SST 2024: Session 1 Links, Materials, Assignment
History of the Standard Model: Part 1
June 18, 2024
7:30pm - 9:30pm Eastern time
Learning objectives:
Understand the driving motivations and important events in the history of particle physics and quantum field theory. Part 1 will cover the beginnings of modern chemistry up to the development of quantum mechanics.
The slides for Session 1 can be found here or here.
The recording of the session can be found here. The chat transcript (with a lot of useful insights and additional video suggestions) can be found here.
Homework assignment (due June 18):
A. Look over the Zoom etiquette handout, sent via email.
B. Make a slide introducing yourself. The link to the slides was sent via email. Find the slide with your name on it, and fill in a photo and some information about yourself so we can get to know each other!
C. Do the Heisenberg uncertainty principle data exercise on the QuarkNet website: https://quarknet.org/sites/default/files/heisenberg_student_%2023sep2019.pdf
In particular, be prepared to discuss the following three questions:
What happens to Δx when Δp increases? (Can you describe it mathematically?)
How does your mathematical model support or contradict Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle? Describe your reasoning.
How would improving the experimental setup change these results and your claims?
The homework should take approximately one hour to complete.
Additional resources:
History of the Planetary Model of the atom, including contributions by Hantaro Nagaoka which we glossed over in the lecture: https://www.nuclear-power.com/nuclear-power/reactor-physics/atomic-nuclear-physics/atomic-theory/saturnian-model-of-the-atom-nagaokas-planetary-model/
Copenhagen interpretation, issues, and alternatives: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen_interpretation
Definitive paper by Geiger and Marsden showing results of the Rutherford scattering experiment: https://www.chemteam.info/Chem-History/GeigerMarsden-1913/GeigerMarsden-1913.html
History of atomic chemistry, Khan Academy lesson: https://www.khanacademy.org/science/chemistry/electronic-structure-of-atoms/history-of-atomic-structure/a/daltons-atomic-theory-version-2
APS article on the history of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle: https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200802/physicshistory.cfm
APS article on the discovery of the neutron: https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200705/physicshistory.cfm
“Subatomic Stories” videos by Don Lincoln:
Heisenberg uncertainty principle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5l_ehnM73w
Antimatter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nvq-63ild0&list=PLCfRa7MXBEspXPQVseC0dDV8nWfQXe_6g
“Physics girl” video on the ultraviolet catastrophe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXfrncRey-4
Horizons: The Global Origins of Modern Science by James Poskett
Data portfolio resources:
Teacher’s resource for Heisenberg uncertainty principle data activity (with additional references): https://quarknet.org/data-portfolio/activity/what-heisenberg-knew
Relationship between energy, momentum, and mass
QuarkNet reference guide: https://quarknet.org/page/energy-momentum-and-mass
QuarkNet data activity: https://quarknet.org/data-portfolio/activity/energy-momentum-and-mass