Spring 2027

Introduction to Particle Physics

Introduction to particle physics covering quantum physics review, fundamental interactions, detectors, accelerators, symmetries, and unification theories.

offering recorded3 credits
Recorded instructors · Spring 2027 Yang Bai3.8/5

Summary

1 / 3

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2024: 3.77 GPA, 90.9% A/AB (n=11 letter grades); Spring 2025: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=12 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.73 GPA, 84.6% A/AB (n=13 letter grades).

What you’ll be able to do

  • Calculate all relevant kinematic quantities for particle scattering and decays.

  • Use conservation laws to identify allowed and disallowed interactions in the Standard Model.

  • Draw all possible allowed vertices and Feynman diagrams for various particle scattering and decays in the Standard Model.

  • Setup first order matrix elements for particle scattering and decays including scalar, vector and spinor fields.

  • Estimate order of magnitude of cross sections and decay rates for various particle scattering and decays.

  • Specify all possible interactions of stable particles with matter.

  • Explain how particle detectors and particle accelerators of various types work.

Source: UW Guide

Grade history

↗
average GPA
letter grades
A
AB
B
BC
C
D
F

All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors

Prerequisites

Course map

PHYSICS 448 or concurrent enrollment,PHYSICS 531 or concurrent enrollment, or graduate/professional or special student standing

PHYSICS 535

This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.

Prerequisite text tree

Professors

Spring 2027
Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.50/5 from 4 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2018: 3.62 GPA, 84.6% A/AB (n=13 letter grades); Spring 2024: 3.77 GPA, 90.9% A/AB (n=11 letter grades).

Historical instructors & teaching patterns

YANG BAI is recorded teaching in Spring 2018, Spring 2024. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Calendar & sections

Spring 2027

Schedule loads here as you scroll.

SectionModeEnrolled / capacityWaitlist
LEC 001Classroom Instruction0 / 350

Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.

Meeting source records
Download part 1

Student experience

the class

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2024: 3.77 GPA, 90.9% A/AB (n=11 letter grades); Spring 2025: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=12 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.73 GPA, 84.6% A/AB (n=13 letter grades).

difficulty & workload

No workload feedback recorded.

Topics

  • Particles, antiparticles, and fundamental interactions.
  • Particle detectors and accelerators.
  • Symmetries and conservation laws.
  • Electroweak and color interactions of quarks and leptons.
  • Unification theories.

Skills

  • Calculate kinematic quantities for particle scattering and decays.
  • Identify allowed and disallowed interactions using conservation laws.
  • Draw allowed vertices and Feynman diagrams for particle processes.
  • Set up first-order matrix elements for scattering and decays.
  • Estimate orders of magnitude for cross sections and decay rates.
  • Explain the operation of particle detectors and accelerators.

Grades

Latest available · Spring 2026— not enough history to project Spring 2027.

average GPA
A / AB grades
letter grades
Instructor

Grade distribution · % of letter grades

A
AB
B
BC
C
D
F

Grades over time

Through Spring 2026

More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data

Not enough comparable courses for Spring 2027 in UW–Madison.

Sources & history

UW–Madison

Catalog & offerings

Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.

Catalog observation history

Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.

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Selected offering source records
PHYSICS 535 · Spring 2027

Introduction to Particle Physics

Recorded 2026-10-14
Raw records 
[
  {
    "run_id": "20261014T203208-0851c9a1",
    "semester": "1274",
    "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1274:754:015650",
    "course_id": "PHYSICS 535",
    "course_uid": "course_20648c54cfcd4858fda49657",
    "term_id": "1274",
    "source_course_id": "015650",
    "source_subject_id": "754",
    "title": "Introduction to Particle Physics",
    "credits_min": 3,
    "credits_max": 3,
    "typically_offered": "Fall"
  }
]
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Student reviews

Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.

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Madgrades

Grade history

Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.

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Dataset & model

Recorded 2026-10-14

View the dataset on Hugging Face
Model outputs & technical records
Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B
LLM outputs across runs
Download part 1
Full model traces

Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.

Download part 1
Model & dataset provenance 
{
  "model": "Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B",
  "model_revision": "1d4bf0f2ff6012fd82039f2fa52739d0dd7c60c0",
  "task_version": "17",
  "output_id": "400d6fced337506710dad9470afe600147864fd3d4e449d80dae145a13db6484",
  "requirements_status": "needs_review",
  "dataset_revision": "fc1811fa52e581ea57a35c0cf3343f8740a8ffbf",
  "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00"
}