Introduction to Elementary Particles

Book Description

This is the first quantitative treatment of elementary particle theory that is accessible to undergraduates. Using a lively, informal writing style, the author strikes a balance between quantitative rigor and intuitive understanding. The first chapter provides a detailed historical introduction to the subject. Subsequent chapters offer a consistent and modern presentation, covering the quark model, Feynman diagrams, quantum electrodynamics, and gauge theories. A clear introduction to the Feynman rules, using a simple model, helps readers learn the calculational techniques without the complications of spin. And an accessible treatment of QED shows how to evaluate tree-level diagrams. Contains an abundance of worked examples and many end-of-chapter problems.

Customer Reviews:

Do yourself a favor - BUY THIS BOOK NOW.......2007-07-17

Seriously, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR, BUY THIS BOOK NOW.

I find it hard to describe to you in words how much I love this book. I am just speechless! This book will take you by the hand and spoon feed you all the important concepts and calculation steps. If you are thinking of pursuing a high energy physics and trying to find the very first book to read on this subject, Griffiths is THE ONE.

Reading QFT books before this book is in my opinion a NO-GO. Trust me from someone that has been there! You lose insight immediately and get taken down hard by the unfamiliar math. Griffiths knows how to explain things and always keeps in close contact with the actual physics. You will never lose motivation / insights into what's going on.

Take my word for it. BUY THIS BOOK NOW! You will save hundreds of hours invested on other books that claim to be "good". There are none of this kind.

After Griffiths, proceed to Ryder's QFT, and then Peskins. Then and only then will you finally see the light of the day. There are not other routes to the promised land.

The perfect introduction.......2004-08-30

This is the perfect introduction for any student learning about particle physics, the Standard Model, or Quantum Field Theory. It introduces Feynman calculus very well, although anyone planning to continue will need Peskin & Schroeder's book as well for the details not introduced here. This book contains an excellent appendix with all formulae and rules needed for even an advanced researcher.

Griffiths defines "Introductory Course".......2003-09-03

David Griffiths' texts are indispensable for any beginner, and are used to "translate" more advanced texts. I used his "Quantum Mechanics" to fill in the gaps at the advanced graduate level, and his "Electrodynamics" was essential to understanding Jackson. I'm sorry that I waited so long to purchase his "Elementary Particles".

This book contains all the background that professors expect you to have already been exposed to: particle classification schemes, the November Revolution, relativistic kinematics, and fundamental force overviews. Griffiths then goes on to discuss Feynman rules, QED, QCD, electroweak and gauge theories. Griffiths also works out some essential problems, like muon decay, that you will want to see done, but I think it is done better by Lahiri and Pal (that, however, is a field theory book, which might be more advanced than is necessary to some people in particle physics).

This is a great text for anyone starting out in particle physics and for anyone who needs to review the fundamentals. My only bone with Griffiths is that sometimes more of the work is left to the reader than is appropriate (those problems worked out in gory detail are a godsend when you genuinely aren't getting the point).

Great Intro to Particle Physics.......2003-06-26

Griffiths' book provides an ideal introduction to particle physics for the undergraduate who is desperate to find a comprehensive treatment that is truly understandable. I was greatly disappointed by Griffiths' books on electrodynamics and quantum mechanics, but he really hit the mark on this one. There is the usual introductory material on the Standard Model, relativistic kinematics, symmetries and bound states, but his presentations of QED, Feynman calculus, decays and interactions are clearly written and geared for the student who has been frustrated by the obtuseness of other so-called introductory texts. His exposition on gauge theories, the Yang-Mills field and the Higgs mechanism is elementary but enlightening and even entertaining.

Griffiths' sly wit is in great evidence in this text, and this is one of the reasons why it is so enjoyable. Although he displays a similar witty vein in his other texts, it just doesn't succeed as it does for this book. If you want to be able to calculate particle decay rates and interaction cross sections and have fun doing it, Griffiths' book is an excellent investment.

A grain of salt..........2002-05-01

OK. It seems that I am the one who criticizes all the books that everyone else loves.
The book is very good as far as didactics is concerned. But have you really read it? Let me ask you a few questions:

How many typos can you find in chapter 9?
What do you think - had ANYONE proofread Chapter 11 before the book was published?
What about the exercises -can you do 9.2 without Halzen and Martin at hand (so that you may look up what, say, |7'> really means? (Griffiths mixes notation from the two books and you can never solve the exercise without intoroducing some corrections).

There are many more questions like these to be asked about the Introduction to Elementary Particles.
So, do you like the content or the lively style?

