Anthony Leggett
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199211241
- eISBN:
- 9780191706837
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199211241.001.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
Is the universe infinite, or does it have an edge beyond which there is, quite literally, nothing? Do we live in the only possible universe? Why does it have one time and three space dimensions — or ...
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Is the universe infinite, or does it have an edge beyond which there is, quite literally, nothing? Do we live in the only possible universe? Why does it have one time and three space dimensions — or does it? What is it made of? What does it mean when we hear that a new particle has been discovered? Will quantum mechanics eventually break down and give way to a totally new description of the world, one whose features we cannot even begin to imagine? This book aims to give a general overview of what physicists think they do and do not know in some representative frontier areas of contemporary physics. After sketching out the historical background, the book goes on to discuss the current situation and some of the open problems of cosmology, high-energy physics, and condensed-matter physics. This book focuses not so much on recent achievements as on the fundamental problems at the heart of the subject, and emphasizes the provisional nature of our present understanding of things.Less
Is the universe infinite, or does it have an edge beyond which there is, quite literally, nothing? Do we live in the only possible universe? Why does it have one time and three space dimensions — or does it? What is it made of? What does it mean when we hear that a new particle has been discovered? Will quantum mechanics eventually break down and give way to a totally new description of the world, one whose features we cannot even begin to imagine? This book aims to give a general overview of what physicists think they do and do not know in some representative frontier areas of contemporary physics. After sketching out the historical background, the book goes on to discuss the current situation and some of the open problems of cosmology, high-energy physics, and condensed-matter physics. This book focuses not so much on recent achievements as on the fundamental problems at the heart of the subject, and emphasizes the provisional nature of our present understanding of things.
GÜNTHER DISSERTORI, IAN G. KNOWLES, and MICHAEL SCHMELLING
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199566419
- eISBN:
- 9780191708060
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199566419.003.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
This introductory chapter sets the stage for particle physics. It discusses fundamental fields and interactions and puts these into perspective.
This introductory chapter sets the stage for particle physics. It discusses fundamental fields and interactions and puts these into perspective.
Gian Francesco Giudice
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199581917
- eISBN:
- 9780191723001
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199581917.001.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
It is at this very moment that the most ambitious scientific experiment of all time is about to begin, and yet its precise aims are rather poorly understood by the general public. This book provides ...
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It is at this very moment that the most ambitious scientific experiment of all time is about to begin, and yet its precise aims are rather poorly understood by the general public. This book provides an everyman's guide for understanding and following the discoveries that will take place within the next few years at the LHC project at CERN. This book shares an insider's view of the world of particle physics and allows for an appreciation of a true intellectual revolution that is about to take place. The technological innovations required to build the LHC constitute not the least among the many astonishing aspects of this scientific adventure, and they too are described here as part of the LHC story. The book culminates with an outline of the scientific aims and expectations at the LHC. Does the mysterious Higgs boson exist? Does space hide supersymmetry or extend into extra dimensions? How can colliding protons at the LHC unlock the secrets of the origin of our universe? These questions are all framed and then addressed by an expert in the field.Less
It is at this very moment that the most ambitious scientific experiment of all time is about to begin, and yet its precise aims are rather poorly understood by the general public. This book provides an everyman's guide for understanding and following the discoveries that will take place within the next few years at the LHC project at CERN. This book shares an insider's view of the world of particle physics and allows for an appreciation of a true intellectual revolution that is about to take place. The technological innovations required to build the LHC constitute not the least among the many astonishing aspects of this scientific adventure, and they too are described here as part of the LHC story. The book culminates with an outline of the scientific aims and expectations at the LHC. Does the mysterious Higgs boson exist? Does space hide supersymmetry or extend into extra dimensions? How can colliding protons at the LHC unlock the secrets of the origin of our universe? These questions are all framed and then addressed by an expert in the field.
M. S. Sozzi
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199296668
- eISBN:
- 9780191712074
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199296668.003.0009
- Subject:
- Physics, Theoretical, Computational, and Statistical Physics
This chapter provides a brief description of the way CP violation is accommodated in the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics. Some SM predictions for CP-violating observables are mentioned, and ...
