Syllabus for Supersymmetry

(Physics 246A, UC Davis, Spring 2009)

Location: 416 Phys/Geo
Time: TR 2-3:30pm
Lecturer: John Terning
Office: 435
Office Hours: TR 10:30-11:30 am
Web Page: http://particle.physics.ucdavis.edu/teaching/246/index.php


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Course Outline
• Introduction to SUSY
  • Unreasonable Effectiveness of the Standard Model
  • SUSY Algebra
  • SUSY Representations
  • Wess-Zumino Model
  • Superpotentials
  • Superspace
• SUSY Gauge Theories
  • couplings, beta functions
  • flat directions
  • Super-Higgs mechanism
• Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model
  • construction
  • soft SUSY breaking
  • electroweak symmetry breaking
  • FCNC's, CP
  • mu problem
  • "more minimal" model
  • signatures
• SUSY Breaking
  • gravity and gauge mediation
  • dynamical models
• Gauge Mediation
  • Messengers of SUSY breaking
  • RG calculation of soft masses
  • Gauge mediation and the mu problem
  
  
  

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  Grading will be based on regular reading assignments, problem sets, and a take home final. The grade breakdown will be 15% on reading assignments, 55% on problems sets, and 30% on the final exam
  
  

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  Textbook: Modern Supersymmetry: Dynamics and Duality
  
  Slides: adapted from textbook

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  Additional Reading
  • "Supersymmetry and Supergravity," by J. Wess and J. Bagger
  • A supersymmetry primer by S. Martin
  • Compendium of relations for Pauli, Dirac, Gell-Mann, etc. matrices
  
  

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  Assignments will be available online

  The assignment web site requires a one-time registration.
  
  
  Note 15 % will be deducted per day late for all problem sets.
  
  

  Other Information

  If you have not already done so please review the UC Davis Code of Academic Conduct.

  If you need to document a learning disability contact the Student Disability Center.