean for research and graduate studies at the College of Arts and Sciences. He is the author of The Universe in the Rearview Mirror: How Hidden Symmetries Shape Reality and the coauthor of A User's Guide to the Universe: Surviving the Perils of Black Holes, Time Paradoxes, and Quantum Uncertainty.

Edition details

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0691167591
• ISBN 13: 9780691167596
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 320