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This chapter provides a brief description of the way CP violation is accommodated in the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics. Some SM predictions for CP-violating observables are mentioned, and conversely, the information in which measurements of CP violation can provide about its parameters is discussed. How CP violation could arise in different ways is described. Further reading topics and exercises are provided at the end of the chapter.Less
This chapter provides a brief description of the way CP violation is accommodated in the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics. Some SM predictions for CP-violating observables are mentioned, and conversely, the information in which measurements of CP violation can provide about its parameters is discussed. How CP violation could arise in different ways is described. Further reading topics and exercises are provided at the end of the chapter.
Hans-Peter Eckle
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- September 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780199678839
- eISBN:
- 9780191878589
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780199678839.003.0008
- Subject:
- Physics, Theoretical, Computational, and Statistical Physics, Condensed Matter Physics / Materials
This chapter introduces a select number of models of strongly interacting quantum many-particle physics and examines their basic properties. These models represent Bosonic and Fermionic systems as ...
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This chapter introduces a select number of models of strongly interacting quantum many-particle physics and examines their basic properties. These models represent Bosonic and Fermionic systems as well as systems where magnetic moments, i.e. spins, interact. The main selection criterion has been the existence of a variant of the model that is quantum integrable using Bethe ansatz methods. After studying the Bose fluid, the Landau Fermi liquid, and the one-dimensional concept of the Luttinger liquid, it reviews some of the major models of condensed matter theory, including the Hubbard model describing itinerant magnetism, the Heisenberg model describing localized magnetism, and the Kondo model describing the interaction of a magnetic impurity and band electrons. It also presents the Rabi model and some of its descendants in order to describe the interaction of light and quantum matter in quantum optics.Less
This chapter introduces a select number of models of strongly interacting quantum many-particle physics and examines their basic properties. These models represent Bosonic and Fermionic systems as well as systems where magnetic moments, i.e. spins, interact. The main selection criterion has been the existence of a variant of the model that is quantum integrable using Bethe ansatz methods. After studying the Bose fluid, the Landau Fermi liquid, and the one-dimensional concept of the Luttinger liquid, it reviews some of the major models of condensed matter theory, including the Hubbard model describing itinerant magnetism, the Heisenberg model describing localized magnetism, and the Kondo model describing the interaction of a magnetic impurity and band electrons. It also presents the Rabi model and some of its descendants in order to describe the interaction of light and quantum matter in quantum optics.
Hans-Peter Eckle
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- September 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780199678839
- eISBN:
- 9780191878589
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780199678839.003.0002
- Subject:
- Physics, Theoretical, Computational, and Statistical Physics, Condensed Matter Physics / Materials
Chapter 2 provides a review of pertinent aspects of the quantum mechanics of systems composed of many particles. It focuses on the foundations of quantum many-particle physics, the many-particle ...
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Chapter 2 provides a review of pertinent aspects of the quantum mechanics of systems composed of many particles. It focuses on the foundations of quantum many-particle physics, the many-particle Hilbert spaces to describe large assemblies of interacting systems composed of Bosons or Fermions, which lead to the versatile formalism of second quantization as a convenient and eminently practical language ubiquitous in the mathematical formulation of the theory of many-particle systems of quantum matter. The main objects in which the formalism of second quantization is expressed are the Bosonic or Fermionic creation and annihilation operators that become, in the position basis, the quantum field operators.Less
Chapter 2 provides a review of pertinent aspects of the quantum mechanics of systems composed of many particles. It focuses on the foundations of quantum many-particle physics, the many-particle Hilbert spaces to describe large assemblies of interacting systems composed of Bosons or Fermions, which lead to the versatile formalism of second quantization as a convenient and eminently practical language ubiquitous in the mathematical formulation of the theory of many-particle systems of quantum matter. The main objects in which the formalism of second quantization is expressed are the Bosonic or Fermionic creation and annihilation operators that become, in the position basis, the quantum field operators.
Grigory E. Volovik
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199564842
- eISBN:
- 9780191709906
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199564842.001.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Condensed Matter Physics / Materials, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
There are fundamental relations between three vast areas of physics: particle physics, cosmology, and condensed matter physics. The fundamental links between the first two areas — in other words, ...
