The Standard Model of Particle Physics

A concise introduction to the Standard Model of fundamental particle interactions is presented.Comment: To appear in the ''Encyclopedia of Mathematical Physics", Elsevie

Status of Neutrino Masses and Mixing in 2010

We present a short summary of our present knowledge and understanding of neutrino masses and mixing.Comment: 15 pages, 2 figures. Talk given at the Quarks, Strings and the Cosmos - Hector Rubinstein Memorial Symposium, August 09-11, 2010, AlbaNova, Stockholm, Swede

Status of Neutrino Masses and Mixing in 2009

We present a very concise summary of the status of our knowledge and understanding of neutrino masses and mixing.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figure. Talk given at the Rencontres de Physique de la Vallee d'Aoste, La Thuile, Aosta Valley (Italy). March 1-7, 200

New Physics and the LHC

In these lectures I start by briefly reviewing the status of the electroweak theory, in the Standard Model and beyond. I then discuss the motivation and the possible avenues for new physics, on the brink of the LHC start.Comment: 35 pages, 8 figures. Lectures given at the Lake Louise Winter Institute, Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, 18-23 February 200

Theoretical Models of Neutrino Mixing: Recent Developments

The data on neutrino mixing are at present compatible with Tri-Bimaximal (TB) mixing. If one takes this indication seriously then the models that lead to TB mixing in first approximation are particularly interesting and A4 models are prominent in this list. However, the agreement of TB mixing with the data could still be an accident. We discuss a recent model based on S4 where Bimaximal mixing is instead valid at leading order and the large corrections needed to reproduce the data arise from the diagonalization of charged leptons. The value of $\theta_{13}$ could distinguish between the two alternatives.Comment: 21 pages. Talk at the 13th International Workshop on Neutrino Telescopes, Venice, March 10-13, 200

Normal and Special Models of Neutrino Masses and Mixings

One can make a distinction between "normal" and "special" models. For normal models $\theta_{23}$ is not too close to maximal and $\theta_{13}$ is not too small, typically a small power of the self-suggesting order parameter $\sqrt{r}$, with $r=\Delta m_{sol}^2/\Delta m_{atm}^2 \sim 1/35$. Special models are those where some symmetry or dynamical feature assures in a natural way the near vanishing of $\theta_{13}$ and/or of $\theta_{23}- \pi/4$. Normal models are conceptually more economical and much simpler to construct. Here we focus on special models, in particular a recent one based on A4 discrete symmetry and extra dimensions that leads in a natural way to a Harrison-Perkins-Scott mixing matrix.Comment: To be published in the Proceedings of Rencontres de Physique de la Vall\'ee d'Aoste, La Thuile, Ital

Lectures on Models of Neutrino Masses and Mixings

We present a concise review of models for neutrino masses and mixings with particular emphasis on recent developments and current problems. We discuss in detail attempts at reproducing approximate tri-bimaximal mixing starting from discrete symmetry groups, notably A4. We discuss the problems encountered when trying to extend the symmetry to the quark sector and to construct Grand Unified versions.Comment: Two lectures given at the Summer Institute 2007, 3-10 August 2007, Fuji-Yoshida, Japan 27 pages, 3 figure

Particle Physics at the LHC Start

I present a concise review of where we stand in particle physics today. First, I will discuss the status of the Standard Model, its open problems and the expected answers from the LHC. Then I will briefly review the avenues for New Physics that can be revealed by the LHC.Comment: 25 pages, 7 figures. Talk given at the Conference "The Legacy of Edoardo Amaldi in Science and Society", Rome, Italy, October 23-25, 200

An Update on Models of Neutrino Masses and Mixings

At the School I gave three lectures on neutrino masses and mixings. Much of the material covered in my first two lectures is written down in a review on the subject that I published not long ago with F. Feruglio \cite{rev}. Here, I make a relatively short summary (with updates) of the content of my first two lectures, referring to our review for a more detailed presentation, and then I expand on the content of the third lecture which was dedicated to recent work on A4 models of tri-bimaximal neutrino mixing which were not covered in the review.Comment: Lectures given at IPM-LHP06, Tehran, Iran; PSN: IPM-LHP06-sch. 14 pages, 1 figure Typos corrected, one reference adde

Particle Physics: a Progress Report

We present a concise review of where we stand in particle physics today. First we discuss QCD, then the electroweak sector and finally the motivations and the avenues for new physics beyond the Standard Model.Comment: 20 pages, to appear in the Proceedings of IFAE 2006, Pavia, Ital