Class #7 (Jan. 29) Reading Questions - The Particle Odyssey


Chapter 10


1.  What is meant by "CP symmetry" and how is the observed violation of this symmetry related to the "antimatter mystery"?


2. Explain the Higgs mechanism for the origin of mass.   Has this mechanism been experimentally verified?


3. Why are scientists interested in creating a "quark-gluon plasma".  What are the three signature events being looked for at CERN as evidence for the production of a QGP?


4. Neutrino's were originally thought to be massless particles (like photons) but there is growing experimental evidence that neutrinos do have mass.  What is this evidence and why is this relevant to the dark matter question?


5. What are super-symmetric particles?  Is there any experimental evidence for their existence?


Chapter 11


6.  Why do we expect there to be a maximum "cutoff" energy in cosmic rays striking the earth?  Has this predicted cutoff been observed experimentally?


Chapter 12


7. Experimental advances in particle physics have had spin-offs in many other areas of science and technology.  Give three example of the use of particles in the field of medicine.