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There are fundamental relations between three vast areas of physics: particle physics, cosmology, and condensed matter physics. The fundamental links between the first two areas — in other words, between micro- and macro-worlds — have been well established. There is a unified system of laws governing the scales from subatomic particles to the cosmos and this principle is widely exploited in the description of the physics of the early universe. This book aims to establish and define the connection of these two fields with condensed matter physics. According to the modern view, elementary particles (electrons, neutrinos, quarks, etc.) are excitations of a more fundamental medium called the quantum vacuum. This is the new ‘aether’ of the 21st century. Electromagnetism, gravity, and the fields transferring weak and strong interactions all represent different types of the collective motion of the quantum vacuum. Among the existing condensed matter systems, a quantum liquid called superfluid 3He-A most closely represents the quantum vacuum. Its quasiparticles are very similar to the elementary particles, while the collective modes are analogues of photons and gravitons. The fundamental laws of physics, such as the laws of relativity (Lorentz invariance) and gauge invariance, arise when the temperature of the quantum liquid decreases.Less
There are fundamental relations between three vast areas of physics: particle physics, cosmology, and condensed matter physics. The fundamental links between the first two areas — in other words, between micro- and macro-worlds — have been well established. There is a unified system of laws governing the scales from subatomic particles to the cosmos and this principle is widely exploited in the description of the physics of the early universe. This book aims to establish and define the connection of these two fields with condensed matter physics. According to the modern view, elementary particles (electrons, neutrinos, quarks, etc.) are excitations of a more fundamental medium called the quantum vacuum. This is the new ‘aether’ of the 21st century. Electromagnetism, gravity, and the fields transferring weak and strong interactions all represent different types of the collective motion of the quantum vacuum. Among the existing condensed matter systems, a quantum liquid called superfluid 3He-A most closely represents the quantum vacuum. Its quasiparticles are very similar to the elementary particles, while the collective modes are analogues of photons and gravitons. The fundamental laws of physics, such as the laws of relativity (Lorentz invariance) and gauge invariance, arise when the temperature of the quantum liquid decreases.
VOLOVIK GRIGORY E.
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199564842
- eISBN:
- 9780191709906
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199564842.003.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Condensed Matter Physics / Materials, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
The book studies relations of condensed matter with particle physics and cosmology. The fundamental links between cosmology and particle physics have been well established and is widely exploited in ...
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The book studies relations of condensed matter with particle physics and cosmology. The fundamental links between cosmology and particle physics have been well established and is widely exploited in the description of the physics of the early universe (baryogenesis, cosmological nucleosynthesis, etc.). The connection of these two fields with the third ingredient of modern physics — condensed matter — allows us to simulate the least understood features of high-energy physics and cosmology: the properties of the quantum vacuum (also called aether, spacetime foam, quantum foam, Planck medium, etc.). The new concept inspired by condensed matter physics is opposite to the fundamental concept of broken symmetries used in Grand Unification Theory (GUT). In the anti-GUT scenario, gravity and the relativistic quantum field theory, such as the Standard Model of particle physics and GUT, are effective theories. They are emergent phenomena arising in the low-energy corner of the physical vacuum, where the system acquires physical laws and symmetries, which it did not have at higher energy.Less
The book studies relations of condensed matter with particle physics and cosmology. The fundamental links between cosmology and particle physics have been well established and is widely exploited in the description of the physics of the early universe (baryogenesis, cosmological nucleosynthesis, etc.). The connection of these two fields with the third ingredient of modern physics — condensed matter — allows us to simulate the least understood features of high-energy physics and cosmology: the properties of the quantum vacuum (also called aether, spacetime foam, quantum foam, Planck medium, etc.). The new concept inspired by condensed matter physics is opposite to the fundamental concept of broken symmetries used in Grand Unification Theory (GUT). In the anti-GUT scenario, gravity and the relativistic quantum field theory, such as the Standard Model of particle physics and GUT, are effective theories. They are emergent phenomena arising in the low-energy corner of the physical vacuum, where the system acquires physical laws and symmetries, which it did not have at higher energy.
