FYSS4556 Perturbative QCD (7 cr)

Study level:
Advanced studies
Grading scale:
0-5
Language:
English
Responsible organisation:
Department of Physics
Curriculum periods:
2020-2021, 2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024

Description

  • SU(3) gauge transformations, gauge fixing, and QCD Feynman rules

  • SU(N) algebra: derivation of color identities, calculation of color factors for scattering cross sections

  • Inclusive jet and hard hadron production in proton-proton 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 parton distribution functions, DGLAP scale evolution equations and their 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: calculation of a decay width using perturbative QCD in the non-relativistic limit of the decaying meson state 

Learning outcomes

After this course, the student will

  • understand the QCD dynamics in various types of particle collisions

  • be able to compute various types of perturbative QCD scattering cross sections and also decay widths for heavy mesons

  • understand the group theoretical SU(3) color algebra involved in QCD scatterings

  • understand the gluon polarization states and know how to correctly deal with them in scattering calculations

  • know the basics of collinear factorization

  • understand the definition of process-independent parton distribution functions in next-to-leading order perturbative QCD, and know how to apply these in scattering calculations

  • understand the basics of the scale evolution of the parton distribution functions 

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.
  • George Sterman, An introduction to Quantum Field Theory (Cambridge), ISBN 0-521-311322.

Completion methods

Method 1

Description:
Every other spring, starting from 2020.
Evaluation criteria:
Weekly exercises and exam.
Time of teaching:
Period 3, Period 4
Select all marked parts

Method 2

Description:
This completion method is intended for students for whom method 1 is not possible for specific reasons (e.g. language, living elsewhere). Contact the teacher before enrolling to the course via this completion method.
Evaluation criteria:
Exercises and exam.
Select all marked parts
Parts of the completion methods
x

Teaching (7 cr)

Type:
Participation in teaching
Grading scale:
0-5
Evaluation criteria:
Weekly exercises and exam.
Language:
English
Study methods:

Lectures, weekly exercises and exam. 

No published teaching
x

Independent study (7 cr)

Type:
Independent study
Grading scale:
0-5
Evaluation criteria:
Exercises and exam.
Language:
English
Study methods:

Independent studying, exercises and exam. 

Teaching