Flavour physics and CP violation

Abstract

This is a written version of a series of lectures aimed at graduate students in particle theory/string theory/particle experiment familiar with the basics of the Standard Model. We explain the many reasons for the interest in flavour physics. We describe flavour physics and the related CP violation within the Standard Model, and explain how the B-factories proved that the Kobayashi-Maskawa mechanism dominates the CP violation that is observed in meson decays. We explain the implications of flavour physics for new physics. We emphasize the "new physics flavour puzzle". As an explicit example, we explain how the recent measurements of D0-D0 mixing constrain the supersymmetric flavour structure. We explain how the ATLAS and CMS experiments can solve the new physics flavour puzzle and perhaps shed light on the standard model flavour puzzle. Finally, we describe various interpretations of the neutrino flavour data and their impact on flavour models.