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Books > Science & Mathematics > Physics > Particle & high-energy physics
This modern introduction to particle physics equips students with the skills needed to develop a deep and intuitive understanding of the physical theory underpinning contemporary experimental results. The fundamental tools of particle physics are introduced and accompanied by historical profiles charting the development of the field. Theory and experiment are closely linked, with descriptions of experimental techniques used at CERN accompanied by detail on the physics of the Large Hadron Collider and the strong and weak forces that dominate proton collisions. Recent experimental results are featured, including the discovery of the Higgs boson. Equations are supported by physical interpretations, and end-of-chapter problems are based on datasets from a range of particle physics experiments including dark matter, neutrino, and collider experiments. A solutions manual for instructors is available online. Additional features include worked examples throughout, a detailed glossary of key terms, appendices covering essential background material, and extensive references and further reading to aid self-study, making this an invaluable resource for advanced undergraduates in physics.
Up to date and comprehensive in its coverage, Neutrinos in Particle Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology reviews the whole landscape of neutrino physics, from state-of-the-art experiments to the latest phenomenological and theoretical developments to future advances. With contributions from internationally recognized leaders in the field, the book covers the basics of the standard model and neutrino phenomenology. It also discusses Big Bang cosmology, neutrino astrophysics, CP violation, leptogenesis, and solar neutrino physics, including the standard solar model. The contributors present experimental aspects of accelerator and reactor neutrino experiments as well as nuclear physics experiments that deal with neutrinoless double beta decay and tritium decay. They also focus on neutrino detectors, neutrino beams, and the neutrino factory. Drawn from the lectures of the Scottish Universities Summer Schools in Physics, this resource provides an essential foundation for anyone working in the exciting area of neutrino physics.
From the first attempts to split the atom to the discovery of the top quark, the 20th century has witnessed a revolution in basic physics. Probing successively smaller constituents of matter has also revealed the conditions present at the time of the Big Bang. In a series of essays by scientists who have been closely involved in this exciting research, The Particle Century describes the unprecedented advances in our understanding of the universe. The book covers major historical developments as well as current advances, including early accelerator physics, the rise of the Standard Model, new comprehension of the big bang theory, and the cutting edge of today's investigations. These essays add novel insight into the continuing efforts to unravel the deepest secrets of nature.
This introduction to nuclear physics and particle physics provides an accessible and clear treatment of the fundamentals. Starting with the structure of nuclei and explaining instability of nuclei, this textbook enables the reader to understand all basics in nuclear physics. The text is written from the experimental physics point of view, giving numerous real-life examples and applications of nuclear forces in modern technology. This highly motivating presentation deepens the reader's knowledge in a very accessible way. The second part of the text gives a concise introduction to elementary particle physics, again together with applications and instrumentation. Nuclear fusion, fission, radionuclides in medicine and particle accelerators are amongst the many examples explained in detail. Numerous problems with solutions are perfect for self-study.
If the new boson is indeed the Higgs particle, its discovery represents an important milestone in the history of particle physics. However, despite the pressure to award Nobel Prizes to physicists associated with the Higgs boson, John Moffat argues that there still remain important data analyses to be performed before uncorking the champagne. John Moffat is Professor Emeritus of Physics at the University of Toronto and a senior researcher at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. Well-known for his outside-the-box research on topics such as dark matter, dark energy, and the varying speed of light cosmology (VSL), his new book takes a critical look at the hype surrounding the Higgs boson. In the process, he presents a cogent and often entertaining history of particle physics and an exploration of alternative theories of particle physics that do not feature the Higgs boson, including his own. He gives a detailed and personal description of how theoretical physicists come up with new theories, and emphasizes how carefully experimental physicists must interpret the complex data now coming out of accelerators like the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The book does not shy away from controversial topics such as the sociology of particle physics. There is immense pressure on projects like the $9 billion LHC to come up with positive results in order to secure funding for the future. Yet to date, the Higgs boson may be the only positive result to emerge from the LHC experiments. The searches for dark matter particles, mini-black holes, extra dimensions, and supersymmetric particles have all come up empty-handed, with serious consequences for theoretical physics, including string theory and gravity theory. John Moffat is also the author of Reinventing Gravity (2008) and Einstein Wrote Back (2010).
