Theoretical Foundations of Single Top Quark Physics at the LHC

The standard model of particle physics (SM) is the undisputed theory to describe all fundamental particles known to date. It also describes their interaction through the strong, electromagnetic, and weak forces. A summary of the most important aspects is given in Sect. 2.1, more detailed descriptions are given for example in Refs. [1–3]. The SM is also known to be incomplete; for example, the gravitation, dark matter, or dark energy are not addressed by this model.