Physics 245A, Introduction to High Energy Physics           Winter 2006
    TR 9:00-10:20 am, 158 Roessler.

Text: (This will also be useful for 245B next quarter.)
  Quang Ho-Kim and Pham Xuan Yem, Elementary Particles and Their Interactions
Other books of interest:
  Seiden, Particle Physics, ...
  Perkins, Intro. to High Energy Physics
  Leader and Predazzi, An Introduction to Gauge Theories ...
  Griffiths, Intro. to Elementary Particles
  Roe, Particle Physics ...   
  Bowler, Femtophysics
  Coughlan and Dodd, The Ideas of Particle Physics
  Martin and Shaw, Particle Physics
  Hughes,  Elementary Particles
Also, if you intend to do particle physics, and you are not yet on the
  Particle Data Group mailing list, you should request a Particle Properties 
  Data Booklet from pdg@lbl.gov or
             Particle Data Group
             MS 50R6008
             Lawrence Berkeley Lab.
             Berkeley,CA 94720
             http://pdg.lbl.gov
  This will be very handy this quarter and in the future.
  The full version (at about a thousand pages is on line at the URL above.

You should get familiar with the preprint archive at Cornell. 
This is where all new papers go and where everyone goes to see 
what's new and to read papers: http://www.arxiv.org

Other courses: You should have had 230A and be taking 230B, and you 
      should take as soon as they appear 245BC, 252B, 223B, 
      246(after you have completed 230 and 245), 250. 
      Other courses to consider: 260 and 262. 
      It's not too soon to start attending 292, the particle physics seminar.

Office hours: Whenever I am in -- usually most of TuTh afternoons and after 
about 3pm on MWF.  For something more definite, you can send me email to 
make an appointment.

Email: jekiskis@ucdavis.edu

We will use electronic communication in the course. There is a class maiing
list: phy245a-w06@ucdavis.edu. If you are registered for the class, you are 
automatically on the list, otherwise, you need to talk to me to get on the list. 
The list uses UCD email addresses of the form user@ucdavis.edu. You should check
your email every day for possible messages relevant to the class. Messages to
the list are archived at
https://listproc.ucdavis.edu/class-secure/200601/phy245a-w06. 
Our home page is at
http://www.physics.ucdavis.edu/kiskis/courses/phy245a-w06/phy245a_hp.html. 
The website will be the main place I put information for the course.

By noon Wednesday, Jan. 4, please send me email with the following info.: 
1) Name 
2) Year in grad. school 
3) Have you had a previous undergraduate or graduate high energy physics
   course? If so, give the length of the course and the textbook.
4) In what subfield of physics do you intend to do your thesis research?
5) Are you currently involved in research? If so, in what group?
6) Why are you taking this course?
7) What do you hope to get out of it?
8) If you could have the answer to one specific question in particle
   physics, what would you ask?

Purpose of the course:

This course is for all students who intend to do research in particle
physics, nuclear physics, or cosmology. It is also good for anyone else
who wants to know about the field. It is a phenomenological introduction
to high energy physics. It does not do heavy theory. For that, you have
230 and other courses. The main theme will be hadron structure from one
point of view or another. The electroweak theory will be covered more
completely in 245B.

To do particle physics you need to know some facts and concepts and speak the
jargon of the field. This course will give you an opportunity to learn this
necessary background stuff that all good particle physicists know. 
In addition, this is the general information about particle physics that 
you are expected to know at your oral. So you can also think of the topics 
we cover as a study guide for your oral. Since we will move fairly quickly, 
you will probably want to spend more time studying these topics after the 
course is over and before your oral. 

Philosophy, structure, and grading:
(Although teaching is not possible, learning is.)

Formal lectures are futile for at least two reasons.

1) Research has shown that people learn very, very little when they are passive
and someone else is talking at them. 

2) There is too much stuff. It is a physical impossibility to give
start-to-finish lectures on all the subjects that would be nice to cover. There
is more in the reading than we can discuss in any detail in the 27 hours
that we have.

From this, two remarks follow:
a) since it's futile, we won't have formal lectures
b) since there is so much stuff, a big part of your work will be to figure out
what is central and important. I hope to be of real help to you in this.
You must think about what you read and try to develop perspective.

My role:

First of all, I cannot TEACH you anything. At best, I can transmit some
information--raw data. (But the reading can usually do this better.) I cannot
transmit knowledge or understanding. I will try to provide a framework in which
it will be possible for you to construct your own understanding. I can be a
guide and a resource.

Your role:

You need to collect some information. Your main source is the readings. That is
the raw material from which you will work to CONSTRUCT your own understanding.
Each person must go through the process. It cannot be transmitted. While you
read, think and ask yourself questions. Talk with other students and with me.
The most important thing is to take an ACTIVE role. This isn't like watching
television. If there is not enough voluntary discussion, I will call on people.

To encourage active participation by all of us, the class will be organized as
follows:

Divide into groups of 3 or 4 people. Please work this out among
yourselves before the start of the second class on Tuesday. You will
keep the same groups for the quarter.

For each meeting, there will be a reading assignment which you should read and
think about BEFORE the lecture. Class starts at 9:00. At 9:05, each group is
required to produce its most pressing question on the reading for class
discussion. From 9:00 to 9:05, you will discuss this in your groups. Since
that is not a lot of time, you will need to be prepared with ideas and perhaps
have discussions before the start of class. These need not be deep or
sophisticated questions. Things like "We read sec. 2 ten times, and it still
makes no sense. What's going on there?" are encouraged. We will discuss the
questions from each group. After that, I will display a few questions for you
to work on in your groups. You will then present your results for discussion.
I will try to choose questions that bring out the most important points of the
reading. The purpose of this is to get you really involved in and thinking
about the topics for the day.

Following that, there will be a 10 min., open book quiz on the reading for that
day. This will be a group effort. You will work with the other members of your
group to produce one solution from your group to be handed in for grading.

There will be problem sets. You are encouraged to discuss the
problems with others. However, the solutions that you hand in should be your
own work. Problem sets are due at the start of lecture on the indicated day.
Use 8.5"x11" paper and write on one side only.

You will keep a journal.

There will be no exams.

Journals:

Logistics: Write the journal entries on separate (not bound) sheets of 8.5x11
paper. Date each entry and put your name on it. Keep all your entries in a
folder or large envelope. Each entry should be 1-2 pages. You should do two
entries per week. Hand them in at the start of class on Tuesday. I will read
these, comment when appropriate, and return them to you at the next class. I
will not grade each entry, but your participation in journal writing will be 
part of your grade for the quarter.

Content: The journals should NOT be simply class notes, a summary of the
reading, or tentative calculations with no description. They should be your 
thoughts and reactions to the material.

Suggestions:

1) Reflect upon the reading and class discussions.

2) Work out on paper ideas that you are having trouble understanding. Question.
   Speculate. 

3) Look for connections to earlier parts of the course and to other parts of
   physics that you have studied.

The journals should reveal your process of working on the subject not the
final, polished product. A good journal is not one that is "right" but rather
one that shows how you have fully engaged the subject. The ratio of words to
equations should be high. The words should be organized into COMPLETE
SENTENCES, otherwise it will be impossible for me to follow your thoughts.

The grading will be on problem sets, quizzes, journals, and
participation in class discussion. Presentation counts. 
Papers that are messy, hard to read, or disorganized, WILL lose points.