Book Description

An exciting new edition of a classic text

Howard Georgi is the co-inventor (with Sheldon Glashow) of the SU(5) theory. This extensively revised and updated edition of his classic text makes the theory of Lie groups accessible to graduate students, while offering a perspective on the way in which knowledge of such groups can provide an insight into the development of unified theories of strong, weak, and electromagnetic interactions.

Customer Reviews:

classical.......2005-08-05

very well written text about the algebra of standard model,
but not for beginers,a very solid background in particle physics
and symmetry methods for physics is required

A good *first* start.......2003-08-14

This book is good for what it is, namely, something to get your feet wet. When learning the basics of particle physics, e.g. as an undergrad or a beginning experimentalist, this is the quickest way to get a feel for the standard model gauge group.
However, this is *not* a complete text on group theory in particle physics (and therefore, little of what you need for supersymmetric field theories and string theories). So in addition to this book, you'd need something else with an introduction to the other things you need for your particular interest. Try Gilmore's "Applications of Lie algebras...", which I believe is out of print (in libraries). Also, Cornwell's abridged "Group theory in physics" is good (though if you can find the older set of three volumes, that may be more suited to your desires).
I don't suggest many of the other books on group theory for particles/fields/strings. There are tidbits of group theory you can pick up in the particular text you are working with, e.g. "Quantum theory of Fields" by Weinberg if you are learning quantum field theory.
For mathematical physics in general, I strongly suggest "Gauge fields, knots, and gravity" (John Baez), "Differential Geometry for physicists" (Chris Isham), and "Mathematical Physics" (Geroch).

What do you need more?.......2003-02-11

I'd say that, at least, the Georgi's book is too underestimated here.

I agree that this book lacks some notions and concepts which are usually dealt with in the matmatical literature, but not on logical clearity. Every book has its own way. For example the later parts of Green, Schwarz and Witten are also a mere sketches but it sufficiently pinpoints every important steps. A physically inclined reader(?), soon realize that it is filled with (and you may feel the leakage of) the master's intuition. You can see what mathematics going on beneath the physics. It is a well-framed series of informal lectures which reveals some space-between-lines secret.

good supplement.......2002-03-09

good supplement of introductory quantum field theory. particle physics books often have aggressiveness but this is in a relaxed mood, apt for reading in fine sunday mornings. 27 chapters in 300 pages, short chapters, without one for manifold and topology. from this book you can't get a mathematically deep understanding of Lie algebra nor exotic viewpoint for particle/string, but that's not this is for. i hope someday this will be included in Dover classics.

1.finite groups 2.Lie groups 3.SU(2) 4.tensor operators 5.isospin 6.roots and weights 7.SU(3) 8.simple roots 9.more SU(3) 10.tensor methods 11.hypercharge and strangeness 12.Young tableaux 13.SU(n) 14.3-d harmonic oscillator 15.SU(6) and the quark model 16.color 17.constituent quarks 18.unified theories and SU(5) 19.classical groups 20.classification theorem 21.SO(2n+1)and spinors 22.SO(2n+2)spinors 23.SU(n) Mediocre.......2001-09-01

Georgi's book has its strengths and weaknesses. It is very strong on application to physics but suffers greatly from a lack of mathematical substance. It has all the earmarks of a mathematics book written by a physicist: lots of physical insight but poor logical structure. Clear definitions and statements of theorems are missing and contribute to the nebulous feel of the text.

This is the kind of book that a casual reader will go through and think he has learned alot but for which the serious student who seeks a precise, thorough understanding of the material will likely end up confused at many points. It is a book of tools. The reader will not obtain a mastery of the subject but must suppliment this book with other, more theoretical treatments of representation theory.

The lack of mathematical rigor is by design as Geogi mentions in the preface. It could have been a better book, in my opinion, had it been more fleshed out in that respect.

Average customer rating:

AMERICA'S GOT TALENT!!!

The Problem With Math

Readable!

Randall re where we are.

Interesting, the idea is similar to the experiences left by some Buddists and Taoists

Warped Passages: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Universe's Hidden Dimensions
Lisa Randall
Manufacturer: Ecco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe

The Trouble With Physics: The Rise of String Theory, The Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next

The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality

Hiding in the Mirror : The Mysterious Allure of Extra Dimensions, from Plato to String Theory and Beyond

The Cosmic Landscape: String Theory and the Illusion of Intelligent Design

ASIN: 0060531088
Release Date: 2005-08-30

Book Description

The universe has its secrets. It may even hide extra dimensions, different from anything ever imagined. A whole raft of remarkable concepts now rides atop the scientific firmament, including parallel universes, warped geometry, and threedimensional sink-holes. We understand far more about the world than we did just a few short years ago -- and yet we are more uncertain about the true nature of the universe than ever before. Have we reached a point of scientific discovery so advanced that the laws of physics as we know them are simply not sufficient? Will we all soon have to accept explanations that previously remained in the realm of science fiction?

