Particle Physics Postgraduate Training

For all of our first year postgraduate students, we offer comprehensive training in both theoretical and experimental particle physics. Attendance at, and participation in, all lectures and seminars, including the completion of any assigned problem sets, is mandatory. Satisfactory completion of this training is required for progression to the second year of the Ph.D. programmme.

Students seeking an M.Sc. by research degree must complete a subset of the courses in the first term only (marked with an asterix). If they intend to continue on to a Ph.D. at Bristol, at the discretion of their supervisor, they may optionally want to take the remainder of the courses as well.

Topics covered are:

Autumn/Winter term

• Introduction to Particle Physics *
• Relativistic QM *
• Group Theory
• Gauge Field Theories and the Standard Model *

Spring term

• Statistics for Particle Physicsists
• Flavour Physics
• Neutrino Physics
• LHC Physics
• Astroparticle Physics

Joint Theoretical Lectures over AGN

The first term contains a series of lectures designed to provide the theoretical foundation necessary for further studies in particle physics. These lectures are taught in conjunction with the Universities of Warwick & Birmingham and use the Access Grid Node located in 3.29 for the sessions conducted by an external lecturer.

The second term contains a series of lectures designed to provide an introduction to the current state of particle physics research. Most of these lectures occur during an intense week (3 x 1.5 h lectures per day) held at the University of Warwick in between the Spring and Summer terms.

• See the MPAGS site for details.

RAL Experimental Lectures

In addition to the theoretical lectures above, we require our postgraduate students to attend a series of specialized lectures at RAL designed to provide the experimental foundation necessary for research in particle physics. These lectures occur via EVO throughout the Autumn and Spring terms on Wednesdays at 13:45-14:45.

Previous years' lectures (and eventually this year's) are available at the following link:

• RAL-PPD Graduate Student Lectures

RAL Summer School

At the end of the first year of study all postgraduate particle physics students are required to attend the RAL HEP summer school for two weeks. This provides a programme of courses which completes the theoretical/phenomenological preparation of our postgraduate students.

Particle Physics Seminar

All postgraduate students (of all years) are required to attend weekly particle physics research seminars on Wednesdays at 3:00 PM given by outside speakers. The schedule of upcoming particle physics seminars can be found at the following link:

• Particle Physics Seminars

Additional Training

At the end of their 2nd year students usually attend an international summer school or workshop. Near the end of their 3rd year students are expected to present their research at a national IOP conference. In many cases, at the discretion of the supervisor, postgraduate students may receive computing training in linux, C++, Fortran, etc. The courses which are on offer can be found at the following link:

• UoB Computing Courses

RAL also organise training in C++ and python. These courses are run ~yearly and are announced via email.