The quest to understand the nature of our Universe has advanced considerably in recent years as physicists have come to understand the composition of matter at the smallest scales. Some particles previously considered 'fundamental', such as the proton and neutron, are now known to be composed of still smaller constituents: quarks, bound together by gluons. The key to the mysteries of the physical world lies in the microworld -where energy and matter are interchangeable, particles behave as waves, and matter can be created temporarily from nothing. Our current descriptive theories concern the interaction via four basic forces of a mere handful of fundamental particles. But where do these particles and forces come from? What determines the relative strengths of the forces? Why should such objects exist at all? In an attempt to answer these questions, the very structure of space and time is invoked, and the solution is seen to lie -though still partly concealed from view- in the birth of the Universe itself.
In this exciting and frequently enthralling book, Professor Euan Squires traces the story of fundamental physics, explaining to a general audience the latest theories of the nature of space, time and matter . He takes the reader from first principles through successively deeper levels of physics, Always emphasising understanding of the phenomena described rather than complex mathematical manipulation. Everyone with a desire to discover more about the way theoretical physicists look at the world will want to read this book, and will experience a growing sense of wonder as the story unfolds.
Author(s): Euan Squires
Publisher: Adam Hilger Ltd
Year: 1985
Language: English
Pages: 209
City: Bristol
Cover......Page 1
Contents......Page 6
Preface......Page 8
Chapter One......Page 10
§ 1 The story of physics......Page 12
§ 2 A story worth telling......Page 14
§ 3 Our comprehensible world......Page 17
§ 4 The elements......Page 20
§ 5 Space......Page 22
§ 6 Atoms......Page 27
§ 7 The electric force......Page 29
§ 8 The electron......Page 34
§ 9 Rutherford's great experiment......Page 36
§ 10 Electromagnetism......Page 39
§ 11 Waves......Page 43
§ 12 Quantum mechanics......Page 49
§ 13 The structure of atoms......Page 56
Summary of Chapter One......Page 60
Chapter Two......Page 62
§ 14 The atomic nucleus......Page 64
§ 15 Special relativity......Page 69
§ 16 Energy and momentum in special relativity......Page 75
§ 17 Strong interactions......Page 78
§ 18 Field theory......Page 82
§ 19 QED......Page 87
§ 20 Renormalisation......Page 91
§ 21 Gauge theories......Page 95
§ 22 Quarks......Page 101
§ 23 Colour and QCD......Page 106
§ 24 QCD and the real world......Page 110
Summary of Chapter Two......Page 113
Chapter Three......Page 114
§ 25 Weak interactions......Page 116
§ 26 The neutrinos......Page 121
§ 27 Families......Page 125
§ 28 Composite quarks and leptons......Page 131
§ 29 The Salam-Weinberg model......Page 137
§ 30 Symmetry breaking......Page 143
Summary of Chapter Three......Page 147
Chapter Four......Page 150
§ 31 Beyond the standard model......Page 152
§ 32 Gravity......Page 158
§ 33 Super theories ?......Page 168
§ 34 The Universe......Page 172
§ 35 The early Universe......Page 176
§ 36 The inflationary Universe......Page 182
§ 37 Coda......Page 186
Appendix on units......Page 196
Some suggestions for further reading......Page 200
Index......Page 202
Back Cover......Page 209
