Spontaneous symmetry breaking and Goldstone bosons

Particle Physics 2: Standard Model (Winter, 2010)

Lecture Playlist

  1. Particles fields and forces

  2. Quantum chromodynamics

  3. Group theory – part 1

  4. Group theory – part 2

  5. Gauge fields and symmetry

  6. The weak interaction

  7. Spontaneous symmetry breaking and Goldstone bosons

  8. The Higgs field

  9. The Higgs field and fermions

  10. Renormalization and the running of coupling constants

February 22, 2010

In this lecture Professor Susskind shows how spontaneous symmetry breaking in a field theory can lead to the creation of Goldstone bosons like the photon and gluons.

Topics: 
  • Spontaneous symmetry breaking
  • Local variation of gauge invariance - Goldstone bosons
  • Covariant derivative
References