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Hydrogen: The Essential Element
Seduced by simplicity, physicists find themselves endlessly fascinated by hydrogen, the simplest of atoms. Hydrogen has shocked, it has surprised, it has embarrassed, it has humbled--and again and again it has guided physicists to the edge of new vistas where the promise of basic understanding and momentous insights beckoned. The allure of hydrogen, crucial to life and critical to scientific discovery, is at the center of this book, which tells a story that begins with the big bang and continues to unfold today.
In this biography of hydrogen, John Rigden shows how this singular atom, the most abundant in the universe, has helped unify our understanding of the material world from the smallest scale, the elementary particles, to the largest, the universe itself. It is a tale of startling discoveries and dazzling practical benefits spanning more than one hundred years--from the first attempt to identify the basic building block of atoms in the mid-nineteenth century to the discovery of the Bose-Einstein condensate only a few years ago. With Rigden as an expert and engaging guide, we see how hydrogen captured the imagination of many great scientists--such as Heisenberg, Pauli, Schrödinger, Dirac, and Rabi--and how their theories and experiments with this simple atom led to such complex technical innovations as magnetic resonance imaging, the maser clock, and global positioning systems. Along the way, we witness the transformation of science from an endeavor of inspired individuals to a monumental enterprise often requiring the cooperation of hundreds of scientists around the world.
Still, any biography of hydrogen has to end with a What new surprises await us?
In this biography of hydrogen, John Rigden shows how this singular atom, the most abundant in the universe, has helped unify our understanding of the material world from the smallest scale, the elementary particles, to the largest, the universe itself. It is a tale of startling discoveries and dazzling practical benefits spanning more than one hundred years--from the first attempt to identify the basic building block of atoms in the mid-nineteenth century to the discovery of the Bose-Einstein condensate only a few years ago. With Rigden as an expert and engaging guide, we see how hydrogen captured the imagination of many great scientists--such as Heisenberg, Pauli, Schrödinger, Dirac, and Rabi--and how their theories and experiments with this simple atom led to such complex technical innovations as magnetic resonance imaging, the maser clock, and global positioning systems. Along the way, we witness the transformation of science from an endeavor of inspired individuals to a monumental enterprise often requiring the cooperation of hundreds of scientists around the world.
Still, any biography of hydrogen has to end with a What new surprises await us?
288 pages, Paperback
First published May 31, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 8, 2021
Why a biography of hydrogen? The book justifies itself.
Hydrogen is not only the most common element in the universe, the source of energy production in stars, and the simplest of all elements. It’s also the historical lab specimen/crash test dummy for physicists.
Theory, lab experimentation, and observation place hydrogen at a focus for the understanding of the universe from the very, very small in particle physics to the very, very large in cosmology.
Why hydrogen? Its abundance is one thing, at least if we just think about “normal” matter in the universe. But it’s really its simplicity — one proton and one electron. It’s as if the universe swept away the complexity so that we could see atomic structure at its cleanest and measure parameters without noise.
And deuterium, hydrogen’s heavier isotope, provides the simplest example for studying the atomic nucleus. Deuterium’s nucleus (“deuteron”) contains just one proton and one neutron, so that the relationship between the two and how they are bound together through the strong force can also be studied without complication.
The book is organized into chapters focused on landmarks in the study of hydrogen that generate more general theoretical breakthroughs in physics.
Rigden begins with William Prout’s 1815 speculations about hydrogen as the basic building block for all of the elements, a speculation that is both “wrong” but conceptually provocative. It provides a conceptual framework for the atom, taking up ancient clues from the Greek atomists. The idea of a fundamental building block, out of which all the elements are made is not obvious, and Prout’s speculation carries forward a way of thinking that, even though wrong in its particulars, provides a conceptual framework into which atomic structure later fits.
Other early chapters focus on the Balmer spectral lines for hydrogen and the Bohr model. Those two set out a basic question — how can we understand the spectral emission lines (and absorption lines) associated with hydrogen in relationship to the structure of the hydrogen atom? Hydrogen emits energy at those particular wavelengths for a reason — can we derive them from hydrogen’s atomic structure, in particular the behavior of its one electron?
Bohr’s original model of the atom did tie atomic structure to those Balmer lines. But it was specific to hydrogen. It contained ad hoc values to place transitions between electron energy levels and orbits in sync with the Balmer spectral lines.
