Frontiers in particle physics: Flavor physics

The PhD course aims primarily at theoretical and experimental particle or astro-particle physics PhD students. The theory describing particle interactions in flavor conserving or violating processes will be presented in details (the Standard Model and some interesting possible extensions). The most up-to-date experimental results testing the theory will be presented. Possible future measurements providing ultimate tests of flavor violation in particle physics processes will be proposed. The teachers are: Professor Yosef Nir, highly renowned theoretical physicist, expert in the field, and involved in current theoretical and phenomenological research in flavor physics. Professor Ulrik Egede, experimental high energy physicist , with long standing research experience in flavour physics, and involved in the current running experiment LhCb at CERN. Content : We explain the reasons for the interest in flavor physics. We describe flavor physics and the related CP violation within the Standard Model, and explain how the B-factories proved that the CKM (KM) mechanism dominates the flavor changing (CP violating) processes that have been observed in meson decays. We explain the implications of flavor physics for new physics, with emphasis on the ``new physics flavor puzzle'', and present the idea of minimal flavor violation as a possible solution. We explain the ``standard model flavor puzzle," and present the Froggatt-Nielsen mechanism as a possible solution. We show that measurements of the Higgs boson decays may provide new opportunities for making progress on the various flavor puzzles. We take the search for h to tau mu decay as a case study to understand the possible implications for new physics. During the course, experimental results and theory on flavour physics will be covered. For enquiries, contact Stefania at email : xella@nbi.dk