Lisa Randall is herself making these extraordinary breakthroughs, pushing back the boundaries of science in her research to answer some of the most fundamental questions posed by Nature. For example, why is the gravitational field from the entire Earth so defenseless against the small tug of a tiny magnet? Searching for answers to such seemingly irresolvable questions has led physicists to postulate extra dimensions, the presence of which may lead to unimaginable gains in scientific understanding. Randall takes us into the incredible world of warped, hidden dimensions that underpin the universe we live in, describing how we might prove their existence, while examining the questions that they still leave unanswered.

Warped Passages provides an exhilarating overview that tracks the arc of discovery from early twentieth-century physics to the razor's edge of today's particle physics and string theory, unweaving the current debates about relativity, quantum mechanics, and gravity. In a highly readable style sure to entertain and elucidate, Lisa Randall demystifies the science and beguilingly unravels the mysteries of the myriad worlds that may exist just beyond the one we are only now beginning to know.

Customer Reviews:

AMERICA'S GOT TALENT!!!.......2007-09-28

You really don't need my opinion because there are already over 100 reviews. I don't have a serious review to offer because the serious ones have already been done. I will agree with the best of them because this lady author has many great talents in putting such an amazing book together with such STYLE!!!! Many points of praise. I got this book in hardcover and decided I needed another one so I got two.

You go scientists!!!! Please continue writing books like this one that are so so delicious to read and well put together in SO many ways. Keep them (books) real long like this one (or even longer) and packed with lots of goodies. Brian Greene, I still LOVE your work also--ESPECIALLY The Fabric of the Cosmos, so Lisa Randall, Briane Greene and other talented scientists--keep on dishing out books like these that keep us wanting more more more!!!

SOME speculation is HEALTHY SCIENCE. Always know that there is A BEYOND EVERYTHING! Be certain of that. You scientists have now acquired an audience of the MASSES. We will be there to hail you or boo you like the jury of Q in Star Trek The Next Generation. We want more and better and more and better. Ha Ha Ha. Great work!

The Problem With Math.......2007-09-26

Randall, along with many other, such as Susskind The Cosmic Landscape: String Theory and the Illusion of Intelligent Design makes a serious mistake in leaping to the conclusion that reality corresponds to her mathematical models. Along with other string theorists, they assume that if the math they use to build their models contains some number of additional dimensions, then the real world must contain those dimensions. I see this in much of the literature, including, for example Woit Not Even Wrong: The Failure of String Theory And the Search for Unity in Physical Law who debunks string theory, but nevertheless seems to accept the idea that if the math contains extra dimensions, reality must also contain those extra dimensions.
A mathematical model is just that - a model. It is the best math we can construct at this point in time to describe the reality we are trying to model. It is not the reality itself. If the string theorists are successful in constructing a model that includes six or seven tiny dimensions, that does not mean that those dimensions actually exist. All it means is that the best model we can currently construct has to include those dimensions in the math. Susskind really goes off the deep end with this. We must remember that much more math will come along. Someday, we may have a math that describes the same reality without the additional dimensions.
That said, if the string theorists can make a prediction that absolutely, positively depends upon those extra dimensions and if that prediction is confirmed by experimental results, then they may have a case. So far, the string theorists have failed utterly to make such a prediction. Even here, a different math may come along. The night is young.

Readable!.......2007-09-24

In order to keep this short and sweet, this is a very readable book about string, superstring theory, and branes! An excellent job by the author! Also contains references to nice music lyrics and quotes! Fantastic book, highly recommended!

Randall re where we are........2007-08-24

Superb summary of contemporary cosmological crucial questions. Not not for the novice, but she writes so clearly--who knows?

Interesting, the idea is similar to the experiences left by some Buddists and Taoists.......2007-08-10

1.

Why not use any possible monitoring system to collect the local variatons in space as beings dying, being born and fertilizing? We may find something come from and go to some other dimensions or layers.

2.

According to some old chinese books of Buddhism and Taoism,(a) some Buddhists and Taoists could see the future, but they could not change the future, (b) the space is layered, (c) there is something called "the singular door and the invisible armour" in Taoism.

3.

The results of some experiments, such as experiments described in the book authored by "SHE DING MING", in hypnosis are seemly relevant to this dimensional idea.