Not until more generalized theories of the atom and the energy states of electrons (through work by Sommerfeld, Dirac, Schrodinger, and others) did this initial model of the atom, with its quantized conceptual character, evolve into what we now know as quantum theory. Rigden traces this theoretical and experimental progress through succeeding chapters of the book.
Later chapters make the transition from particle physics to cosmology and some more speculative topics. Some of these chapters made me appreciate the continuity between the study of atomic structure, understanding the energy states for hydrogen’s electron at the particle physics level, and application of that same understanding to cosmological questions.
Rigden does a good job of showing, for example, how spectral analysis of hydrogen emission lines from interstellar hydrogen gas enables astronomers to map the structure of our galaxy.
Ordinarily, in trying to understand our galaxy’s structure, our view is blocked, like someone unable to see the forest for the trees. As we look out into the sky, we see stars, gas and dust clouds, etc. — what’s right in front of us blocks our view of the whole.
Mapping the galaxy’s structure was only possible because one of the energy state transitions of hydrogen’s electron, a transition that was missed in the Bohr model but discovered as part of the “hyperfine structure” understood through quantum theory, results in an emission at 21 centimeters wavelength. That emission, in the radio spectrum, passes transparently through the objects (stars, planets, dust, gas, . . ) that would otherwise block our view of the galaxy’s structure as a whole. In the radio spectrum we can see hydrogen gas clouds emitting signals of their presence anywhere they exist in the galaxy, giving us a map of the galaxy’s structure.
Hydrogen has always provided a link between the very big and the very small. As the simplest of elements it has played this key role in the development of particle physics, and especially quantum theory. But hydrogen was also the first element to form after the Big Bang, by far the most common element in the universe, and a key to understanding the universe’s structure and geometry.
Also, hydrogen’s isotope, deuterium, provides both a validation of Big Bang cosmology and a mystery about the current makeup of the universe.
The Big Bang is the only (known) appreciable source of deuterium in the universe. From Big Bang theory, we can derive an expected abundance of deuterium relative to hydrogen per se (really the lighter isotope without deuterium’s neutron). Then by comparing that predicted abundance with the actual observed abundance, we can provide one of the validating pillars of Big Bang theory.
(I’m skipping a complication — deuterium, although it can be created only in the Big Bang, can be depleted in the fusion processes at the cores of stars, so we need “primordial” sources from which to sample deuterium’s actual abundance — fortunately quasars supply such sources).
The comparison confirms the Big Bang prediction. But the accuracy of the prediction poses a problem. If we now look at the actual, observable amounts of deuterium in galaxies, we can, given its expected abundance, derive some estimate of the amount of hydrogen in the galaxy, and, because we know the abundance of hydrogen itself relative to the galaxy’s mass, we can derive an estimate of the galaxy’s total mass.
When we do that, the estimate is way too low. In order for galaxies to interact gravitationally the way we see them do in galaxy clusters, and in order for galaxies to rotate and retain their observed shapes, they must have much greater masses than the estimate provides. The missing mass problem is a principal rationale for “dark matter” theories.
The final chapters concern some more esoteric work relating to antimatter (including antihydrogen), the novel state of matter known as the Bose-Einstein condensate, and “hydrogen-like atoms” (artificially assembled atomic-scale entities with similar structure to hydrogen but different components), along with technological applications.
I learned a lot from Rigden’s book. To be a bit critical, it is a little uneven in level of explanation. That, to me, is generally a problem with physics-related books for the so-called “general reader.” To explain EVERYTHING would make the book unreadable. At least with Rigden’s book, my questions were comprehensible enough that I could go off on my own to try to resolve them separately.
Hydrogen is not only the most common element in the universe, the source of energy production in stars, and the simplest of all elements. It’s also the historical lab specimen/crash test dummy for physicists.
Theory, lab experimentation, and observation place hydrogen at a focus for the understanding of the universe from the very, very small in particle physics to the very, very large in cosmology.
Why hydrogen? Its abundance is one thing, at least if we just think about “normal” matter in the universe. But it’s really its simplicity — one proton and one electron. It’s as if the universe swept away the complexity so that we could see atomic structure at its cleanest and measure parameters without noise.
