The Particle Odyssey: A Journey to the Heart of Matter

by Frank Close, Michael Marten, Christine Sutton

Boasting more than three hundred illustrations, the majority in full color, The Particle Odyssey takes us on an exhilarating tour of the subatomic world.
The pictures here are truly marvelous--over 100 of the best images ever taken of particle 'events'--mysterious, abstract, often beautiful photographs of the tracks of subatomic particles as they speed, curve, dance, or explode through cloud and bubble chambers, stacks of photographic
emulsion, and giant multi-element detectors. There are illustrations of spiraling electrons, the tell-tale "vees" of strange particles, matter and antimatter born from raw energy, energetic jets of particles spraying out from the decay points of quarks and gluons. Complementing the illustrations is
a vividly written account of the key experiments and fundamental discoveries that have led to our current understanding of the nature of the universe. There are individual portraits of all the major subatomic particles, from the electron to the newly discovered top quark. The authors describe the
history of experimental particle its origins in the discovery of X-rays in 1895; the dissection of the atom by Rutherford and others; the unexpected revelations of the cosmic rays; the discovery of quarks and the rise of the 'standard model' in the last part of the 20th century. And they
also look at the great questions that face physicists today--Where did antimatter go? What is dark matter? Can there be a theory of everything?
A perfect gift for science buffs, The Particle Odyssey will enthrall everyone eager for a glimpse into the previously unknown the world of the atom.

Genres: Physics, Science, Nonfiction

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Francis Edwin Close (Arabic: فرانك كلوس)

In addition to his scientific research, he is known for his lectures and writings making science intelligible to a wider audience.

From Oxford he went to Stanford University in California for two years as a Postdoctoral Fellow on the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. In 1973 he went to the Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire and then to CERN in Switzerland from 1973–5. He joined the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire in 1975 as a research physicist and was latterly Head of Theoretical Physics Division from 1991. He headed the communication and public education activities at CERN from 1997 to 2000. From 2001, he was Professor of Theoretical Physics at Oxford. He was a Visiting Professor at the University of Birmingham from 1996–2002.

Close lists his recreations as writing, singing, travel, squash and Real tennis, and he is a member of Harwell Squash Club.

Reviews

[Bill Leach · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing history of the science of particle physics from the earliest investigations of radiation through the finding of the top quark and the W and Z particles. The material is about equally divided among the particles, the accelerators and the detectors. The development of more powerful accelerators and more sensitive detectors has allowed discovery of the more exotic particles. These machines are fascinating for their engineering alone. In discussing each particle, detector tracks are presented showing the formation and decay of each particle.

A late chapter, "Future Challenges", looks at the bigger questions in current particle physics and the work being undertaken to address them:
- What happened to the anti-matter? Theory suggests that matter and anti-matter were created in equal amounts, but it appears only matter remains today.
- What is mass? Theory predicted the Higgs field carried by the Higgs boson, which was confirmed by the LHC since publication of the book.
- Does quark-gluon plasma exist? It is expected that a quark-gluon plasma existed in the very early stages of the ig Bang, and may still exist within neutron stars.
- What is dark matter? The apparent existence of dark matter could be due to neutrinos carrying a very small mass or could be due to entirely new particles predicted by super-symmetry.
- Do neutrinos have mass? If neutrinos carry mass they could change form or oscillate as they travel.
- Is there a theory for everything? Testing continues of grand unified theories (GUT's) that unify the electromagnetic, strong nuclear and weak nuclear forces.

[Ghoster · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a non-scientist, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The captivating visuals, clear explanations, and comprehensive content exceeded my expectations. Although I encountered challenges in understanding certain sections, further reading and additional guidance contributed significantly to my learning experience.

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated history of particle physics, which answers the questions: How do we know (about electrons, neutrons, quarks, and their strange cousins)? Chapters alternate between experimental and the theoretical. From the accidental discovery of x-rays to the more deliberate discovery of cosmic rays to the mega construction projects behind today's particle accelerators, we see how the experiments came to be -- and see illustrations of the marks subatomic particles left on film, bubble chambers, and finally computerized detectors.

Highly recommended.

[Brendan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mostly pictures and history