Question 1
Which of the following particles is NOT a lepton?
A. Electron
B. Muon
C. Proton
D. Tau
Question 2
The Higgs boson is associated with:
A. Electromagnetic force
B. Gravitational force
C. Weak nuclear force
D. Higgs field
Question 3
Which of the following is NOT a force carrier particle?
A. Photon
B. Gluon
C. Neutrino
D. W boson
Question 4
What is the primary role of quarks in the standard model of particle physics?
A. They are force carrier particles.
B. They combine to form hadrons.
C. They provide mass to other particles.
D. They mediate the electromagnetic force.
Question 5
Which of the following is a potential candidate for dark matter?
A. Higgs boson
B. Neutrino
C. WIMP (Weakly Interacting Massive Particle)
D. Gluon
Question 6
a) Describe the properties of quarks and leptons, highlighting their fundamental differences. [4]
b) Explain the conservation laws that apply in particle reactions and their significance in understanding particle interactions. [3]
Question 7
a) Define the four fundamental forces in nature and identify their associated force carrier particles. [4]
b) Explain how the Higgs boson contributes to the understanding of particle masses and its role in the Standard Model. [3]
Question 8
a) Discuss the concept of supersymmetry in particle physics, including its predictions and potential implications for particle interactions. [3]
b) Explain the significance of dark matter in cosmology and particle physics. How does it challenge our understanding of the universe? [3]
Question 9
a) Explain the concept of the conservation of strangeness in particle interactions, providing examples to illustrate its application. [4]
b) Discuss the role of the weak nuclear force in transforming quarks and leptons, emphasising the challenges in detecting and studying weak interactions. [3]
c) Describe how neutrino oscillation experiments contribute to our understanding of neutrino properties and their implications for the Standard Model. [4]
Question 10
a) Discuss the concept of the strong CP problem in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and the role of the theta parameter. Explain why the observed neutron electric dipole moment is relevant to this problem. [5]
b) Describe the experiments designed to measure the neutron electric dipole moment and their significance in testing QCD predictions. [4]
c) Explain how the QCD vacuum structure contributes to the understanding of confinement and the formation of hadrons. [4]