Public Lecture : Em.Prof Cesareo A. Dominguez – 2012

Public Lecture Series 2012

Professor Cesareo A. Dominguez FRSSAf , Centre for Mathematical & Theoretical Physics and Department of Physics, University of Cape Town will present a lecture (& demonstration) entitled  THE HIGGS PARTICLE : HISTORY AND DISCOVERY

Wednesday 24th October 2012 at 5 pm at the SAAO Auditorium, Observatory Road, Observatory

ABSTRACT
The recent detection at CERN of a new elementary particle, believed to be the so called Higgs particle, is arguably the greatest scientific discovery of the XXI century. It is a triumph of both Science and Engineering involving many decades of painstaking work by a few thousand physicists and engineers. In this talk a historical review will be presented of the discovery of subatomic particles, starting with the electron, the nucleus, protons and neutrons, quarks, and the Higgs particle. A table-top apparatus similar to that of J.J. Thomson will be used in a demonstration to rediscover the electron, and illustrate the need for particle accelerators to unveil the laws of Nature in the micro-cosmos. This will be followed by an explanation of the so called Higgs phenomenon, the Higgs particle, and its place in the Standard Model of Particle Physics, the current theory describing the electromagnetic, the strong, and the weak forces. This talk is intended for the general public, with no previous knowledge of this topic, and it will involve no technical or mathematical explanations.

ALL WELCOME

*Directions to SAAO Auditorium : Coming from the N2,turn off to the M57 – Liesbeek Parkway; turning in the direction of Cape Town and continue to the traffic lights with Hartleyvale (hockey and football) on your left. Turn right at traffic lights into Observatory Road, pass the River Club; the S A Astronomical Observatory is next on the left. Once through the security gates bear left following the SALT signs to the last building on the left (white with stoep & ramp).