This third edition expands on the original material. Large portions of the text have been reviewed and clarified. More emphasis is devoted to machine learning including more modern concepts and examples. This book provides the reader with the main concepts and tools needed to perform statistical analyses of experimental data, in particular in the field of high-energy physics (HEP). It starts with an introduction to probability theory and basic statistics, mainly intended as a refresher from readers' advanced undergraduate studies, but also to help them clearly distinguish between the Frequentist and Bayesian approaches and interpretations in subsequent applications. Following, the author discusses Monte Carlo methods with emphasis on techniques like Markov Chain Monte Carlo, and the combination of measurements, introducing the best linear unbiased estimator. More advanced concepts and applications are gradually presented, including unfolding and regularization procedures, culminating in the chapter devoted to discoveries and upper limits. The reader learns through many applications in HEP where the hypothesis testing plays a major role and calculations of look-elsewhere effect are also presented. Many worked-out examples help newcomers to the field and graduate students alike understand the pitfalls involved in applying theoretical concepts to actual data.
In these classic lectures, Feynman analyses the theoretical questions related to electron and photon interactions at high energies. These lectures are based on a special topics course taught by Feynman at Caltech in 1971 and 1972. The material is dealt with on an advanced level and includes discussions of vector meson dominance and deep inelastic scattering. The possible consequences of the parton model are also analyzed.
This book provides extended versions of the talks given at the memorial Pomeranchuk-100 Conference, June 5-6, held in the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics, Moscow, Russia and the review of the 2013 Pomeranchuk Prize Winner - Mikhail Shifman. It shall provide a broad review of the current status of the research in the high energy physics and astrophysics.
Eagerly awaited, this second edition of a best-selling text comprehensively describes from a modern perspective the basics of x-ray physics as well as the completely new opportunities offered by synchrotron radiation. Written by internationally acclaimed authors, the style of the book is to develop the basic physical principles without obscuring them with excessive mathematics. The second edition differs substantially from the first edition, with over 30% new material, including: A new chapter on non-crystalline diffraction - designed to appeal to the large community who study the structure of liquids, glasses, and most importantly polymers and bio-moleculesA new chapter on x-ray imaging - developed in close cooperation with many of the leading experts in the fieldTwo new chapters covering non-crystalline diffraction and imagingMany important changes to various sections in the book have been made with a view to improving the expositionFour-colour representation throughout the text to clarify key conceptsExtensive problems after each chapter There is also supplementary book material for this title available online (http: //booksupport.wiley.com). Praise for the previous edition: "The publication of Jens Als-Nielsen and Des McMorrow's "Elements of Modern X-ray Physics" is a defining moment in the field of synchrotron radiation... a welcome addition to the bookshelves of synchrotron-radiation professionals and students alike.... The text is now my personal choice for teaching x-ray physics..." - Physics Today, 2002
For graduate students unfamiliar with particle physics, An Introductory Course of Particle Physics teaches the basic techniques and fundamental theories related to the subject. It gives students the competence to work out various properties of fundamental particles, such as scattering cross-section and lifetime. The book also gives a lucid summary of the main ideas involved. In giving students a taste of fundamental interactions among elementary particles, the author does not assume any prior knowledge of quantum field theory. He presents a brief introduction that supplies students with the necessary tools without seriously getting into the nitty-gritty of quantum field theory, and then explores advanced topics in detail. The book then discusses group theory, and in this case the author assumes that students are familiar with the basic definitions and properties of a group, and even SU(2) and its representations. With this foundation established, he goes on to discuss representations of continuous groups bigger than SU(2) in detail. The material is presented at a level that M.Sc. and Ph.D. students can understand, with exercises throughout the text at points at which performing the exercises would be most beneficial. Anyone teaching a one-semester course will probably have to choose from the topics covered, because this text also contains advanced material that might not be covered within a semester due to lack of time. Thus it provides the teaching tool with the flexibility to customize the course to suit your needs.
Since 2008 scientists have conducted experiments in a hyperenergized, 17-mile supercollider beneath the border of France and Switzerland. The Large Hadron Collider (or what scientists call "the LHC") is one of the wonders of the modern world--a highly sophisticated scientific instrument designed to recreate in miniature the conditions of the universe as they existed in the microseconds following the big bang. Among many notable LHC discoveries, one led to the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics for revealing evidence of the existence of the Higgs boson, the so-called God particle. Picking up where he left off in "The Quantum Frontier, " physicist Don Lincoln shares an insider's account of the LHC's operational history and gives readers everything they need to become well informed on this marvel of technology. Writing about the LHC's early days, Lincoln offers keen insight into an accident that derailed the operation nine days after the collider's 2008 debut. A faulty solder joint started a chain reaction that caused a massive explosion, damaged 50 superconducting magnets, and vaporized large sections of the conductor. The crippled LHC lay dormant for over a year, while technical teams repaired the damage. Lincoln devotes an entire chapter to the Higgs boson and Higgs field, using several extended analogies to help explain the importance of these concepts to particle physics. In the final chapter, he describes what the discovery of the Higgs boson tells us about our current understanding of basic physics and how the discovery now keeps scientists awake over a nagging inconsistency in their favorite theory. As accessible as it is fascinating, " The Large Hadron Collider" reveals the inner workings of this masterful achievement of technology, along with the mind-blowing discoveries that will keep it at the center of the scientific frontier for the foreseeable future.
