The Determination of the Strong Coupling Constant

TL;DR

This paper reviews the theoretical background, historical measurements, and current status of the strong coupling constant in particle physics, emphasizing recent experimental results from LEP and LHC.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the methods and recent experimental determinations of the strong coupling constant within the standard model.

Findings

Current world average value of the strong coupling constant.

Summary of experimental techniques at LEP and LHC.

Discussion of the theoretical framework connecting observables to the coupling constant.

Abstract

The strong coupling constant is one of the fundamental parameters of the standard model of particle physics. In this review I will briefly summarise the theoretical framework, within which the strong coupling constant is defined and how it is connected to measurable observables. Then I will give an historical overview of its experimental determinations and discuss the current status and world average value. Among the many different techniques used to determine this coupling constant in the context of quantum chromodynamics, I will focus in particular on a number of measurements carried out at the Large Electron Positron Collider (LEP) and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN.