Remnants of the fall revelations of particle secrets - Rolnick, William B. (World Scientific, 2003)
Includes bibliographical references and index
About questions and answers -- The matter we know : properties and principles -- The relativity of space and time -- The quantum properties of nature, part one -- The quantum properties of nature, part two -- Quantum mechanical reality -- The particles of matter -- The basic interactions -- Spacetime symmetries -- "Internal" symmetries : isotopic spin -- Particle flavors -- A larger flavor symmetry : entrance to the land of quarks -- About gauge theories -- The strong interaction : quantum chromodynamics (QCD) -- The weak interaction : the foot-hills -- The electroweak interaction and the standard model -- Above and beyond -- The role of experiments and experimentalists -- The experimental connection -- Particle accelerators and detectors
This is a book that sings about the beauty of the fundamental laws of nature. Clear, accurate descriptions for general science readers (no equations in sight!) are punctuated with original, scintillating verses. The reader is taken on a journey through the contemporary understanding of the building blocks of nature and their interactions - the current status of that age-old, intriguing quest. The central role of symmetry is explained in a manner suitable for general science readers, and its splendour is celebrated in verse. The book facilitates understanding of the background and significance