Particle physics is the branch of physics that studies the nature of the particles that constitute matter and radiation. Although the word "particle" can refer to various types of very small objects, "particle physics" usually investigates the irreducibly smallest detectable particles and the fundamental interactions necessary to explain their behaviour.
This is a curated list of introductory resources to fundamental concepts in particle physics including the Standard Model, QED, QCD, Jets, Colliders, and Detectors. The idea is to learn these concepts with no background knowledge necessary (for the most part)!
For the ones interested in a more thorough understanding, it is recommended you go through the background reading in Probability and Statistics before venturing into the links marked with a
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⚠️ warning against all advanced/theoretical resources for easier browsing.
- Introduction / Overview
- Probability and Statistics
- Quantum Electrodynamics (QED)
- Standard Model and Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD)
- Jets
- Colliders
- Monte-Carlo Techniques
- Detector Technologies
- Miscellaneous
- Background Reading
- Probability and Statistics in Particle Physics by Frodesen, Skjeggestad, and Tofte, an exceptional book, unfortunately it is out of print, but it can be found in many libraries.
- Statistics for Nuclear and Particle Physicists by Louis Lyons
⚠️ Statistical Data Analysis by Glen Cowan book⚠️ Statistical Data Analysis by Glen Cowan course page⚠️ Statistical Methods for Data Analysis by Luca Lista course page
- Photons - Corpuscles of Light (1/4)
- Fits of Reflection and Transmission - Quantum Behaviour (2/4)
- Electrons and their Interactions (3/4)
- Lecture 4/4 is a multi-part series in and of itself:
- Problems in QED and the Standard Model Part 1/7 (4/4)
- Problems in QED and the Standard Model Part 2/7 (4/4)
- Problems in QED and the Standard Model Part 3/7 (4/4)
- Problems in QED and the Standard Model Part 4/7 (4/4)
- Problems in QED and the Standard Model Part 5/7 (4/4)
- Problems in QED and the Standard Model Part 6/7 (4/4)
- Problems in QED and the Standard Model Part 7/7 (4/4)
⚠️ Galileo Galelei Summer School on Theoretical Physics (Lectures on the Early Universe, Lattice Gauge Theory, Effective Field Theories, Flavor Physics, Dark Matter, QCD & Collider Physics)
- Introduction to Quantum Mechanics by David J. Griffiths
⚠️ Modern Quantum Mechanics by J. J. Sakurai- Introduction to Elementary Particles by David J. Griffiths
- Modern Elementary Particle Physics by Gordon L. Kane
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For more resources on particle physics as well as deep learning with a focus on physics, look up the resources available on the CERN Document Server.
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Also for more blog posts, check out this blog - Of Particular Significance - by Prof. Matt Strassler.
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Refer to Academic Training or Summer Student Lectures since they assume very little pre-existing knowledge.
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Try reading up a few articles on Prof. Strassler's Blog before/after watching video lectures - this approach seems to be pretty helpful in nailing down most concepts.