And deuterium, hydrogen’s heavier isotope, provides the simplest example for studying the atomic nucleus. Deuterium’s nucleus (“deuteron”) contains just one proton and one neutron, so that the relationship between the two and how they are bound together through the strong force can also be studied without complication.
The book is organized into chapters focused on landmarks in the study of hydrogen that generate more general theoretical breakthroughs in physics.
Rigden begins with William Prout’s 1815 speculations about hydrogen as the basic building block for all of the elements, a speculation that is both “wrong” but conceptually provocative. It provides a conceptual framework for the atom, taking up ancient clues from the Greek atomists. The idea of a fundamental building block, out of which all the elements are made is not obvious, and Prout’s speculation carries forward a way of thinking that, even though wrong in its particulars, provides a conceptual framework into which atomic structure later fits.
Other early chapters focus on the Balmer spectral lines for hydrogen and the Bohr model. Those two set out a basic question — how can we understand the spectral emission lines (and absorption lines) associated with hydrogen in relationship to the structure of the hydrogen atom? Hydrogen emits energy at those particular wavelengths for a reason — can we derive them from hydrogen’s atomic structure, in particular the behavior of its one electron?
Bohr’s original model of the atom did tie atomic structure to those Balmer lines. But it was specific to hydrogen. It contained ad hoc values to place transitions between electron energy levels and orbits in sync with the Balmer spectral lines.
Not until more generalized theories of the atom and the energy states of electrons (through work by Sommerfeld, Dirac, Schrodinger, and others) did this initial model of the atom, with its quantized conceptual character, evolve into what we now know as quantum theory. Rigden traces this theoretical and experimental progress through succeeding chapters of the book.
Later chapters make the transition from particle physics to cosmology and some more speculative topics. Some of these chapters made me appreciate the continuity between the study of atomic structure, understanding the energy states for hydrogen’s electron at the particle physics level, and application of that same understanding to cosmological questions.
Rigden does a good job of showing, for example, how spectral analysis of hydrogen emission lines from interstellar hydrogen gas enables astronomers to map the structure of our galaxy.
Ordinarily, in trying to understand our galaxy’s structure, our view is blocked, like someone unable to see the forest for the trees. As we look out into the sky, we see stars, gas and dust clouds, etc. — what’s right in front of us blocks our view of the whole.
Mapping the galaxy’s structure was only possible because one of the energy state transitions of hydrogen’s electron, a transition that was missed in the Bohr model but discovered as part of the “hyperfine structure” understood through quantum theory, results in an emission at 21 centimeters wavelength. That emission, in the radio spectrum, passes transparently through the objects (stars, planets, dust, gas, . . ) that would otherwise block our view of the galaxy’s structure as a whole. In the radio spectrum we can see hydrogen gas clouds emitting signals of their presence anywhere they exist in the galaxy, giving us a map of the galaxy’s structure.
Hydrogen has always provided a link between the very big and the very small. As the simplest of elements it has played this key role in the development of particle physics, and especially quantum theory. But hydrogen was also the first element to form after the Big Bang, by far the most common element in the universe, and a key to understanding the universe’s structure and geometry.
Also, hydrogen’s isotope, deuterium, provides both a validation of Big Bang cosmology and a mystery about the current makeup of the universe.
The Big Bang is the only (known) appreciable source of deuterium in the universe. From Big Bang theory, we can derive an expected abundance of deuterium relative to hydrogen per se (really the lighter isotope without deuterium’s neutron). Then by comparing that predicted abundance with the actual observed abundance, we can provide one of the validating pillars of Big Bang theory.
(I’m skipping a complication — deuterium, although it can be created only in the Big Bang, can be depleted in the fusion processes at the cores of stars, so we need “primordial” sources from which to sample deuterium’s actual abundance — fortunately quasars supply such sources).
The comparison confirms the Big Bang prediction. But the accuracy of the prediction poses a problem. If we now look at the actual, observable amounts of deuterium in galaxies, we can, given its expected abundance, derive some estimate of the amount of hydrogen in the galaxy, and, because we know the abundance of hydrogen itself relative to the galaxy’s mass, we can derive an estimate of the galaxy’s total mass.
When we do that, the estimate is way too low. In order for galaxies to interact gravitationally the way we see them do in galaxy clusters, and in order for galaxies to rotate and retain their observed shapes, they must have much greater masses than the estimate provides. The missing mass problem is a principal rationale for “dark matter” theories.
