Subatomic Physics

418 The Electroweak Theory of the Standard Model
the scheme presented in this chapter would be the observation of the Higgs particle
itself. This is expected to happen at the LHC experiments.
We have described experiments performed at the highest energies available in
accelerators, but many tests of the standard model have been performed at lower
energies as well. (13) Many other tests of the electroweak sector of the standard
model, that we don’t have room to present here, have been performed, and, in brief,
excellent agreement has been found over a broad range of phenomena and energies.
This is a remarkable achievment. However, after enjoying this triumph for a short
while, physicists are now again searching for discrepancies with the model. This is
based on a conviction that there must be a theory deeper than the standard model
that could explain some of its apparently arbitrary parameters (like the values of
the masses of the particles and the Weinberg angle (14) ) and give a deeper insight
on how nature works.
13.5 References
A somewhat technical, but complete book devoted to the weak interactions and the
electroweak theory is E. D. Commins and P. H. Bucksbaum, Weak Interactions of
Leptons and Quarks, Cambridge University Press, New York, 1983; for up-to-date
information, see PDG. A recent resource letter by J.L. Rosner, Am. Jour. Phys.
71, 302 (2003) provides a good list of references for different subtopics.
There are also a number of historical reviews. The Nobel lectures given by S.
L. Glashow, Rev. Mod. Phys. 52, 539 (1980), A. Salam, Rev. Mod. Phys. 52,
525 (1980), and S. Weinberg, Rev. Mod. Phys. 52, 515 (1980) give insight into
the development of the theory. Others are S. Weinberg, Sci. Amer. 231, 50(July
1974); P.Q. Hung and C. Quigg, Science, 210, 1205, (1980); M.K. Gaillard, Comm.
Nucl. Part. Phys. 9, 39 (1980); G. ‘t Hooft, Sci. Amer. 242, 104 (June 1980); H.
Georgi, Sci. Amer. 244, 40 (April 1981), M.A.B. Beg and A. Sirlin, Phys. Rep. 88,
1 (1982); S. Weinberg, Phys. Today, 39, 35 (August 1986); P. Langacker and A.K.
Mann, Phys. Today, 42, 22 (Dec. 1989). An historical perspective on the discovery
of neutral currents is given by P. Galison, Rev. Mod. Phys. 55, 477 (1983) and by
F. Sciulli, Prog. Part. Nucl. Phys. (D. H. Wilkinson, ed.) 2, 41 (1979). Other
reviews of neutral currents include T. W. Donnely and R.D. Peccei, Phys. Rep. 50,
1 (1979); C. Baltay, Comm. Nucl. Part. Phys. 8, 157 (1979); J.E. Kim et al., Rev.
Mod. Phys. 53, 211 (1981), P. Q. Hung and J. J. Sakurai, Annu. Rev. Nucl. Part.
Sci. 31, 375 (1981); L.M. Sehgal, Prog. Part. Nucl. Phys., (A. Faessler, ed.) 14,
1 (1985); D.B. Cline, ed. Weak Neutral Current; the Discovery of the Electro-Weak
Force.Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA .
Tests of the electroweak theory are described in C. Kiesling, Recent Experimental
Tests of the Standard Theory of Electroweak Interactions, Springer Tracts in Modern
13 See for example, N. Severijns and M. Beck, Rev. Mod. Phys. 77, (2006).
14 R. N. Cahn, Rev. Mod. Phys. 68, 951 (1996).