Surveys in theoretical high energy physics 1

Book excerpt: The recent discovery at the Large Hadron Collider, of what is very likely the Higgs particle, has given a fillip to research in High Energy physics. These experiments hold the promise of a glimpse of physics beyond the Standard Model, which while having been verified to great accuracy, cannot be the final theory. Uncomfortable gaps -both theoretical and experimental- remain in our understanding. Lecture notes from the SERC School in Theoretical High Energy Physics held at IIT Bombay in February 2008 are contained in this volume. Topics that were covered then are of continuing importance, more so in the light of the ongoing LHC experiment. The various chapters in the book include an extensive survey of LHC physics that together with formal aspects and models of supersymmetry, review the state of the art in our understanding of the Standard Model and beyond. The article on B Physics and CP violations add to this, while the chapter on thermal field theory reviews the formalism necessary to understand the early universe and to embark on an analysis of quark-gluon plasma in heavy ion collisions. Written in a clear pedagogic style by active researchers, this text will prepare a beginner to work in the field and at the same time will also provide useful reference material for active researchers.