Particle & Nuclear Physics

The aim of subatomic physics is to understand matter and the fundamental forces in the universe and ultimately form a Theory of Everything. The Standard Model of Particle Physics beautifully brings together three of the four forces of nature (strong, electromagnetic and weak) in a framework encompassing 6 quarks and 6 leptons, along with the gauge particles which mediate their interactions (photons, W and Z bosons, the Higgs particle, and gluons). Ultimately, we hope to incorporate the fourth force in nature, gravity, into this Standard Model, and the leading candidate theory for a Theory of Everything is String Theory.  Nuclear physics studies how fundamental forces behave in nuclei and has numerous applications in astrophysics, nuclear energy, and nuclear medicine.

Bubble Chamber Photograph
A classic Bubble chamber photograph
from CERN.

Particle and Subatomic Physics Facilities

Studying nature's tiniest particles, ironically, tends to require the largest experimental facilities found in physics. UBC's experimental particle physicists conduct experiments at several of the largest particle physics facilities in the world: the LHC at CERNSNOLABKEK and J-PARC near Tokyo. At UBC, we have such a facility on campus, TRIUMF, which serves as national infrastructure laboratory for all Canadian particle physics projects.


Source URL: https://phas.ubc.ca/particle-nuclear-physics