Particle Physics Phenomenology

The most important milestones in particle physics are put in a historical perspective. We follow a century of scattering experiments, from Rutherford to LHC. We introduce successively the concept of the atomic nucleus, the study of β‎-decay and the proposal of the neutrino, the first internal symmetries, the Fermi theory and the Yukawa meson. In parallel we present the technical achievements in accelerator and detector technologies which made these advances possible. We end with the discovery of strange particles, the flavour SU(3) unitary symmetry, and the introduction of the quarks. This chapter follows a descriptive rather than a deductive approach and summa- rises many aspects of particle physics phenomenology which preceded the discovery of the Standard Model.

On the Reality of Quantum Collapse and the Emergence of Space-Time

We present a model, in which quantum-collapse is supposed to be real as a result of breaking unitary symmetry, and in which we can define a notion of “becoming”. We show how empirical space-time can emerge in this model, if duration is measured by light-clocks. The model opens a possible bridge between Quantum Physics and Relativity Theory and offers a new perspective on some long-standing open questions, both within and between the two theories.

On the Role of Unitary-Symmetry for the Foundation of Probability and Time in a Realist Approach to Quantum Physics

We show that probabilities in quantum physics can be derived from permutation-symmetry and the principle of indifference. We then connect unitary-symmetry to the concept of “time” and define a thermal time-flow by symmetry breaking. Finally, we discuss the coexistence of quantum physics and relativity theory by making use of the thermal time-flow.