'This brief book offers an interesting, fun, and widely accessible first-person tour of CERN, the European Center for Nuclear Research, the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. The facilities at CERN include the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a 27-kilometer particle accelerator that straddles the border between Switzerland and France. The LHC was famously used to discover the Higgs boson, a long-sought fundamental particle. Physics historian Depambour (University of Paris) is enthusiastic about all aspects of CERN, especially its role as an agent for peace and international cooperation. The book focuses mainly on the physical layout of the CERN campus and its experimental facilities, but Depambour also includes an introduction to the standard model of particle physics and a history of the search for the Higgs boson. Supporting illustrations and interviews help convey the atmosphere and culture of CERN. The book can be read and enjoyed by virtually anyone interested in modern science, starting with students currently in high school. It will also be welcome as a useful orientation for undergraduates and graduate students whose research interests might eventually take them to CERN. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers.'CHOICEWhat lies within CERN's entrails? What is the path followed by the particles that are accelerated before they collide? What does the ATLAS detector look like? Does research at CERN find applications in everyday life?From the accelerator control room to the huge Computing Centre, via the auditorium where the discovery of the Higgs boson was announced in July 2012, I invite you to experience for one day an immersion in the world of research in particle physics! Discovering emblematic installations at CERN, walking through the places where people spend every working day, meeting with researchers in various fields, descending into the ATLAS cavern ... Our visit, whose path will mimic that of the particles during their journey, will be full of anecdotes and surprises.Follow me for a guided tour of CERN, the largest scientific collaboration in the world!

History of Particle Theory fills an important gap existing in the literature by discussing the impressive progress in understanding the elementary particles out of which all everyday objects are made. Most of this progress has happened in the last seventy years after the theory of quantum electrodynamics (QED) was perfected as an extremely accurate description of electromagnetic interactions. This astonishing sequence of discoveries was made hand in hand between theory and experiment. This book concentrates only on theory where giant steps were made by a series of exceptionally creative physicists, and this is portrayed as an essential part of the broader spectrum of human knowledge and culture, which is constantly being similarly extended by the creative individuals such as the two mentioned in the subtitle, Between Darwin and Shakespeare, who both significantly changed Western Civilization by ideas in Biology and in English Literature respectively.In the last forty years, the standard model has been confirmed again and again as the correct description of elementary particles up to energies of a thousand times the proton mass. In the discussion of particle theory and theoretical physics in general, the book starts from well over two thousand years ago, going back to the ancient Greeks such as Democritus and Archimedes, until the 17th century, when the extraordinary intellect of Newton changed everything by demonstrating that not only objects in the laboratory but also heavenly bodies are governed by mathematical equations. There followed what can be called Darwinian evolution in theoretical physics, survival of the fittest theories, by loose analogy with the origin of biological species.The present standard model of particle theory surely cannot be the final word because it contains far too many free parameters. The book contains a penultimate chapter discussing a number of such open problems which exist in particle theory. There is then a closing chapter, not related to the rest of the book, providing a series of quotations written in the 16th and 17th centuries by Shakespeare and here applied to particle theory. The inclusion of this is based on our premise that particle theory is just one out of several opportunities for exceptional human creativity.

Science has its roots in human curiosity. It is the process of exploration and research that has led to a better understanding of our surroundings: Copernicus set the Earth in its right place in our models of the Universe, Charles Darwin elucidated the mechanism of the evolution of living species, and Albert Einstein brought out the intimate connection between energy, space, and time.This book provides a reliable guide to acquaint oneself with the scientific process. It explains in easy terms how scientific investigation has historically developed to reach our present understanding of the world around us. It also discusses the place of science in modern society in relation to culture and to the technological advances that it brings.

An introduction to the world of quarks and leptons, and of their interactions governed by fundamental symmetries of nature, as well as an introduction to the connection that exists between worlds of the infinitesimally small and the infinitely large.The book begins with a simple presentation of the theoretical framework, the so-called Standard Model, which evolved gradually since the 1960s. The key experiments establishing it as the theory of elementary particle physics, but also its missing pieces and conceptual weaknesses are introduced. The book proceeds with the extraordinary story of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN — the largest purely scientific project ever realized. Conception, design and construction by worldwide collaborations of the detectors of size and complexity without precedent in scientific history are discussed. The book then offers the reader a state-of-the art (2020) appreciation of the depth and breadth of the physics exploration performed by the LHC experiments: the study of new forms of matter, the understanding of symmetry-breaking phenomena at the fundamental level, the exciting searches for new physics such as dark matter, additional space dimensions, new symmetries, and more. The adventure of the LHC culminated in the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012 (Nobel Prize in Physics in 2013). The last chapter of this book describes the plans for the LHC during the next 15 years of exploitation and improvement, and the possible evolution of the field and future collider projects under consideration.The authors are researchers from CERN, CEA and CNRS (France), and deeply engaged in the LHC program: D Denegri in the CMS experiment, C Guyot, A Hoecker and L Roos in the ATLAS experiment. Some of them are involved since the inception of the project. They give a lively and accessible inside view of this amazing scientific and human adventure.

Unveiling the Universe takes readers on a captivating journey into the heart of particle physics through the lens of CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. This comprehensive guide offers an in-depth exploration of the world’s largest and most renowned scientific research institution, delving into its history, groundbreaking discoveries, and the advanced technology that drives the quest to understand the fundamental structure of the universe. From the marvels of the Large Hadron Collider to the intricate experiments beneath the Earth's surface, this book illuminates how CERN's work reshapes our understanding of everything from subatomic particles to vast cosmic phenomena. Rich with insights into the scientific processes, global collaborations, and ethical considerations that define CERN, this guide serves as an essential resource for scientists, students, and curious minds alike. Unveiling the Universe not only highlights the institution’s profound impact on particle physics but also emphasizes its contributions to global science, technology, and education.

1. The world of particle physics 2. Voyage into the atom 3. The structure of the atom 4. The extraterrestrials 5. The cosmic rain 6. The challenge of the big machines 7. The particle explosion 8. Colliders and image chambers 9. From charm to top 10. The 'whys' of particle physics 11. Futureclash 12. Particles at work Table of particles Further reading/acknowledgements Picture credits Index

Investigates the research and discoveries of scientists who explored the frontiers of physics and uncovered phenomena that often contradicted prevailing wisdom.

Provides an overview of particle physics, from basic concepts to particle accelerators, and profiles physicists responsible for advancing the field.