An Introduction to the Standard Model of Particle Physics

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Review for An Intoduction to the Standard Model of Particle Physics
Updated New Edition
workout with the Standard Model lagrangian
well written book but...
Excellent Introduction to Particle Physics

An Introduction to the Standard Model of Particle Physics
W. N. Cottingham , and D. A. Greenwood
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0521852498

Book Description

The new edition of this introductory graduate textbook provides a concise but accessible introduction to the Standard Model. It has been updated to account for the successes of the theory of strong interactions, and the observations on matter-antimatter asymmetry. It has become clear that neutrinos are not mass-less, and this book gives a coherent presentation of the phenomena and the theory that describes them. It includes an account of progress in the theory of strong interactions and of advances in neutrino physics. The book clearly develops the theoretical concepts from the electromagnetic and weak interactions of leptons and quarks to the strong interactions of quarks. Each chapter ends with problems, and hints to selected problems are provided at the end of the book. The mathematical treatments are suitable for graduates in physics, and more sophisticated mathematical ideas are developed in the text and appendices.

Customer Reviews:

Review for An Intoduction to the Standard Model of Particle Physics.......2007-10-04

According to my opinion this book is well written and well organized and also quite short so that you are not lost in details.

Updated New Edition.......2007-05-15

In this second edition the authors have upgraded their book to incorporate recent discoveries in several areas including:

o the successes of the theory of strong interactions
o the observations on matter-antimatter asymmetry
o advances in neutrino physics, especially as it has become clear that neutrinos are not mass-less
o the theoretical concepts from the electromagnetic and weak interactions of leptons and quarks to the strong interactions of quarks.

The book is aimed at the graduate student in particle physics. It has a rigorous mathematical structure. After all, the Standard Model is basically a mathematical theory that describes the interactions between leptons and quarks.

Throughout the book there are many references to open questions that likewise reflect the state of the Standard Model.

workout with the Standard Model lagrangian.......2005-10-25

This book is about the experimental facts and the theoretical principles that lead to the construction of the Standard Model lagrangian. It is NOT about calculating scattering crossections. Some of the problems ask you to calculate decay rates but only at tree level and the fields are treated like classical fields not operators, with the exception that the fermionic fields anticommute. There is a 12-page chapter on quantizing the fields and renormalization but I find it rather sketchy so don't expect to understand a lot from it if you don't already know it.

You should have some background in varying lagrangians otherwise the book will frequently seem difficult to you. The authors obtain symmetry currents corresponding to a symmetry of the lagrangian not in the standard way of Noether's theorem. Their method is entirely correct but it took me long time to understand because they didn't explain it with enough details the first time they used it (section 7.1, page 65). I think that will throw off the horse many readers.

The style is wonderfully concise which makes the logical structure easier to follow and there isn't the usual fluff `to motivate' things that are simply put guesses like the principle of local gauge invariance. On the other hand, some places definitely need more detailed explanations like signs of certain quantities or the symmetry currents I mentioned above.

The treatment of the Dirac equation and spinors is the least messy I've seen. The way they obtain the nonrelativistic limit of the Dirac equation with EM field is again the best and least messy I've seen.

The book has nice appendix on the groups of the Standard Model which covers what you need to know about SO(3), SU(2) and SU(3) in a very efficient way. There are about 5 problems after each chapter most of which have a solution outline at the end of the book.

Things I understood from this book:

-- why time reversal, space inversion and charge conjugation of fields are defined in a way that previously seemed to me quite arbitrary
-- how demanding local gauge invariance necessitates introduction of gauge fields which leads to interaction terms
-- how local gauge invariance can't be proven, it's just a guess that has worked so far hence it's called `principle' (my own interpretation)
-- global and local symmetry breaking, Goldstone bosons and Higgs boson
-- how the Lagrangian densities of the electroweak and strong interactions were constructed from the experimental input by demanding local gauge invariance and guessing the symmetry group to be SU(2) and SU(3) correspondingly
-- what's Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix that mixes the quark fields and how it arises
-- how symmetries of the lagrangian density lead to conservation numbers
-- how neglecting some terms in the lagrangian leads to effective lagrangian and effective theory
-- how to work with the terms in the QCD lagrangian where different matrices multiply different indices

well written book but..........2005-09-24

This is a very short resume of Standard Model, but well written,
the misguidance here, is the title "introduction" ... this text
is not for beginners.

Excellent Introduction to Particle Physics.......2002-04-01

This book is an excellent introduction to particle physics. The chapters are short, clear and very readable. As the previous reviewer mentioned, there are a series of reasonable exercises at the end of each chapter with answers provided in the back of the book. Many concepts that field theory or particle physics books leave mysterious or have a difficult time explaining are clearly laid out in this book. I would judge it superior to Griffiths particle physics book, and if you are looking for a nice supplement to serious study of quantum field theory, this is it.

