Description
Book SynopsisThough the quarks that make science headlines are typically laboratory creations generated under extreme conditions, most quarks occur naturally. They reside in the protons and neutrons that make up almost all of the universe's known matter. This work explains what these quarks are, how they act, and why physicists believe in them.
Trade Review"Smith gives us a series of extremely readable and well-chosen analogies to explain the science. His relaxed style makes for an enjoyable read... [A] useful addition to the popular literature on particle physics."--Alan Martin, New Scientist "Hidden Worlds is a satisfying account of the physics of quarks... Smith, a practicing nuclear physicist, conveys a clear picture of contemporary research and gives a well-articulated perspective from which to view modern nuclear and particle physics. Particularly noteworthy is the fine balance between the discussions of theory and experiment... Although the science background needed to understand the material is slight, this is a rather more sophisticated book than many popular accounts of modern physics... A thoughtful book for undergraduates or interested laypersons."--Choice
Table of ContentsLIST OF FIGURES ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xi CHAPTER ONE: Hidden Worlds: The Search for Quarks in Ordinary Matter 1 CHAPTER TWO: The Rise and Fall (for the right reasons) and Rise Again of the Quark Hypothesis 15 CHAPTER THREE: The Players and the Stage 33 CHAPTER FOUR: The Nature of the Evidence 51 CHAPTER FIVE: Measuring a Rainbow 68 CHAPTER SIX: Particle Taxonomy and Quark Soup 90 CHAPTER SEVEN: The Shape of Things 109 CHAPTER EIGHT: Three Quarks Plus 131 CHAPTER NINE: Digging a Little Deeper 148 CHAPTER TEN: A New Age of Exploration within the Hidden World 161 GLOSSARY 165 INDEX 175
