From Spinors to Supersymmetry

Supersymmetry is an extension of the successful Standard Model of particle physics; it relies on the principle that fermions and bosons are related by a symmetry, leading to an elegant predictive structure for quantum field theory. This textbook provides a comprehensive and pedagogical introduction to supersymmetry and spinor techniques in quantum field theory. By utilising the two-component spinor formalism for fermions, the authors provide many examples of practical calculations relevant for collider physics signatures, anomalies, and radiative corrections. They present in detail the component field and superspace formulations of supersymmetry and explore related concepts, including the theory of extended Higgs sectors, models of grand unification, and the origin of neutrino masses. Numerous exercises are provided at the end of each chapter. Aimed at graduate students and researchers, this volume provides a clear and unified treatment of theoretical concepts that are at the frontiers of high energy particle physics.

Author Biography

Herbi K. Dreiner is Professor of Physics at the University of Bonn. He received his PhD from the University of Wisconsin, and also worked at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), the University of Oxford, ETH Zürich and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. He is the author of over 100 scientific papers on supersymmetry and has received several teaching prizes. He is a founder of the Bonn Physics Show for which he received the European Physical Society High Energy Physics (EPS-HEP) Outreach Prize. Howard E. Haber is a Distinguished Professor of Physics at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and is a Fellow of the American Physical Society. He is a co-author of The Higgs Hunter’s Guide, published by Perseus Books in 1990. He won an Alexander von Humboldt Research Award in 2009 and was a co-recipient of the 2017 American Physical Society J. J. Sakurai Prize for Theoretical Particle Physics. Stephen P. Martin is a Professor of Physics at Northern Illinois University, where he received the university’s highest award for teaching excellence. He gained his Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Barbara and is a Fellow of the American Physical Society. He has authored over 100 papers in high-energy physics.