The final chapters concern some more esoteric work relating to antimatter (including antihydrogen), the novel state of matter known as the Bose-Einstein condensate, and “hydrogen-like atoms” (artificially assembled atomic-scale entities with similar structure to hydrogen but different components), along with technological applications.
I learned a lot from Rigden’s book. To be a bit critical, it is a little uneven in level of explanation. That, to me, is generally a problem with physics-related books for the so-called “general reader.” To explain EVERYTHING would make the book unreadable. At least with Rigden’s book, my questions were comprehensible enough that I could go off on my own to try to resolve them separately.
August 12, 2021
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November 21, 2017
Like hydrogen, this book is both simplistic and complex simultaneously. With an average understanding of physics and chemistry, it can be read with about 70% comprehension (or so I estimate). It gives a great history and explanation of the importance of hydrogen, and in-so-doing, elaborates on some of the finer points in quantum science. That said, even the most simplistic experiments are complex without the proper understanding. For example, in one chapter going over forces between neutrons and protons in deuterium, I understood each part of the experiment but was unable to fully link together the procedure in my mind. Another experiment, this one involving the circular vs. elliptical orbit of an electron, I lacked the mathematical understanding of how this changed the quantum numbers.
But the complexity did not make the book impossible to read. Indeed, despite not understanding all of it, I still found myself to gain a bit more grasp on the subjects than before I had read it without losing interest. The book really does a good job at looking at some of the major points of hydrogen and explaining them. Personally, I think a course based on this book could really do young scientists such as myself some good.
But the complexity did not make the book impossible to read. Indeed, despite not understanding all of it, I still found myself to gain a bit more grasp on the subjects than before I had read it without losing interest. The book really does a good job at looking at some of the major points of hydrogen and explaining them. Personally, I think a course based on this book could really do young scientists such as myself some good.
November 1, 2023
Hydrogen is the simplest element on the Periodic Table. It has one proton and one electron. Furthermore, Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, comprising around 75% of all matter. For centuries, scientists used Hydrogen to uncover the mysteries of the universe. John S. Rigden chronicles the story of Hydrogen in this book.
Hydrogen's story starts at the beginning of the universe. A few seconds after the Big Bang, matter cooled down enough to form protons. Another 370,000 years later, it cooled enough for electrons to bind to the protons and form Hydrogen atoms. The author skips over star formation but mentions Henry Cavendish as the person who isolated Hydrogen gas and gave it a name. Hydrogen fuels the sun. I don't know the specifics of Nuclear Fusion. I know four Hydrogen atoms fuse in high pressures and temperatures to produce Helium and energy. Hydrogen is an essential element in organic chemistry, and it makes up a portion of water, a molecule necessary for life.
The book has 23 chapters. I learned some new names in the history of science, among them William Prout, Johann Jakob Balmer, and Arnold Sommerfeld. Rigden discusses different fundamental constants and how Hydrogen aided in their discovery.
I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.
Hydrogen's story starts at the beginning of the universe. A few seconds after the Big Bang, matter cooled down enough to form protons. Another 370,000 years later, it cooled enough for electrons to bind to the protons and form Hydrogen atoms. The author skips over star formation but mentions Henry Cavendish as the person who isolated Hydrogen gas and gave it a name. Hydrogen fuels the sun. I don't know the specifics of Nuclear Fusion. I know four Hydrogen atoms fuse in high pressures and temperatures to produce Helium and energy. Hydrogen is an essential element in organic chemistry, and it makes up a portion of water, a molecule necessary for life.
The book has 23 chapters. I learned some new names in the history of science, among them William Prout, Johann Jakob Balmer, and Arnold Sommerfeld. Rigden discusses different fundamental constants and how Hydrogen aided in their discovery.
I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.
October 18, 2020
My curiosity of the role that hydrogen play it in our human physiology got me reading about the heroin of the most dramatic discoveries of the universe, from the exact number of the hydrogen since the big bang, to the atmic models, to the discovery of the electron, thr positron and much more.
This book consider a great deal of the historical background overviewed chapter hy chaprt, about the evloation and the discoveries which are related to the hydrogen. Great masure of the book was simplifying, without great deals of technical details about further complecated stuff related to the quanm physics, and number of mathematical equations.