Applications of quantum field theoretical methods to gravitational physics, both in the semiclassical and the full quantum frameworks, require a careful formulation of the fundamental basis of quantum theory, with special attention to such important issues as renormalization, quantum theory of gauge theories, and especially effective action formalism. The first part of this graduate textbook provides both a conceptual and technical introduction to the theory of quantum fields. The presentation is consistent, starting from elements of group theory, classical fields, and moving on to the effective action formalism in general gauge theories. Compared to other existing books, the general formalism of renormalization in described in more detail, and special attention paid to gauge theories. This part can serve as a textbook for a one-semester introductory course in quantum field theory. In the second part, we discuss basic aspects of quantum field theory in curved space, and perturbative quantum gravity. More than half of Part II is written with a full exposition of details, and includes elaborated examples of simplest calculations. All chapters include exercises ranging from very simple ones to those requiring small original investigations. The selection of material of the second part is done using the "must-know" principle. This means we included detailed expositions of relatively simple techniques and calculations, expecting that the interested reader will be able to learn more advanced issues independently after working through the basic material, and completing the exercises.
This textbook brings together nuclear and particle physics, presenting a balanced overview of both fields as well as the interplay between the two. The theoretical as well as the experimental foundations are covered, providing students with a deep understanding of the subject. In-chapter exercises ranging from basic experimental to sophisticated theoretical questions provide an important tool for students to solidify their knowledge. Suitable for upper undergraduate courses in nuclear and particle physics as well as more advanced courses, the book includes road maps guiding instructors on tailoring the content to their course. Online resources including color figures, tables, and a solutions manual complete the teaching package. This textbook will be essential for students preparing for further study or a career in the field who require a solid grasp of both nuclear and particle physics.
This book aims to explain radiation from a somewhat different aspect than its traditional image as something that is scary, dangerous, hazardous, and so on, to produce the correct understanding that radiation is carrying energy, and to convince readers that radiation is not "scary" but controllable and useful. As for radiation itself, many introductions or textbooks have been published, as in radiochemistry, radiobiology, and radiology. In most of them, the biological effects of radiation exposure are the main subjects, which often enhance the feeling that radiation is dangerous, and the effects produced by lower-dose exposure that are difficult to see are hardly discussed. The present volume mainly focuses on how radiation carries energy, how energy is absorbed in substances as absorbed doses (Gy) or dose equivalents (Sv), how damages or risks appear with the absorbed dose and why the effects of the exposure appear quite differently, depending on properties of the substances that were exposed.
The essential introduction to modern string theory-now fully expanded and revised String Theory in a Nutshell is the definitive introduction to modern string theory. Written by one of the world's leading authorities on the subject, this concise and accessible book starts with basic definitions and guides readers from classic topics to the most exciting frontiers of research today. It covers perturbative string theory, the unity of string interactions, black holes and their microscopic entropy, the AdS/CFT correspondence and its applications, matrix model tools for string theory, and more. It also includes 600 exercises and serves as a self-contained guide to the literature. This fully updated edition features an entirely new chapter on flux compactifications in string theory, and the chapter on AdS/CFT has been substantially expanded by adding many applications to diverse topics. In addition, the discussion of conformal field theory has been extensively revised to make it more student-friendly. The essential one-volume reference for students and researchers in theoretical high-energy physics Now fully expanded and revised Provides expanded coverage of AdS/CFT and its applications, namely the holographic renormalization group, holographic theories for Yang-Mills and QCD, nonequilibrium thermal physics, finite density physics, and entanglement entropy Ideal for mathematicians and physicists specializing in theoretical cosmology, QCD, and novel approaches to condensed matter systems An online illustration package is available to professors
