Description
The standard model of fundamental interactions is
based on
the quantum theory of fields in particle physics and on
general relativity in cosmology. It consists on a set of
effective theories (the Electroweak theory, Quantum
Chromodynamics and the Big Bang cosmological model)
that
give, with the help of a finite and fixed number of
adjustable parameters, an acceptable agreement with
all
experimental and observational data on the microscopic
structure of matter and on the evolution of the universe.
These introduction lectures are devoted to a historical
and
epistemological overview of the main achievements and
prospects of this standard model. The dynamical tension
between its robustness and its upgradeability appears
to be
a characteristic of the methodology of modern scientific
research.
Author
Prof.
Gilles Cohen-Tannoudji
(CEA Paris)
