Andrew Larkoski |
Assistant Project Scientist
UCLA Physics & Astronomy Department
email: larkoski _AT_ ucla.edu
Research
I am a theoretical particle physicist with interests in the physics of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). My research focuses on understanding and modeling jets, which are high-energy collimated streams of particles. Jets are the manifestation of the strong force, quantum chromodynamics, in the highest energy proton collisions at the LHC. Much of my work has been in the development and predictions of observables for probing the substructure of jets. These are fascinating objects and studying them teaches us an enormous amount about fundamental physics!
You can find a list of my papers here: Inspire
Teaching
From 2016 through 2021, I taught at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Below you will find my lecture notes and course materials for the classes I taught.
Spring 2017, Spring 2019, Spring 2021: Physics 366, Elementary Particle Physics
Spring 2020: Physics 342, Quantum Mechanics I
Fall 2019, Fall 2020: Physics 101, General Physics I
Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Spring 2019: Physics 367, Computational Methods
Fall 2018: Physics 411, General Relativity
Particle Physics Textbook
I wrote a textbook on particle physics appropriate for late undergraduate/early
graduate students, published by Cambridge University Press. The book attempts to be a modern, intuitive approach
to particle physics, focusing on symmetries and their consequences for the fundamental
forces most relevant for particle physics, the strong and weak forces. Exercises and examples utilize results from
the LHC, LEP, IceCube, Daya Bay, and other contemporary particle physics experiments.
You can order the book directly from Cambridge and on Amazon.
Review at CERN Courier
Errata
Quantum Mechanics Textbook
I wrote a textbook on quantum mechancis appropriate for advanced undergraduate students, published by Cambridge University Press. The book attempts to present this ancient topic in a novel, modern way,
motivating quantum mechanics through the assumption that the universe is linear in a complex-valued vector space. Many advanced topics are covered, like the path integral and density matrix, and well-worn topics are
presented from a new perspective, like solving the hydrogen atom with the Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector.
You can order the book directly from Cambridge and on Amazon.
Review at CERN Courier
Errata
Links to Recent Talks
EIC Consortium Meeting
BOOST 2022 Retrospective
SLAC Friday Seminar
LBNL Nuclear Group
Berkeley/SLAC ATLAS Group
ILC Working Group 3 Meeting
ISMD 2021
Nikhef Seminar
CERN Jets Workshop
2021 Parton Showers and Resummation Workshop
Press
Courses We'd Love to Take, Physics 366, Reed Magazine, Sept. 13, 2018
Piece on Wu-Ki Tung Award, Reed Magazine, Jan. 31, 2018
Piece on CMS Open Data Analysis, MIT News, Sept. 29, 2017
Piece on my student Kaustuv Datta's thesis, Reed Magazine, Sept. 6, 2017
Op-Ed in San Jose Mercury News, April 7, 2011
Personal
Links