Pascal Pralavorio
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- March 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780198728856
- eISBN:
- 9780191795794
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198728856.003.0008
- Subject:
- Physics, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
This chapter examines how it is possible to deduce consequences of particle physics for cosmology in light of the recent systematic exploration of the electroweak scale by experiments at the Large ...
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This chapter examines how it is possible to deduce consequences of particle physics for cosmology in light of the recent systematic exploration of the electroweak scale by experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The two main results from the first phase of LHC, operation, namely, the discovery of a Higgs-like particle and the absence so far of new particles predicted by “natural” theories beyond the Standard Model (supersymmetry, extra dimensions and composite Higgs), are put in a historical context to highlight their importance, and are then presented in detail. For completeness, a short review of neutrino physics, which cannot be probed at the LHC, is also given. The ability of all these results to resolve the three fundamental questions of cosmology—the nature of dark energy and dark matter and the origin of matter–antimatter asymmetry—is discussed in each case.Less
This chapter examines how it is possible to deduce consequences of particle physics for cosmology in light of the recent systematic exploration of the electroweak scale by experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The two main results from the first phase of LHC, operation, namely, the discovery of a Higgs-like particle and the absence so far of new particles predicted by “natural” theories beyond the Standard Model (supersymmetry, extra dimensions and composite Higgs), are put in a historical context to highlight their importance, and are then presented in detail. For completeness, a short review of neutrino physics, which cannot be probed at the LHC, is also given. The ability of all these results to resolve the three fundamental questions of cosmology—the nature of dark energy and dark matter and the origin of matter–antimatter asymmetry—is discussed in each case.
John Terning
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780198567639
- eISBN:
- 9780191718243
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198567639.003.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
This chapter begins with a discussion of the standard model (SM) of particle physics. It then discusses SUSY algebra, SUSY representations, extended SUSY, and the further extension of extended SUSY ...
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This chapter begins with a discussion of the standard model (SM) of particle physics. It then discusses SUSY algebra, SUSY representations, extended SUSY, and the further extension of extended SUSY algebras with the addition of a ‘central charge”.Less
This chapter begins with a discussion of the standard model (SM) of particle physics. It then discusses SUSY algebra, SUSY representations, extended SUSY, and the further extension of extended SUSY algebras with the addition of a ‘central charge”.
Michael Silberstein, W.M. Stuckey, and Timothy McDevitt
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- March 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780198807087
- eISBN:
- 9780191844850
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198807087.003.0006
- Subject:
- Physics, Theoretical, Computational, and Statistical Physics, History of Physics
A brief introduction to particle physics and quantum field theory (QFT) is presented in the main thread of chapter 5. The impasse of unification in particle physics is historically reviewed, showing ...
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A brief introduction to particle physics and quantum field theory (QFT) is presented in the main thread of chapter 5. The impasse of unification in particle physics is historically reviewed, showing that the dynamical paradigm pervades the development of particle physics and QFT. Thus, as with the conundrums of general relativity and quantum mechanics, dynamical explanation in the mechanical universe is responsible for the impasse regarding unification in particle physics as per QFT. It is shown that RBW’s adynamical approach provides an entirely new view of unification and particle physics. Philosophy of Physics for Chapter 5 uses RBW to resolve the interpretational issues of gauge invariance, gauge fixing, the Aharonov–Bohm effect, regularization, and renormalization, and largely discharges the problems of Poincaré invariance in a graphical approach, inequivalent representations, and Haag’s theorem. Foundational Physics for Chapter 5 shows how classical field theory is related to QFT and introduces gauge fields per QFT.Less
A brief introduction to particle physics and quantum field theory (QFT) is presented in the main thread of chapter 5. The impasse of unification in particle physics is historically reviewed, showing that the dynamical paradigm pervades the development of particle physics and QFT. Thus, as with the conundrums of general relativity and quantum mechanics, dynamical explanation in the mechanical universe is responsible for the impasse regarding unification in particle physics as per QFT. It is shown that RBW’s adynamical approach provides an entirely new view of unification and particle physics. