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From X-Rays to Quarks: Modern Physicists and Their Discoveries
A Nobel Laureate offers impressions and recollections of the development of modern physics. Rather than a chronological approach, Segrè emphasizes interesting, complex personalities who often appear only in footnotes. Readers will find that this book adds considerably to their understanding of science and includes compelling topics of current interest. 1980 edition.
Introduction
H. Becquerel, the Curies, and the discovery of radioactivity
Rutherford in the new world : the transmutation of elements
Planck, unwilling revolutionary : the idea of quantization
Einstein, new ways of thinking : space, time, relativity, and quanta
Sir Ernest and Lord Rutherford of Nelson
Bohr and atomic models
A true quantum mechanics at last
The wonder year 1932 : neutron, positron, deuterium, and other discoveries
Enrico Fermi and nuclear energy
E.O. Lawrence and particle accelerators
Beyond the nucleus
New branches from the old stump
Conclusions
Appendix 1. Stefan's law, Wien's law
Appendix 2. Planck's hunt for the blackbody radiation formula
Appendix 3. Einstein's heuristic argument for postulating the existence of light quanta
Appendix 4. Brownian motion
Appendix 5. Blackbody energy fluctuations according to Einstein
Appendix 6. Specific heat of solids according to Einstein
Appendix 7. A and B of Einstein
Appendix 8. J.J. Thomson's parabola method for finding e/m of ions
Appendix 9. Bohr's hydrogen atom
Appendix 10. Quantum mechanics in a nutshell.
Introduction
H. Becquerel, the Curies, and the discovery of radioactivity
Rutherford in the new world : the transmutation of elements
Planck, unwilling revolutionary : the idea of quantization
Einstein, new ways of thinking : space, time, relativity, and quanta
Sir Ernest and Lord Rutherford of Nelson
Bohr and atomic models
A true quantum mechanics at last
The wonder year 1932 : neutron, positron, deuterium, and other discoveries
Enrico Fermi and nuclear energy
E.O. Lawrence and particle accelerators
Beyond the nucleus
New branches from the old stump
Conclusions
Appendix 1. Stefan's law, Wien's law
Appendix 2. Planck's hunt for the blackbody radiation formula
Appendix 3. Einstein's heuristic argument for postulating the existence of light quanta
Appendix 4. Brownian motion
Appendix 5. Blackbody energy fluctuations according to Einstein
Appendix 6. Specific heat of solids according to Einstein
Appendix 7. A and B of Einstein
Appendix 8. J.J. Thomson's parabola method for finding e/m of ions
Appendix 9. Bohr's hydrogen atom
Appendix 10. Quantum mechanics in a nutshell.
337 pages, Paperback
First published October 16, 1980
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About the author
Emilio Segrè
41 books5 followersEmilio Gino Segrè physicist and Nobel laureate in physics. Won the Nobel Prize in Physics (1959) along with Owen Chamberlain for thier discovery of the antiproton.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 17, 2012
It's unfortunate that the author is sexist ... in giving background information of female physicists he gives much information about their marital status and almost nothing else. Curious how we don't get to hear about the marital status of male physicists ...
May 11, 2011
Dull history, my students were bored in reading the book, yet it is one of the best on the history of modern physics...
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews