Supersymmetry and String Theory: Beyond the Standard Model

by Michael Dine

Overview

The past decade has witnessed dramatic developments in the fields of experimental and theoretical particle physics and cosmology. This fully updated second edition is a comprehensive introduction to these recent developments and brings this self-contained textbook right up to date. Brand new material for this edition includes the groundbreaking Higgs discovery, results of the WMAP and Planck experiments. Extensive discussion of theories of dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking and a new chapter on the landscape, as well as a completely rewritten coda on future directions gives readers a modern perspective on this developing field. A focus on three principle areas: supersymmetry, string theory, and astrophysics and cosmology provide the structure for this book which will be of great interest to graduates and researchers in the fields of particle theory, string theory, astrophysics and cosmology. The book contains several problems, and password-protected solutions will be available to lecturers at www.cambridge.org/9781107048386.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781316403761
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	01/07/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	10 MB

About the Author

Michael Dine is Professor of Physics at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He is an A. P. Sloan Foundation Fellow, a Fellow of the American Physical Society and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Prior to this, Professor Dine was a Research Associate at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, a long-term member of the Institute for Advanced Study, and Henry Semat Professor at the City College of the City University of New York.

Table of Contents

Preface to the first edition; Preface to the second edition; A note on choice of metric; Text website; Part I. Effective Field Theory: The Standard Model, Supersymmetry, Unification: 1. Before the Standard Model; 2. The Standard Model; 3. Phenomenology of the Standard Model; 4. The Standard Model as an effective field theory; 5. Anomalies, instantons and the strong CP problem; 6. Grand unification; 7. Magnetic monopoles and solitons; 8. Technicolor: a first attempt to explain hierarchies; Part II. Supersymmetry: 9. Supersymmetry; 10. A first look at supersymmetry breaking; 11. The Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model; 12. Supersymmetric grand unification; 13. Supersymmetric dynamics; 14. Dynamical supersymmetry breaking; 15. Theories with more than four conserved supercharges; 16. More supersymmetric dynamics; 17. An introduction to general relativity; 18. Cosmology; 19. Astroparticle physics and inflation; Part III. String Theory: 20. Introduction; 21. The bosonic string; 22. The superstring; 23. The heterotic string; 24. Effective actions in ten dimensions; 25. Compactification of string theory I. Tori and orbifolds; 26. Compactification of string theory II. Calabi–Yau compactifications; 27. Dynamics of string theory at weak coupling; 28. Beyond weak coupling: non-perturbative string theory; 29. Large and warped extra dimensions; 30. The landscape: a challenge to the naturalness principle; 31. Coda: where are we headed?; Part IV. The Appendices: Appendix A. Two-component spinors; Appendix B. Goldstone's theorem and the pi mesons; Appendix C. Some practice with the path integral in field theory; Appendix D. The beta function in supersymmetric Yang–Mills theory; References; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"An excellent survey and timely introduction to a wide range of topics concerning physics beyond the standard model, by one of the most dynamic researchers in the field. Dine has a gift for explaining difficult concepts in a transparent way. The book has wonderful insights to offer beginning graduate students and experienced researchers alike."
Nima Arkani-Hamed, Institute for Advanced Study

"How many times did you need to find the answer to a basic question about the formalism and especially the phenomenology of general relativity, the Standard Model, its supersymmetric and grand unified extensions, and other serious models of new physics, as well as the most important experimental constraints and the realization of the key models within string theory? Dine's book will solve most of these problems for you and give you much more, namely the state-of-the-art picture of reality as seen by a leading superstring phenomenologist."
Lubos Motl, Harvard University

"This book gives a broad overview of most of the current issues in theoretical high energy physics. It introduces and discusses a wide range of topics from a pragmatic point of view. Although some of these topics are addressed in other books, this one gives a uniform and self-contained exposition of all of them. The book can be used as an excellent text in various advanced graduate courses. It is also an extremely useful reference book for researchers in the field, both for graduate students and established senior faculty. Dine's deep insights and broad perspective make this book an essential text. I am sure it will become a classic. Many physicists expect that with the advent of the LHC a revival of model building will take place. This book is the best tool kit a modern model builder will need."
Nathan Seiberg, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton

"Dine's 170-page introduction to string theory covers a broad range of topics... and indeed describe the state of the art and science today."
Gordan Kane, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor for Physics Today

"An excellent book and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in understanding the possible role of string theory and low-energy supersymmetry in carrying physics beyond the Standard Model."
Douglas J. Smith, Mathematical Reviews

From the Publisher