Particle physics deals with the elementary building blocks of matter and the forces that act between them. The exploration of subatomic particles began in 1896 with Henri Becquerel's discovery of radioactive radiation, J.J. Thomson's discovery of the electron as a constituent of the atom in 1897, followed by Ernest Rutherford's discovery of the atomic nucleus in 1911.
With the further development of experimental methods and advances in theoretical understanding, the structure of matter, i.e., atoms, nuclei, nucleons, and eventually quarks, could be identified. Quarks and leptons (the electron belongs to the family of leptons) thus form the elementary building blocks from which matter in the universe is composed.
With knowledge of elementary particles and how they interact with each other, insight into the birth and evolution of the universe can be gained, leading to a coherent picture supported by measurements and insights from astrophysics and cosmology.
- Enseignant·e: Hans Peter Beck
- Enseignant·e: Augustin Muster
- Enseignant·e non éditeur: Tristan Diotte
- Enseignant·e non éditeur: Manuel Helfer