Koharenz im Unterricht der Elementarteilchenphysik Das vorliegende Buch fasst die Ergebnisse des Symposiums "Koharenz im Unterricht der Elementarteilchenphysik" zusammen, das von der Arbeitsgruppe Physik und ihre Didaktik der Bergischen Universitat Wuppertal veranstaltet wurde. Ziel des Treffens war ein Austausch zwischen Fachwissenschaft, der zugehoerigen Fachdidaktik und den Bildungswissenschaften uber verschiedene Moeglichkeiten zur Vermittlung der Teil chenphysik im Schulunterricht. Den Inhalt des vorliegenden Buches bilden die Beitrage, die von den Beteiligten im Anschluss an das Symposium ausgearbeitet wurden. Die Diskussionen im Anschluss zu den Vortragen sind jedem Beitrag als jeweils letztes Unterkapitel hinzugefugt. Aus dem Inhalt * Quarks und Feynman-Diagramme: Basiswissen im Schulunterricht? - Wolfgang Wagner * Erzeugung und Vernichtung von Teilchen - Robert Harlander * Teilchen und Wellen als kosmische Boten - Brigitte Falkenburg * Mit moderner Physik zum mundigen Burger - Thomas Zugge * Mystifizierung der Quantenmechanik und Trivialisierung der Teilchenphysik - Oliver Passon * Basiskonzepte des Standardmodells fur die Schule - Michael Kobel und Philipp Lindenau * Das CERN-Schulerlabor S'Cool LAB - Julia Woithe et al. * Das Wuppertaler Curriculum der Elementarteilchenphysik - Thomas Zugge und Oliver Passon Die Herausgeber Oliver Passon ist Akademischer Oberrat in der Arbeitsgruppe Physik und ihre Didaktik an der Bergischen Universitat Wuppertal. Sein Hauptarbeitsgebiet ist die Didaktik und Philosophie der modernen Physik. Thomas Zugge ist Diplom-Physiker und seit 2016 Doktorand in der Arbeitsgruppe Physik und ihre Didaktik an der Bergischen Universitat Wuppertal. Seine Dissertation wird die Rolle von Vermittlungskontexten im Physikunterricht behandeln. Johannes Grebe-Ellis ist Universitatsprofessor fur Physik und ihre Didaktik an der Ber gischen Universitat Wuppertal. Er entwickelt phanomenologische Zugange zur Physik und ist Herausgeber der Schriftenreihe "Phanomenologie in der Naturwissenschaft".
In 1931 Dirac showed that topologically quantized single magnetic charges, magnetic monopoles, while classically forbidden in a gauge theory, are allowed alongside electric charges in a quantum theory of electromagnetism. Such topological magnetic excitations are indeed admitted in the spectrum of most grand unified field theories of elementary interactions. Despite 40 years of dedicated search efforts, nonetheless, they have never shown up in any experiment. This, however, does not preclude the possibility of topological magnetic monopoles being realized as excitations in emergent condensed matter states, where they would be much lighter and easier to create.This book is about the physical effects of such emergent magnetic monopoles. These range from a new mechanism for local, strong pairing of electrons possibly relevant for high-T superconductivity, to the formation of a new quantum phase of matter when monopoles condense. In such a condensate the electric interaction becomes extremely strong, so much so that only extended neutral states survive, with the consequence of an infinite resistance, even at finite temperatures. This state, called a superinsulator, is a dual superconductor and has been experimentally detected in various materials. In a superinsulator the electric interaction becomes analogous to the strong interaction holding quarks together in colour-neutral hadrons. Even more interesting is the case when the condensate carries both magnetic and electric charge. The ensuing state has properties that are strikingly reminiscent of the mysterious pseudogap state of high-T superconductors. Magnetic monopoles might thus have been hiding in plain sight where no one was looking for them for a long time.
This book introduces the reader to how fundamental topics in particle physics can be studied with the largest neutrino telescopes currently in operation. Due to their large size, reaching cubic-kilometer volumes, and their wide energy response, these unusual detectors can provide insight on neutrino oscillations, dark matter searches or searches for exotic particles, new neutrino interactions or extra dimensions, among many other topics.Lacking a man-made neutrino 'beam', neutrino telescopes use the copious flux of neutrinos continuously produced by cosmic rays interacting in the Earth's atmosphere, as well as neutrinos from astrophysical origin. They have therefore access to neutrinos of higher energies and much longer baselines than those produced in present accelerators, being able to search for new physics at complementary scales than currently available in particle physics laboratories around the world.Written by carefully chosen experts in the field, the book introduces each topic in a pedagogical way apt not only to professionals, but also to students or the interested reader with a background in physics.
