Particle Physics 3: Supersymmetry and Grand Unification
Particle Physics 3: Supersymmetry and Grand Unification (Spring 2010, Stanford Univ.). Instructor: Professor Leonard Susskind. In this set of lectures Professor Susskind continues his particle physics theme, moving on to supersymmetry, which describes the relationship between fermions and bosons. He connects this to the concept of vacuum energy, the energy density associated with "empty" space. Professor Susskind finishes with supersymmetry breaking and grand unified field theories, which predict proton decay. (from theoreticalminimum.com)
| Lecture 01 - Renormalization concepts, and dimensional analysis Renormalization, Dimensional analysis in Lagrangians, Vacuum energy renormalization. |
| Lecture 02 - Fermions and bosons Rotation of particles with spin, Fermions and bosons, Contributions to vacuum energy, Do fermions and bosons come in pairs? |
| Lecture 03 - Propagators and renormalization of mass This lecture reviews the propagator and connects its form to dimensional analysis. Then loop propagators are used to introduce mass renormalization. |
| Lecture 04 - Symmetry and Grassmann numbers Continuous symmetries and generators (Lie algebra), Grassmann numbers (anti-commuting numbers). |
| Lecture 05 - A first supersymmetric model Grassmann differentiation, A supersymmetric Lagrangian, Creation and annihilation operator based symmetry generators. |
| Lecture 06 - Supersymmetry building blocks This lecture introduces superfields and integration with Grassmann variables. |
| Lecture 07 - Lagrangians that preserve supersymmetry This lecture develops the notion of a Supercharge, Q+ representing the transformation from a fermion to a boson and Q the transformation from a boson to a fermion. |
| Lecture 08 - Generalizing supersymmetry to 3+1 spacetime, and QFT Constraints that preserve supersymmetry, Evaluating the action of a superfield, Relating fermion and boson coupling constants. |
| Lecture 09 - Supersymmetry breaking and an introduction to grand unified theories Supersymmetry breaking and Goldstone bosons, Introduction to grand unified theories (GUTs), Generators of SU(5), Connecting generators to particles. |
| Lecture 10 - GUTs, the SU(5) representation, proton decay This lecture focuses on grand unified theories, and how their group structure connects to fermions (neutrinos, leptons and quarks) and the gauge bosons. |
| References |
| Particle Physics 3: Supersymmetry and Grand Unification (Spring, 2010) In this set of lectures Professor Susskind continues his particle physics theme, moving on to supersymmetry, which describes the relationship between fermions and bosons. |