The Charm of Strange Quarks: Mysteries and Revolutions of Particle Physics

by R. Michael Barnett, G.J. Aubrecht, R.N. Cahn, Henry Muehry, J. Dorfan

Overview

A primer on the evolution of particle physics and the search for the fundamental building blocks of matter, this book presents the full current body of understanding of particle physics in a way that is accessible to readers with some basic principles of physics. This concise book tells the fascinating story of how 20th century physicists revealed layer upon layer of structure within the atom to reach the basic particles of matter, and culminates in descriptions of current theories which form the Standard Model and the discovery of the top quark. It contains many illustrations and photographs, including the famous "Particle Chart", and integrates the stories of the individual scientists throughout. The book is a collaboration among eminent physicists at LBL, CERN and high school teachers to develop a novel book for teaching particle physics to students. It can thus be used as a supplement for courses in advanced high school and physics courses.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781468495102
Publisher:	Springer New York
Publication date:	07/26/2012
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 2000
Pages:	312
Product dimensions:	7.01(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.03(d)

Table of Contents

The November Revolution//The Elusive Trail to the Standard Model//The Mystery of Flavors//Carriers of Force//Anything That Can Happen, Will Happen//Precision Detectors Lead to Great Discoveries//Creating Extremely High-Energy Collisions//The Smallest and the Largest: Astrophysics Meets Particle Physics//The Status of the Standard Model// A Historical Perspective on Particle Physics// Appendix A: Physics Background and Numerical Examples// Appendix B: How Detectors Work//Appendix C: Suggested Reading//Appendix D: The Greek Alphabet//Appendix E: Glossary

Editorial Reviews

From the reviews:

"… Recommended as a supplementary text for introductory college courses or for advanced high-school courses; science teachers will find it useful for updating their knowledge in an ever-expanding field of physics research." Physics Today

From the Publisher