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The Mystery of the Missing Antimatter
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Language:
English
Published/Copyright:
2010
About this book
In the first fractions of a second after the Big Bang lingers a question at the heart of our very existence: why does the universe contain matter but almost no antimatter? The laws of physics tell us that equal amounts of matter and antimatter were produced in the early universe—but then something odd happened. Matter won out over antimatter; had it not, the universe today would be dark and barren.
But how and when did this occur? In The Mystery of the Missing Antimatter, Helen Quinn and Yossi Nir guide readers into the very heart of this mystery—and along the way offer an exhilarating grand tour of cutting-edge physics.
Author / Editor information
Helen R. Quinn is professor emerita of particle physics and astrophysics at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center at Stanford University. A member of the National Academy of Sciences, she is the coauthor of The Charm of Strange Quarks: Mysteries and Revolutions of Particle Physics. Yossi Nir is professor of physics at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel.
Reviews
"Two distinguished physicists, Quinn and Nir trace in some detail both the history of modern particle physics and its relation to cosmology. Even though the text is free from equations, the authors clearly explain the details of the theories presented and their development. The logic and the meaning of the connections among the ideas make it interesting and challenging….This is a fine book that belongs in college libraries."---K. L. Schick, emeritus, Union College (NY), for, CHOICE
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"With the theme of a murder mystery installed in the reader by a silhouette on the cover, this book takes the reader on a tour de force of the case at hand. This book takes the reader on breathtaking foray into the depths of the particle that make-up our body and our worlds. And like an affable Dr. Watson, the reader can journey with [Helen Quinn and Yossi Nir] as they explore this still unsolved case."
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"For those curious about why the universe is the way it is, this book is a reminder of how much we have learned about physics at its smallest and largest scales, but also how much more we have yet to understand."---Jeff Foust, Space Review
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"In this page-turner, true science is written in the thrilling tone of science fiction. Quinn and Nir present the history of the antimatter problem and discuss its impact on our understanding of the cosmos--all without introducing a single equation or even a Greek letter. They reveal tantalizing possibilities for solving this puzzle, made possible by high-precision experiments that particle physicists like Quinn and Nir themselves undertake. For anyone wanting to know how physics works and physicists think, the writers make one of the greatest unsolved problems in physics both comprehensive and compelling."
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"[A] remarkable book which provides one of the most satisfying tours of particle physics I have ever read."---Marcus Chown, BBC Focus Magazine
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"[For] anyone wanting to know how physics works and physicists think, the writers have made a difficult topic comprehensible as well as compelling."---Joe Mielke, ForeWord Magazine
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"The standard model of particle physics is Quinn and Nir's arena for discussing one of its inadequacies: it has yet to answer why in the trillionths of a second after the big bang, there was a tiny numerical superiority of matter over antimatter; if there was not, atoms would not have formed. Addressing nonscientists, the authors describe the nature of this intriguing problem...[This book] will challenge yet reward readers with understanding of a fascinating subject at the frontier of science."---Gilbert Taylor, Booklist
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"Quinn and Nir have a daunting task explaining . . . one of the most active areas of theoretical physics today. If you like reading cosmologist Steven Hawking's A Brief History of Time, or particle physicist Brian Greene's The Elegant Universe, you will find The Mystery of the Missing Antimatter an absorbing scientific whodunit."---Laurence A. Marschall, Natural History
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"The big mystery about antimatter, as far as scientists are concerned, is why there isn't more of it in the universe. This is a serious and well-researched exposition of particle physics and cosmology that shows how science came upon antimatter and is now trying to understand the asymmetry between matter and antimatter. A nice feature is the occasional inclusion of personal recollections of the development of the standard model and of the scientists involved, which adds charm to the narrative. [O]ne of the best overviews...essential reading for students of physics who want to know what research in theoretical particle physics is doing."---Frank Close, Times Higher Education
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"Honorable Mention for the 2008 PROSE Award in Chemistry and Physics, Association of American Publishers"
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Frontmatter
i -
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CONTENTS
vii -
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
xi -
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1. PRELUDE:THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING ANTIMATTER
1 -
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2. CONSTANT PHYSICS IN AN EVOLVING UNIVERSE
7 -
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3. AS THE UNIVERSE EXPANDS
21 -
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4. WHAT IS ANTIMATTER?
36 -
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5. ENTER NEUTRINOS
51 -
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6. MESONS
57 -
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7. THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS
63 -
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8. THROUGH THE LOOKING ANTIGLASS
73 -
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9. THE SURVIVAL OF MATTER
80 -
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10. ENTER QUARKS
91 -
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11. ENERGY RULES
111 -
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12. SYMMETRY RULES
121 -
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13. STANDARD MODEL GAUGE SYMMETRIES
132 -
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14. A MISSING PIECE
140 -
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15. IT STILL DOESN’T WORK!
159 -
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16. TOOLS OF THE TRADE
168 -
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17. SEARCHING FOR CLUES
180 -
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18. SPECULATIONS
194 -
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19. NEUTRINO SURPRISES
206 -
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20. FOLLOWING THE NEW CLUES
222 -
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21. FINALE
231 -
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APPENDIX: A TIMELINE OF PARTICLE PHYSICS AND COSMOLOGY
233 -
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INDEX
273
Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
January 1, 2010
eBook ISBN:
9781400835713
Edition:
Course Book
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook ISBN:
9781400835713
Keywords for this book
Neutrino; Antimatter; CP violation; Physicist; Weak interaction; Particle physics; Neutron; Photon; Lepton; Antiparticle; Quark; Lepton number; Leptogenesis (physics); Beta decay; Particle decay; Physics beyond the Standard Model; Positron; Strange quark; Neutrino detector; Baryon asymmetry; Radioactive decay; Quantum mechanics; Baryon number; Massless particle; Neutrino oscillation; Big Bang nucleosynthesis; Antiproton; Atomic nucleus; Experimental physics; Alpha decay; Higgs boson; Chronology of the universe; Dirac equation; Quantum electrodynamics; Particle accelerator; Weakly interacting massive particles; Proton decay; Supersymmetry; Available energy (particle collision); Down quark; Electron neutrino; Baryon; Supernova Cosmology Project; Fermion; Nuclear physics; Strangeness; Bottom quark; Atomic theory; Quark model; Nuclear emulsion; Elementary particle; Spontaneous symmetry breaking; Theoretical physics; Dark matter halo; Quantum process; Annihilation; Double beta decay; Meson; Dark matter; Quantum number; Nuclear fusion; Spin (physics); Mirror symmetry (string theory); Positron emission; Asymmetry; Discovery of the neutron; Nuclear force; Dark energy; Particle detector; Cosmic microwave background
Audience(s) for this book
For a non-specialist adult audience