Modern Particle Physics

The author writes that this book is based on a final-year undergraduate lecture course that he gave at the University of Cambridge and that the only prerequisites are quantum mechanics and special relativity. I would say that this is definitely true and the author succeeding in writing a particle physics book for such an audience. This book is a great book, well-suited for final-year undergraduate physics students or introductory graduate physics students.It is definitely not the most rigorous book on particle physics with sophisticated discussions on quantum fields. This book should be used as an introduction to the Standard Model, where one learns what the Standard Model is about and how to do some scattering calculations. This book also discusses important particle physics experiments much more than, say, David Griffith's particle physics textbook. If you are interested in not just learning the theory and like to read about the key experiments that relate to the theory, this book is a good introduction. However, the derivation of the Feynman rules is only briefly discussed and the derivation is sketched. You will need to read a more advanced textbook if you want a rigorous discussion of the Feynman rules. But there are plenty of books for more advanced topics, so this shouldn't be viewed as a problem with this textbook. Overall, this book achieves the goals that the author had in mind and if you fall under the intended audience then I think you will enjoy the book.

Excellent book--it assumes an undergraduate understanding of quantum mechanics. It builds upon itself, including a chapter dedicated to underlying quantum-mechanical mechanisms while also going into advanced topics including rudimentary QCD and the Higgs boson. Interestingly, the book includes a unique focus on the applications of particle physics in collider physics contexts with multiple sections and practice problems modeling a given scenario and supplementing it with experimental data. Great purchase.

Finally, a particle physics text that doesn't suck eggs!Update: After working with this text to prepare my class for this fall semester, I'm even more impressed with it than I was originally. It's extremely well written, at the right level for the intended audience, and thoroughly modern in presentation and outlook. It really conveys the way modern particle physicists approach the field. Just as importantly is what it leaves out: all the ancient approaches to the field - historically relevant and powerful though they may be - that tend to confuse the novice. It also eschews the historical approach to the field that many other texts use to their detriment. For instructors, the solutions manual is fantastic! It's one of the few solutions manuals I've ever seen that is self-contained ... the statement of every problem is repeated right before the solution. No more need to have both the text and the solutions manual open at the same time to figure out what problem is being answered!

A thorough introduction to Modern Particle Physics if you don't let the formulas intimidate you. Very readable and crammed with examples which would benefit from some worked examples to give an interested/informed person and hint of what the exercises are trying to impart. Otherwise the impact of the examples are largely lost on most students...

Prof. Thomson is the author of the most up to date and "user friendliest" book Particle Physics book !His explanation of (and derived equations with ) Chirality vs. Helicity states is worth the price of the book !This is definitely the book to own if you want to learn and get up to speed with Modern Particle Physics.The section of Neutrino oscillations (and their detection via Nuclear Reactor sources) is unique to this text .I'd recommend studying this book before attempting to learn the intricacies of Quantum Field Theory.There are many great QFT books out there.The book by Prof. Schwartz is fabulous clear, thorough, insightful and fun to read.

I am not usually inclined to write reviews but in this case.. what a wonderful book. This text makes the world of particle physics accessible to those with a college level physics background and a basic understanding of quantum mechanical principles, relativity, and linear algebra. I am in the medical profession but have a degree in physics from 1977. I think that the text is written at an upper level undergraduate level. For those who want to see the math at a basic level this is as good as it gets. The author has gone to great effort to write out all of the mathematical detail which is often lacking in other books. The Higgs boson, gauge theory, electroweak mixing, quantum chromodynamics are all written with great clarity. I am very happy with my purchase.

The previous reviewer seems to be reviewing the Standard Model and not the book.This book, considering to whom it was intended, is the best I've seen. The style and organization of the material makes you realize the author is a gifted teacher, a generous one at that, he just doesn't state results, he guides and illuminates with plenty of alacrity the structure of the theory. His writing is clear and flows, you are not distracted with the jerky style of some authors.Of course you must meet the prerequisites, if you don't, it could be tough going. Someone trying to enter the field in a serious way should read this book first!The book's appearance, font and spacing, is attractive.For me it was a joy to have read this book.