This book consider a great deal of the historical background overviewed chapter hy chaprt, about the evloation and the discoveries which are related to the hydrogen. Great masure of the book was simplifying, without great deals of technical details about further complecated stuff related to the quanm physics, and number of mathematical equations.
December 11, 2012
I really enjoyed this book about, well, hydrogen. As a theoretical chemist, I have an appreciation for detail at the atomistic level, but there is no requirement for you to be a physicist nor even a scientist. Hydrogen is essential to you and to me, and it deserves its fair recognition for its role in the evolution of our universe and our planet as we know them. I was also impressed with was the natural integration of an historical narrative and the ability for the author to set the context in order to emphasize many of the discoveries related to history. Feel free to read this through the lens of an historian, too!
Each of the chapters really stands on its own, so this book easily became a casual read. Don't worry, the author won't just be discussing protons and neutrons. (Although, you can count on a fair amount of that!) Instead, the author covers many areas ranging from quasars to protonium. My favorite sections were about magnetic resonance. It makes sense that there is a strong emphasis on this topic given that Rigden has also written a biography of I.I. Rabi.
This is not a technical book, although there are numbers and figures that might send numerophobics running at first glance. I say, "give it a chance!" The scales of the discoveries Rigden discusses range from subatomic to interstellar, so it doesn't matter which type of physicist you are or even if you are a non-scientist interested in physical phenomena, this books is engaging, entertaining, and educational.
Each of the chapters really stands on its own, so this book easily became a casual read. Don't worry, the author won't just be discussing protons and neutrons. (Although, you can count on a fair amount of that!) Instead, the author covers many areas ranging from quasars to protonium. My favorite sections were about magnetic resonance. It makes sense that there is a strong emphasis on this topic given that Rigden has also written a biography of I.I. Rabi.
This is not a technical book, although there are numbers and figures that might send numerophobics running at first glance. I say, "give it a chance!" The scales of the discoveries Rigden discusses range from subatomic to interstellar, so it doesn't matter which type of physicist you are or even if you are a non-scientist interested in physical phenomena, this books is engaging, entertaining, and educational.
September 10, 2016
A wonderful book. My working knowledge of physics is minuscule. I had no idea what to expect when I took this book out from the library. The author takes you on a journey into efforts to understand the hydrogen atom and the subsequent growth of physics theory and application, quantum physics, quantum electrodynamics, and numerous other ventures.
It was an invigorating read and the author presented this complex topic in a very uncomplicated manner.
At certain points, I was mesmerized and unable to put the book down. I now see the world and universe with a different perspective and stand in awe of the giants in physics and their efforts to understand the complexities of the hydrogen atom.
It was an invigorating read and the author presented this complex topic in a very uncomplicated manner.
At certain points, I was mesmerized and unable to put the book down. I now see the world and universe with a different perspective and stand in awe of the giants in physics and their efforts to understand the complexities of the hydrogen atom.
December 15, 2012
This was a nice exploration of our historical understanding of the physics of this element. Intertwined with the story is the development of quantum mechanics and then QED, as well as an overview of the key experiments which challenged theoretical understandings (i.e. discovery the Lamb shift). The nice thing about the book is that Rigden adds a smattering of equations as well as an overview of how experiments were set up and worked. He discusses the importance of exploring hydrogen and particularly its spectrum as tests of fundamental theories, determining fundamental constants as well as its usefulness in astrophysics and even building clocks (masers).
January 24, 2016
Started reading this book, could not put it down. The hydrogen atom has been at the center of our understanding of how the universe works and the study of the hydrogen atom has led to the development of electrodynamics, nuclear magnetic resonance and most importantly the validation of physics theory. The hydrogen atom is paving the way for our understanding of the eventual merger of quantum mechanics and classical physics.
July 17, 2015
Kind words for Edward. Yup, there were some kind words for Edward Purcell (who wrote the great freshman physics book "Electricity and Magnetism" and did a bunch of good research work). This is a sweet, sentimental look at 20th century scientists through their connections with Hydrogen, the simplest atom.
May 25, 2010
An interesting book even for non-scientists - starting with the earliest experiments using hydrogen and continuing to current research the author clearly explains the significance of the simplest element, hydrogen.
May 26, 2008
We can't live without it. This book gives an interesting history of the element. The pacing is uneven but the subject makes up for any writing flaws. Assuming you're a geekish type.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews