Date/Time
Date(s) - 10/11/2004
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Title: The Origin of Mass and the Top Quark

Speaker: Dr. Pierre Savard

Institute: University of Toronto
Department of Physics

Location: ABB 102

Description:

What determines the mass of fundamental particles? In the Standard Model of particle physics, a particle’s mass is determined by the strength of its interaction with a field whose associated particle, the Higgs boson, still eludes experimental confirmation. For all matter particles, this interaction strength is small, except for the top quark. I will give a quick overview of the concept of mass in physics and explain how high energy particle experiments measure mass. I will then explain why the exotic top quark could be a link to our understanding of the mechanism responsible for giving mass to particles.