Average customer rating:

on one equation
Fills a huge gap

Cosmic Rays and Particle Physics
Thomas K. Gaisser
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0521326672

Book Description

Over recent years there has been marked growth in interest in the study of techniques of cosmic ray physics by astrophysicists and particle physicists. Cosmic radiation is important for the astrophysicist because in the farther reaches of the universe. For particle physicists, it provides the opportunity to study neutrinos and very high energy particles of galactic origin. More importantly, cosmic rays constitue the background, and in some cases possibly the signal, for the more exotic unconfirmed hypothesized particles such as monopoles and sparticles. Concentrating on the highest energy cosmic rays, this book describes where they originate, acquire energy, and interact, in accreting neutron stars, supernova remnants, in large-scale shock waves. It also describes their interactions in the atmosphere and in the earth, how they are studied in surface and very large underground detectors, and what they tell us.

Customer Reviews:

on one equation.......2003-07-31

I looked at equation (3.22) for other purpose (than counting
cosmic ray particle collisions) and there seems to be a sign mistake in the first equation (integrated mass <25g/cm^2): as
it is, the equation indicates that the mass increases as the
air column gets smaller (or higher altitude).

It seems to be a pretty colorful "fitting formula" and it
could have been more useful if the reference to M. Shibata can
be found in the reference list (p.264: paperback) which may
have information on which "data" (most likely a combination
of measurements/modeling/computations) the formula originates from.

I presume that the next volume will have improved.

** the rating should be dismissed: I did not read through the
book and do not have a judgement. I chose the middle because I did not have choice not to choose. It will affect the
arithmetic statistics and if it matters, it is an unfortunate result of the limited survey method that mandates a choice of rating.

Fills a huge gap.......2000-06-22

With interest in cosmic rays and particle astrophysics growing, Tom Gaisser's Cosmic Rays and Particle Physics is really the only contemporary introduction to the field suitable for undergraduates as well as beginning graduate students. There is no attempt to be fully comprehensive - the field is too broad for that - but processes relating to extensive air showers and their products (including muons and neutrinos) are covered in some detail. I regularly recommend this book to students who are considering research in particle astrophysics. There are a few gaps and a few topics covered in more detail than most people need, as is typical for a first edition. I hope Prof. Gaisser will find the time to prepare a revised and updated edition soon!

Elementary Particles and the Laws of Physics: The 1986 Dirac Memorial Lectures

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Tougher than the Lectures on Physics
Recommended
Great Lectures. Requires Math Background.
Physics by two of the very best!
Two of the best give great insight into fundamentals.

Elementary Particles and the Laws of Physics: The 1986 Dirac Memorial Lectures
Richard P. Feynman , and Steven Weinberg
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0521340004

Book Description

Developing a theory that seamlessly combines relativity and quantum mechanics, the most important conceptual breakthroughs in twentieth century physics, has proved to be a difficult and ongoing challenge. This book details how two distinguished physicists and Nobel laureates have explored this theme in two lectures given in Cambridge, England, in 1986 to commemorate the famous British physicist Paul Dirac. Given for nonspecialists and undergraduates, the talks transcribed in Elementary Particles and the Laws of Physics focus on the fundamental problems of physics and the present state of our knowledge. Professor Feynman examines the nature of antiparticles, and in particular the relationship between quantum spin and statistics. Professor Weinberg speculates on how Einstein's theory of gravitation might be reconciled with quantum theory in the final law of physics. Highly accessible, deeply thought provoking, this book will appeal to all those interested in the development of modern physics.

Customer Reviews:

Tougher than the Lectures on Physics.......2007-03-21

When I read the lectures on physics, I was hoping to understand the reasoning behind the exclusion principle, and was disappointed to find that RPF felt that this was too complex for undergraduates, so he asked them to take it on faith for the moment.

Here he is talking to a more advanced audience, and explains it - he was right, it's tough. I'm still struggling to understand it, but I have confidence that this is a good book to help.

Recommended.......2007-01-17

From Richard Feynman, with love. Need more to be said? Read it, and read it again. This one can be read all over again once in a while and does not get boring.

Great Lectures. Requires Math Background........2006-02-19

This short book, Elementary Particles and the Laws of Physics, offers two lectures: Richard Feynman's The Reason for Antiparticles and Steven Weinberg's Toward the Final Laws of Physics. These two talks comprise the 1986 Dirac Memorial lectures at Cambridge University. Both presentations are cogently structured and make fascinating reading.

