FYSS4556 Perturbative QCD (7 cr)

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Study level:
Advanced studies
Grading scale:
0-5
Language:
English
Responsible organisation:
Department of Physics
Curriculum periods:
2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2019-2020

Description

Content

SU(3) gauge transformations, gauge fixing, QCD Feynman rules; SU(N) color algebra: derivation of color identities and calculation of color factors for scattering cross sections; jet and inclusive hard hadron production in p+p collisions: kinematics and leading-order partonic cross sections, gluon polarization states and ghosts, parton distribution functions and fragmentation functions, collinear factorization; deep inelastic scattering: electroweak-current cases in leading-order perturbation theory, QCD-improved parton model, computation of the next-to-leading order QCD corrections and definition of the parton distribution functions, DGLAP scale evolution equation and its solutions; Drell-Yan dilepton process: kinematics, computation of the cross sections in leading and next-to-leading order perturbative QCD; decay of a quarkonium state using perturbative QCD in a non-relativistic limit.

Completion methods

Assignments, examination.

Assessment details

Maximum points: 70% from the final exam plus 30% from the exercises; passing the course: at least 50% of the maximum total points obtained; maximum score from the exercises: at least 80% of all the available exercise points obtained.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this course, students will be able to deal with the SU(3) color algebra and compute color factors for various quark and gluon scatterings. Students will be able to compute perturbative QCD cross sections, correctly dealing with physical gluon polarization states, and define and apply parton distribution functions in collinearly factorized NLO perturbative QCD cross sections. They will be able to solve DGLAP scale evolution equations and compute cross sections for deep inelastic scattering (DIS) and Drell-Yan process in leading and next-to-leading order, and for jets in leading-order perturbation theory. They will also be able to compute decay widths of quarkonia using perturbative QCD in a non-relativistic limit.

Additional information

Spring semester, every two years.

Description of prerequisites

FYSS4300 Particle Physics

Study materials

Lecture notes by Kari J. Eskola.

Literature

  • R.K. Ellis, W.J. Stirling and B.R. Webber, QCD and Collider Physics (Cambridge Univ. Press), ISBN 0-521-54589-7.; ISBN: 0-521-54589-7
  • George Sterman, An introduction to Quantum Field Theory (Cambridge), ISBN 0-521-311322.; ISBN: 0-521-311322

Completion methods

Method 1

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Teaching (7 cr)

Type:
Participation in teaching
Grading scale:
0-5
Language:
English

Teaching