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402-0845-61L 6 Credits DR , MSC D-PHYS
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Effective Field Theories for Particle Physics

Lecturers & Examiners: Dr. Peter Stoffer
Special Students UZH must book the module PHY578 directly at UZH.
VVZ CR n/a

Last Updated: 2026-06-01 11:31:00

Abstract

The focus of the course is on Effective Field Theories (EFTs) and their interplay with dispersion theory.These topics will be discussed both in general terms and with specific phenomenological applications in the context of physics beyond the Standard Model, effective description of the weak interaction, as well as the description of non-perturbative strong interaction at low energies.

Objective

This course covers the basic concepts of effective field theories (EFTs) and dispersion theory. We will start by introducing the core concept of constructing EFTs and apply them to the low-energy description of the weak interaction and the effective description of heavy physics beyond the Standard Model. In the next part of the course, we will discuss Chiral Perturbation Theory (ChPT), the low-energy effective theory of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). We will briefly discuss the application of this concept to describe a class of theories beyond the SM in which the SM Higgs arises as a composite state of a new confining sector. The second focus of the course is on dispersion theory and its interplay with EFTs. We will discuss how to make use of the constraints from unitarity of the S-matrix and analyticity of scattering amplitudes, in order to extend the range of validity of the theoretical description compared to pure EFT methods. We will also discuss how to obtain constraints on EFT parameters from unitarity and analyticity. We will discuss the application of these methods both in the context of low-energy strong interaction and physics beyond the Standard Model.

Content

- Introduction to Effective Field Theories - Decoupling and matching - Renormalization group resummation - The Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT) - Chiral Lagrangians - Unitarity of the S-matrix - Analyticity and dispersion relations

General Information

Language
English
Levels
DR , MSC
Frequency
Yearly recurring

Examination

Type
session examination
Mode
oral 30 minutes
1-6, Half Grades GivenCan be repeated once.

Course Components

Type Title Time & Place Hours
lecture Effective Field Theories for Particle Physics
**together with University of Zurich** More information at:
  • Tue 13:45-15:30 (HCI D 2)
2 h weekly
exercise Effective Field Theories for Particle Physics
**together with University of Zurich** More information at:
  • Tue 15:45-16:30 (HCI D 2)
1 h weekly

Offered In