The talks were directed at an advanced audience, one that was familiar with quantum mechanics. Unlike many popular presentations by Feynman and Weinberg, these lectures are not suitable for the general layman.

However, these lectures are accessible to a persistent (perhaps, stubborn) layman with a calculus background and a deep interest in particle physics. I am not a physicist, but I did take my share of physics, chemistry, and math courses several decades ago. I encountered Schrodinger's equation in more than one class, but not relativistic quantum mechanics. However, having recently read Bruce Schumm's wonderful review of particle physics (titled Deep Down Things), I was sufficiently motivated to work my way through both Dirac memorial lectures.

Richard Feynman's lecture, The Reason for Antiparticles, is decidedly the more difficult. Feynman first demonstrates that quantum mechanics and relativity together require the existence of antiparticles, and then shows that they also establish the spin-statistics connection. Within a few pages advanced mathematical expressions appear and then persistently stay in the foreground for nearly the entire talk.

Although understanding Feynman's mathematics is critical for a full and deep appreciation of his exposition, with careful, repeated readings the stubborn layman will have sudden moments of enlightenment and can come away with a deeper understanding of antiparticles and spin statistics. For readers engaged in some self-tutorial readings, it may prove helpful to return occasionally to this classic Feynman lecture to qualitatively measure progress. I have no doubt that, on a deeper level, Feynman's lecture will similarly challenge and enlighten physics majors as well.

Steven Weinberg discusses his speculations on the shape of a final underlying theory of particle physics. Initially, his talk is deceptively easy as few mathematical expressions are used. However, about midway a Lagrangian density equation appears, ratcheting the difficulty several notches, as Weinberg considers a theoretical framework based on quantum mechanics and a few symmetry principles, that is also mathematically consistent with the Lagrangian dynamical principle. After discussion of some limitations of the Standard Model, Weinberg concludes his talk with a somewhat mathematical introduction to string theory.

Physics by two of the very best!.......1999-09-25

As usual, the best physics books are short and to the point, as is this one. The two Dirac lectures may serve as a perfectly good mini physics course all by themselves. I always enjoy a Feynman lecture, and this is no exception. He cuts to the chase without sacrificing the plot. But, I must say, in this case the Wienberg lecture is the better of the two. Weinberg's style has a particular grace & beauty about it that gently exposes the aesthetic meaning of the search for a picture of nature.

Two of the best give great insight into fundamentals........1998-11-18

Feynman yet again gives great insight into the laws of physics, this time exploring the reasons for existence of anti-particles, starting from the dirac equation etc.. Plus some really outstanding photographs, that fella Weinberg will be chuffed to have his name mentioned on the book cover!

An Introduction to the Physics of High Energy Accelerators (Wiley Series in Beam Physics and Accelerator Technology)

Average customer rating:

An excellent introduction

An Introduction to the Physics of High Energy Accelerators (Wiley Series in Beam Physics and Accelerator Technology)
D. A. Edwards , and M. J. Syphers
Manufacturer: Wiley-Interscience
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0471551635

Book Description

The first half deals with the motion of a single particle under the influence of electronic and magnetic fields. The basic language of linear and circular accelerators is developed. The principle of phase stability is introduced along with phase oscillations in linear accelerators and synchrotrons. Presents a treatment of betatron oscillations followed by an excursion into nonlinear dynamics and its application to accelerators. The second half discusses intensity dependent effects, particularly space charge and coherent instabilities. Includes tables of parameters for a selection of accelerators which are used in the numerous problems provided at the end of each chapter.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent introduction.......2000-05-18

This book is a superb introduction to the field of acclereator physics. Starting with a basic knowledge of relativity and E&M is all that is necessary. Edwards and Syphers do a great job of "building" an accelerator in their book and using operating parameters of real world accelerators (mostly the Tevatron) for their numerical examples.

Book Description

A Classic Text on Radiation Detection and Measurement Now Updated and Expanded Building on the proven success of this widely-used text, the Third Edition will provide you with a clear understanding of the methods and instrumentation used in the detection and measurement of ionizing radiation. It provides in-depth coverage of the basic principles of radiation detection as well as illustrating their application in a full set of modern instruments. In addition to a complete description of well-established detection and spectroscopic methods, many recently developed approaches are also explored. These include extensive new discussions of semiconductor detectors with unique properties, recently developed scintillation materials and photomultiplier tubes, and several gas-filled detectors of new design. Many other updates and additions have been made throughout the text and two appendices have been added. Over 100 new figures and tables have been included. Key Features of the Third Edition
* Every chapter has been updated with extensive addition of new references to relevant articles in the scientific literature.
* A number of new detection techniques have been added, strengthening the status of the text as the most comprehensive coverage of the topic to be found in any single book.
* The writing style has maintained the readability that has attracted favorable response from readers and reviewers of the earlier editions.
* The author uses his extensive research experience in radiation measurements, nuclear instrumentation, and radiation imaging to provide you with an invaluable resource.

