Particle Physics: A Very Short Introduction
June 13, 2010 by Actaphysica
Filed under Archive
Particle Physics: A Very Short Introduction
- ISBN13: 9780192804341
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
In Particles: A Very Short Introduction, best-selling author Frank Close provides a compelling and lively introduction to the fundamental particles that make up the universe. The book begins with a guide to what matter is made up of and how it evolved, and goes on to describe the fascinating and cutting-edge techniques used to study it. The author discusses particles such as quarks, electrons, and the neutrino, and exotic matter and antimatter. He also investigates the forces of nature, accelera
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(out of 10 reviews)
List Price: $ 11.95
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![The Dark Matter & Dark Energy [1/5]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/rLmcbjLVPKc/default.jpg)
Review by John Woods for Particle Physics: A Very Short Introduction
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This book is excellent for anyone who would like to learn fundamentals of particle physics, or refresh his or her basic knowledge in the area. Particles are on the forefront of physics, with new ones discovered or proven to exist not long ago, with new theories emerging, or old ones confirmed or found inconsistent, chances are what we know about particles today is somewhat different than what you may have learned in school back.
Interesting facts and easy to understand comparisons make this book captivating. It explains the structure of atoms, and subatomic particles, as well as methods and instruments used to study them. Sometimes the book is repetitive, but repetition is one of the key aspects of learning.
Overall, this very short introduction feels very fresh and light to a reader, and the last chapter that focuses on current high priority theories to be proven, gives an excellent outlook of what may await us in the future, giving this book balanced perspective.
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Review by Bojan Tunguz for Particle Physics: A Very Short Introduction
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One of the most intriguing and fascinating scientific stories of the 20th century has been the incredible advance in our understanding of matter in its most fundamental form. In a nutshell, the 20th century has seen the vindication of the atomic hypothesis: all of the nature, the matter and even the interactions of matter, can be reduced to a finite number of indivisible particles. It turns out that atoms, the original candidates for irreducible particles as their name suggests, are in fact composed of a myriad other particles which to the best of our knowledge and understanding are truly fundamental. Furthermore, we have discovered many other particles that cannot be found in an atom, and many of those turned out to be composites of other fundamental particles. Considering how many different kinds of these extra-atomic particles were discovered, it is quite remarkable that we were able to reduce this “zoo” to just a few basic ones. This book presents an interesting and accessible account of how we managed to get to this point. The book presents both the experimental and theoretical developments in Particle Physics that has led us to the point where we are at. The book is intelligible to anyone who has any interest in the subject, and it doesn’t require any special mathematical knowledge. And yet, like most books in this series, it does not condescend to the reader but tries to educate him and bring him up to the latest in our understanding of this fascinating field. All of that makes this book an enjoyable and worthwhile read.
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Review by some hoser, eh? for Particle Physics: A Very Short Introduction
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In an introduction to a topic, one expects lots of figures to explain just about every topic. This book, and indeed the entire series, generally has rather few figures. The series also, generally, focuses on the historical development of the topic and not necessarily on the current understanding of the topic. Therefore, the series sacrifices a better explanation of our current understanding to explain who thought what and when. Nonetheless, this book serves adequately in the capacity of a “very short introduction.”
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Review by kclam for Particle Physics: A Very Short Introduction
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This book provides a lively review of particle physics with illustrations. The introductory notes of each chapter are useful. Many interesting topics are covered, such as: the elementary particles of matter (electron and quark); strange particles, anti-matter and dark matter in cosmology; and the forces of nature (gravity, electromagnetic force, strong and weak force).
By the way, it is fascinating to know that we exist because of a series of fortunate accidents: the Sun burns at just the right rate; the stable protons (seeds of hydrogen) enables stars to cook the chemical elements essential for the Earth to be built; neutrons are slightly heavier than protons, which enables beta radioactivity and transmutation of the elements for the Sun to shine.
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Review by Stephan Hockley for Particle Physics: A Very Short Introduction
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This small 100 page book was just enough info for me on particle physics. I’m not interested in the heavy math, just to understand the characteristics of the particle families and how they interact. I enjoyed it, a good, simple read. I would try another subject in this same series.
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