How to Find a Higgs Boson-and Other Big Mysteries in the World of the Very Small

by Ivo van Vulpen, David McKay (Translator), Serena Oggero (Illustrator)

Overview

The history of particle physics, the hunt for the most elusive particle, and the fundamental questions the search has inspired

How did physicists combine talent and technology to discover the Higgs boson, the last piece in our inventory of the subatomic world? How did the Higgs change our understanding of the universe? And now, nearly a decade after its detection, what comes next? Answering these questions, Ivo van Vulpen—a CERN particle physicist and member of the team behind the detection—invites us on a journey to the frontiers of our knowledge.
 
Enjoy Van Vulpen’s accessible explanation of the history of particle physics and of concepts like quantum mechanics and relativity, and ponder his inquiries regarding the search for new particles (to explain dark matter), a new force (to combine the existing fundamental forces), and new phenomena (undiscovered dimensions of space). This is a lively account of work at the world’s highest‑energy particle accelerator, with inspiring personal reflections on humanity’s discoveries deeper and deeper into the world of the very small.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780300244182
Publisher:	Yale University Press
Publication date:	02/18/2020
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	1,018,619
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Ivo van Vulpen is a particle physicist working at the University of Amsterdam and at Nikhef, the Dutch National Institute on Subatomic Particles. He is a member of the ATLAS experiment at CERN.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 The Rules of the Game 8

2 The Atomic Revolution 40

3 Particles of the Standard Model 87

4 Forces in the Standard Model 140

5 Discovery of the Higgs Boson 172

6 Terra Incognita: A Voyage into the Unknown 212

Acknowledgments 253

Index 255

Editorial Reviews

CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title, 2020

"The passion van Vulpen feels for fundamental particle physics is clear—and his conversational style makes that enthusiasm contagious."—Jordy de Vries, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
 

“Both fun and serious, with authentic detail and lovely illustrations, Van Vulpen takes us from the physics of everyday life to the heart of matter and the edge of knowledge.”—Jon Butterworth, author of Atom Land: A Guided Tour Through the Strange (and Impossibly Small) World of Particle Physics​

 

"In this engaging and charming book, van Vulpen takes us on a journey inward, to the smallest building blocks of nature, showing us how these discoveries were made and what impact they have had on our lives."—Gregory Gbur, author of Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics

From the Publisher