Customer Reviews:

wonderful refence.......2007-01-14

It's a wonderful reference for a practiing medical/healt physicist. It's concise but deep in terms of cotent.

Good overview of the field........2002-08-07

This book is a must for anyone working in the field of
radiation detection, and contains a clear, readable description
of the working principles of quite a lot of detector types.
The weaker point is the description of the associated front
end (analogue) electronics that goes with those detectors: it
is a bit concise.

A good point for starting and for continuing.......2000-09-13

I have used this book for my studies and for working, and it's really beautiful: it starts with basic principles and after few pages you are deep inside the detector, and you start feeling it. The next step is to take an article of Nucl. Instr. Methods and read it.

Question - solutions manual?.......2000-02-27

I believe that there is an accompanying solutions manual for those individuals who will be self-studying. Nothing shows up on the search. How do I obtain the solutions manual?

Excellent book, detailed on the subject matter and readable.......1998-12-04

This is an excellent text and considered the prime source for an detailed overview of it's field.

Average customer rating:

Anyone who is curious about the horizons of theoretical physics will enjoy this book
Almost 5 Stars
First half zipped along with insight after insight.
science or science fiction?
Crackling and sizzling ! - This one requires some attention and tenacity though.

The ELegant Universe
Brian Greene
Manufacturer: Vintage Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 009928992X
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Amazon.com

There is an ill-concealed skeleton in the closet of physics: "As they are currently formulated, general relativity and quantum mechanics cannot both be right." Each is exceedingly accurate in its field: general relativity explains the behavior of the universe at large scales, while quantum mechanics describes the behavior of subatomic particles. Yet the theories collide horribly under extreme conditions such as black holes or times close to the big bang. Brian Greene, a specialist in quantum field theory, believes that the two pillars of physics can be reconciled in superstring theory, a theory of everything.

Superstring theory has been called "a part of 21st-century physics that fell by chance into the 20th century." In other words, it isn't all worked out yet. Despite the uncertainties--"string theorists work to find approximate solutions to approximate equations"--Greene gives a tour of string theory solid enough to satisfy the scientifically literate.

Though Ed Witten of the Institute for Advanced Study is in many ways the human hero of The Elegant Universe, it is not a human-side-of-physics story. Greene's focus throughout is the science, and he gives the nonspecialist at least an illusion of understanding--or the sense of knowing what it is that you don't know. And that is traditionally the first step on the road to knowledge. --Mary Ellen Curtin

Book Description

"[Greene] develops one fresh new insight after another...In the great tradition of physicists writing for the masses, The Elegant Universe sets a standard that will be hard to beat." --George Johnson, The New York Times Book Review

In a rare blend of scientific insight and writing as elegant as the theories it explains, Brian Greene, one of the world's leading string theorists, peels away the layers of mystery surrounding string theory to reveal a universe that consists of 11 dimensions where the fabric of space tears and repairs itself, and all matter-from the smallest quarks to the most gargantuan supernovas-is generated by the vibrations of microscopically tiny loops of energy.

Green uses everything from an amusement park ride to ants on a garden hose to illustrate the beautiful yet bizarre realities that modern physics is unveiling. Dazzling in its brilliance, unprecedented in its ability to both illuminate and entertain, The Elegant Universe is a tour de force of science writing-a delightful, lucid voyage through modern physics that brings us closer than ever to understanding how the universe works.

Customer Reviews:

Anyone who is curious about the horizons of theoretical physics will enjoy this book.......2007-08-30

In this brilliantty articulated and refreshingly clear book, Greene, a leading string theorist, relates the scientific story and the human struggle behind the search for the ultimate theory. String theory, as the author vividly and easily describes, reveals a vision of the universe that is sending shock waves through the world of physics. Thrilling and revolutionary ideas such as new dimensions hidden within the fabric of space, black holes transmuting into elementary particles, rips and puncutures in the space time continuum, gigantic universes interchangealbe with minusclule ones, and a wealth of others are playing a pivotal role as physicists use string theory to grapple with some of the deepest questions of the ages.