The aim of this book is to develop a contraction method for classical orthogonal and unitary groups (algebras), and apply it to the investigation of physical structures, offering a new and unique interpretation to the high-energy limit of the Standard Model. Readers will find a comprehensive and rigorous study, summarized as follows: The space-time models (or kinematics) are described on the motion group level. The Jordan-Schwinger representations of the groups are shown to be closely connected to the properties of stationary quantum systems, whose Hamiltonians are quadratic in creation and annihilation operators. The high-temperature limit of the Standard Model is associated with the contraction of its gauge group, and the tending-to-zero contraction parameter is connected to the inverse average energy (temperature) of the Universe. This makes it possible to re-establish the evolution of particles and their interactions in the early Universe up to Planck energy, where readers shall discover that the properties of elementary particles change drastically in the infinite temperature limit: all particles lose mass, all quarks are monochromatic, electroweak interactions become long range and are mediated by neutral currents.Absent in all known literature, this book would be the first in describing the dynamics of particle properties and their interactions at different stages in the evolution of the Universe. Presenting both physical and mathematical approaches to various problems, and their applications to the physics of the early Universe, this book will be a valuable addition to the sparse literature on the subject matter.
This textbook fills the gap between the very basic and the highly advanced volumes that are widely available on the subject. It offers a concise but comprehensive overview of a number of topics, like general relativity, fission and fusion, which are otherwise only available with much more detail in other textbooks. Providing a general introduction to the underlying concepts (relativity, fission and fusion, fundamental forces), it allows readers to develop an idea of what these two research fields really involve. The book uses real-world examples to make the subject more attractive and encourage the use of mathematical formulae. Besides short scientists' biographies, diagrams, end-of-chapter problems and worked solutions are also included. Intended mainly for students of scientific disciplines such as physics and chemistry who want to learn about the subject and/or the related techniques, it is also useful to high school teachers wanting to refresh or update their knowledge and to interested non-experts.
This special volume is dedicated to Geoffrey Chew who passed away on April 12, 2019, at age 94. He is best known as the architect and passionate champion of the bootstrap concept, sometimes called nuclear democracy. His work influenced generations of particle physicists. His passion for physics was an inspiration for his many students and associates. From the Chew-Low theory for meson-nucleon scattering to Analytic S-Matrix, Regge Poles, and Bootstrap principle, his originality left its mark in ways that continue to the present. With contributions from Chew's former collaborators, students, and friends, the book will cover various facets of his life and impact on physics.Contributors include Steven Weinberg, Steven Frautschi, Gabriele Veneziano, Peter Landshoff, Carl Rosenzweig, Basarab Nicolescu, William Frazer, David Gross, John Schwartz, Ling-Lie Chau, Chung-I Tan, Richard Brower, Carleton DeTar, R Shankar, David Kaiser, Fritjof Capra, and others.
Classical Charged Particle Beam Optics used in the design and operation of all present-day charged particle beam devices, from low energy electron microscopes to high energy particle accelerators, is entirely based on classical mechanics. A question of curiosity is: How is classical charged particle beam optics so successful in practice though the particles of the beam, like electrons, are quantum mechanical? Quantum Mechanics of Charged Particle Beam Optics answers this question with a comprehensive formulation of 'Quantum Charged Particle Beam Optics' applicable to any charged particle beam device.
Dark matter is a fundamental component of the standard cosmological model, but in spite of four decades of increasingly sensitive searches, no-one has yet detected a single dark-matter particle in the laboratory. An alternative cosmological paradigm exists: MOND (Modified Newtonian Dynamics). Observations explained in the standard model by postulating dark matter are described in MOND by proposing a modification of Newton's laws of motion. Both MOND and the standard model have had successes and failures - but only MOND has repeatedly predicted observational facts in advance of their discovery. In this volume, David Merritt outlines why such predictions are considered by many philosophers of science to be the 'gold standard' when it comes to judging a theory's validity. In a world where the standard model receives most attention, the author applies criteria from the philosophy of science to assess, in a systematic way, the viability of this alternative cosmological paradigm.
Providing a complete foundation to comprehend the physics of the microworld, Advanced Particle Physics, Two-Volume Set develops the models, theoretical framework, and mathematical tools to understand current experiments and make predictions for future experiments. The set brings together a vast array of topics in modern particle physics and distills the material in a rigorous yet accessible manner. All intermediate mathematical steps are derived and numerous application examples help readers gain a thorough, working knowledge of the subject. The first volume on particles, fields, and quantum electrodynamics covers: The mathematical foundation of quantum field theory The interactions and particles of the Standard Model How accelerators, detectors, and neutrino telescopes are used in particle physics experiments The technique of renormalization in quantum electrodynamics The second volume on the Standard Model and beyond discusses: The technique of renormalization in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) The status of current QCD experiments Physics beyond the Standard Model, including composite models and a left-right model How solar and atmospheric neutrinos are detected and analyzed The books in this two-volume set enable readers not only to perform complicated and skilled calculations, but also to propose and elaborate new theories. Each book contains extensive references that offer a comprehensive perspective on the literature and historical development of particle physics. |
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