Collider

An accessible look at the hottest topic in physics and the experiments that will transform our understanding of the universe The biggest news in science today is the Large Hadron Collider, the world's largest and most powerful particle-smasher, and the anticipation of finally discovering the Higgs boson particle. But what is the Higgs boson and why is it often referred to as the God Particle? Why are the Higgs and the LHC so important? Getting a handle on the science behind the LHC can be difficult for anyone without an advanced degree in particle physics, but you don't need to go back to school to learn about it. In Collider, award-winning physicist Paul Halpern provides you with the tools you need to understand what the LHC is and what it hopes to discover. * Comprehensive, accessible guide to the theory, history, and science behind experimental high-energy physics * Explains why particle physics could well be on the verge of some of its greatest breakthroughs, changing what we think we know about quarks, string theory, dark matter, dark energy, and the fundamentals of modern physics * Tells you why the theoretical Higgs boson is often referred to as the God particle and how its discovery could change our understanding of the universe * Clearly explains why fears that the LHC could create a miniature black hole that could swallow up the Earth amount to a tempest in a very tiny teapot *"Best of 2009 Sci-Tech Books (Physics)"-Library Journal *"Halpern makes the search for mysterious particles pertinent and exciting by explaining clearly what we don't know about the universe, and offering a hopeful outlook for future research."-Publishers Weekly * Includes a new author preface, "The Fate of the Large Hadron Collider and the Future of High-Energy Physics" The world will not come to an end any time soon, but we may learn a lot more about it in the blink of an eye. Read Collider and find out what, when, and how.

ISBN 0470286202   Pages 272 ISBN13 9780470286203 (What's this?)   Volumes 1 Publisher John Wiley and Sons Ltd   Weight (grammes) 484 Imprint John Wiley & Sons Ltd   Published in Chichester Format Hardback   Height (mm) 242 Publication date 28 Jul 2009   Width (mm) 168 Library of Congress 2009007114   Spine width (mm) 24 DEWEY 539.72   Academic level Professional / Scholarly DEWEY edition DC22   Alternative ISBN 9786612237454

		Prologue: Journey to the Heart of the Large Hadron Collider		1
Introduction		The Machinery of Perfection		7
1		The Secrets of Creation		23
2		The Quest for a Theory of Everything		41
3		Striking Gold: Rutherford's Scattering Experiments		53
4		Smashing Successes: The First Accelerators		75
5		A Compelling Quartet: The Four Fundamental Forces		99
6		A Tale of Two Rings: The Tevatron and the Super Proton Synchrotron		117
7		Deep in the Heart of Texas: The Rise and Fall of the Superconducting Super Collider		147
8		Crashing by Design: Building the Large Hadron Collider		163
9		Denizens of the Dark: Resolving the Mysteries of Dark Matter and Dark Energy		179
10		The Brane Drain: Looking for Portals to Higher Dimensions		191
11		Microscopic Black Holes: A Boon to Science or a Boom for the World?		209
		Conclusion: The Future of High-Energy Physics: The International Linear Collider and Beyond		225
		Notes		233
		Further Reading		241
		Index		245

"Halpern explains complex topics and theories concisely, frequently drawing on deft analogies...Halpern makes the search for mysterious particles pertinent and exciting by explaining clearly what we don't know about the universe, and offering a hopeful outlook for future research." (Publishers Weekly, August 2009)

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