Almost 5 Stars.......2007-07-19

Although I felt this book was excellent and covered all the bases there were a few areas that lacked for me and I couldn't quite give it 5 stars. The book started out phenomenally and the section on quantum mechanics was the best that I've read. The analogies that Mr. Greene used made the concepts clear and comprehendable but there were a few chapters in the middle where he used no analogies and I found myself completely lost even after re-reading the chapters. I might be too much of a layman for this book and that would certainly not be Mr. Greene's fault. There were additional parts of the book where I found myself easily destracted and those chapters were almost a chore to finish. Over all I think parts of this book are great for readers who are just begining to study this subject but other whole chapters are definately not.

First half zipped along with insight after insight........2007-07-19

First half zipped along with insight after insight. Second half got a bit heavy and bogged down. Overall I'm glad I made it through.

science or science fiction? .......2007-07-08

"Theoretical physicist is the one whose experiments don't work".
So says my friend, an engineer by profession, and The Elegant Universe fully confirms this view - more, since we learn that the theories of modern physics are beyond our technological ability to test them experimentally.
The theories themselves are indeed very elegant, composed with great care for estetics and symmetry, and well illustrated by pictures. Nonetheless, we are left with an impression that most of it is the stuff of phantasy, and just as one calculation will "prove" some idea, another set of equations will "disprove" it with identical claim to "scientific truth". I've put all this terms in quotes because the maybe factor of all proofs is too strong to take the presented theories seriously. The author admits that all the calculations are based on approximations and numerous assumptions, raising from still more approximations and probabilities. And when the result is absurd, the theorists quickly solve the problem by inventing one more spatial dimention, not accessible to our perceptions because it never expanded from its initial state.
Actually, the whole string theory deals with aspects of reality not accessible to our perceptions, and not provable by any experiments. Is it still reality or already a fiction? We don't know, and chances are will never know.
With all this, it is indeed an extremely elegant text, beautifully written and holding our attention all the way to the end. I just wish the author did not say all of the time that string theory had been "discovered", since for all we know theories are not material reality, such as a continent of America or a rare species of a butterfly, and so they cannot be discovered, theories can only be conceived, invented, or created. This lexical misuse is eye-catching due to the prevalence of hypotheses over the facts so stronly visible in string theory.

Crackling and sizzling ! - This one requires some attention and tenacity though........2007-06-27

A good book which covers the below topics

1) Requirement of single physical law which brings together all the four fundamental forces: Electromagnetic, Strong nuclear, weak nuclear and gravity.
2) Disparity between theory of relatively (the world of the big) with quantum mechanics (world of the very small)
2) The need of a higher theory to explain the standard model (Explanation for the disparate mass and charges of the subatomic particles)
3) The concept of 11 dimensional space; Mass and charge of the numerous particles found in atom smashers being a result of frequency of vibrations of strings (closed or open) in different dimensions. Meaning a string vibrating with a certain frequency along one of the hidden 7 pinched up spatial dimensions (also termed calabi Yau spaces) will represent a subatomic particle
4) Membrane theory (2 branes, 3 branes etc)
5) M theory unifying the 5 known strings theories (by the addition of another spatial dimension)
6) Thus everything in this universe including the keyboard you are right now typing on is made up of tiny vibrating strings and below this level there is nothing. A string would be the last divisible entity beyond which it is not possible to divide anymore.

Basically everthing stripped down to strings. This is a book for the reader who doesn't know anything about string theory but wants to learn something. As a general reader, you are not in a position to take a stand for or against string theory, because the person picking up this book will be layman and hence rightly there are no equations, so you have to accept things at face value. If you were more deeply interested you would be a physicist doing his PHD and hence will read more dense and technical books as college courses.

But as a layman, you will also appreciate the paucity of physical evidence to support string theory. Particle physicists consider it the right theory because of its mathematical elegance in it's equations. As a layman, you and I are not able to see this elgance as we dont read equations. So I cant form a real opinion about this but I can say that this book will provide the uninitiated a quick cursory primer on string theory with the help of analogies. But this book wont make you believe or disbelieve string theory but you will become more aquainted with what this hype is all about.

regards, Vikram

Average customer rating:

Radiation Protection
William H. Hallenbeck
Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0873719964

Book Description

This text/reference provides an excellent introduction to fundamental topics in radiation protection, including energetics, kinetics, interaction, external radiation protection, dosimetry, standards, and measurement. Chapters on radioactive waste and radon, topics not normally covered in introductory texts, have been incorporated as well. An extensive glossary of terms, abbreviations, acronyms, physical constants, units, and unit conversions provides a ready source of frequently needed information. Several appendices contain specifications and vendors for commercially available portable radiation survey instruments, personal dosimeters, and radon/radon progeny monitors.

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