Phenomenology of Fundamental Interactions



The Graduate School in Physics of Torino University organizes different Ph.D. Programmes in Theoretical Physics that are related to the research lines pursued within the Department of Theoretical Physics and the INFN Sezione di Torino and are linked to international collaborations both at the scientific and teaching level.

Phenomenology of Fundamental Interactions consists of two distinct Ph.D Programmes

The different curricula are activated on a yearly basis (November-May) depending on the profile of the selected Ph.D. students. The courses are by default in English.



Ph.D. Programmes on Phenomenology of Fundamental Interactions



We invite external Ph.D. students, in particular from neighboring universities, to participate in our Programmes that are activated on a yearly basis as advertised on the net.





The detailed plan of the introductory courses will depend on the profile of the students. These are assumed to have followed at least three preliminar courses during their training, equivalent to the following three given at Torino University:
  1. Introduction to QFT (50 hours) (G.Passarino)
  2. Introduction to Renormalization (40 hours) (G.Passarino/R.Pittau)
  3. Phenomenology of Fundamental Interactions (50 hours) (A.Bottino/ N.Fornengo)

Students who do not have these courses in their previous training will have to take them during their Ph.D programme. The remaining parts of the detailed plans of study for the two Ph.D. Programmes are as follows:



Physics at Colliders  



Ph.D. students that have an interest in this field will have to follow a teaching path composed by:

  1. An introductory course belonging to the Laurea Programme
  2. 4 cycles of lectures on advanced topics

Introductory course on Radiative Corrections (40 hours)
G.Passarino/R.Pittau


  1. A short summary on:
    1. renormalization of the MSM, including QCD
    2. renormalization schemes
    3. anomalies in QFT
  2. Phenomenology of gauge theories in Born approximation and at one loop
    1. QCD and quark-quark scattering
    2. Introduction to factorization
    3. Parton Model and QCD
    4. Deep inelastic scattering
    5. Drell-Yan cross-section
    6. Electron-positron to hadrons
  3. Introduction to infrared divergences:
    1. Cross-sections with photons
    2. One loop radiative corrections in QED and QCD
    3. Bremsstrahlung
    4. Introduction to KLN theorem and to YFS formalism
Depending on the audience the review on the MSM Lagrangian and renormalization will be expanded.


Advanced lectures on: Introduction to QCD (30 hours)
V.del Duca/L.Magnea


  1. Constituent quarks
  2. DIS and the parton model (also with neutrinos, and application to Drell-Yan)
  3. Review: One-loop renormalization, renormalization group and running coupling
  4. Infrared and collinear divergences in massless QFT, KLN theorem
  5. Exponentiation of IR divergences in QED
  6. Weizsacker-Williams approximation
  7. Re-summation of collinear logarithms for electrons
  8. IR safe observables: R ratio, SW jets, event shape variables
  9. Factorization hypothesis with application to DIS, DY, jet and heavy quark production
  10. Parton distributions and fragmentation functions
  11. Altarelli-Parisi evolution I: from factorization, a' la Weizsacker-Williams
  12. OPE and factorization for DIS
  13. Altarelli-Parisi evolution II: from OPE
  14. Gauge symmetry and Wilson loop
  15. Chiral symmetry breaking:
    1. pions, Goldstone bosons
    2. linear sigma-model
    3. effective Lagrangians

Advanced lectures on: Selected Topics in QCD (30 hours)
V.del Duca/L.Magnea


  1. Modern techniques for the calculation of QCD amplitudes:
    1. color decomposition
    2. helicity amplitudes ...
  2. Steps towards factorization theorems: eikonal approximation; formal definition of parton distributions
  3. Altarelli-Parisi evolution III: as RG equation
  4. Introduction to two-scale problems and re-summation:
    1. small x: LO BFKL
    2. large x: re-summation from factorization (DY)
  5. Tools for phenomenology: jet algorithms, pdf fits, gallery of relevant processes and cross sections

Advanced lectures on: Monte Carlo Computations in High Energy Physics
(30 hours)
A. Ballestrero


  1. Relevance and use of MC computations, Phenomenology - Simulation - Analysis
  2. Different types of theoretical predictions, Analytical and Semi-analytical MC
  3. Matrix elements: exact ME and approximations (as in Pythia, Herwig, etc.)
  4. Applications for helicity amplitudes
  5. Automatic recursive calculations
  6. Phase spaces Invariants. Sequential approach
  7. Integration and generation techniques: adaptive, multi-channel, one-shot
  8. Parton- shower for QED and QCD
  9. Applications:
    1. structure functions and YFS approaches
    2. parton distributions in QCD
    3. hadronization and jets
    4. slicing and subtraction methods, dipole formalism in QCD and QED

Advanced lectures on: Spin in high energy physics (25 hours)
M.Anselmino


  1. Helicity and helicity conservation in fundamental interactions
  2. Polarized lepton-nucleon deep inelastic scattering and polarized structure functions; neutral and charged currents. Sum rules
  3. Polarized structure functions in QCD parton model
  4. Experimental measurements of g1 and g2; tests of sum rules
  5. Transverse spin and measurements of transversal distributions
  6. Fragmentation properties of polarized quarks
  7. Flavour and spin decomposition of distribution and fragmentation functions in semi-inclusive polarized deep inelastic scattering
  8. Spin effects in inclusive nucleon-nucleon processes; factorization theorem in polarized case
  9. Spin asymmetries in inclusive hadronic interactions
  10. Spin effects in exclusive reactions and decays

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Astroparticle and Neutrino Physics  


Ph.D. students will have to follow a teaching path composed of:


  1. Astroparticle Physics (50 hours) (A.Bottino /A.Ferrari)
  2. Particles in Cosmology and Astrophysics (50 hours)
    3. (A. Bottino/ N. Fornengo)
  3. Neutrino Physics (30 hours)
    4. (C.Giunti)

For students interested in topics of nuclear physics related to astroparticle physics, the following course will also be available: Nuclear Topics in Astroparticle Physics (30 hours) (A. Molinari/W.M. Alberico)



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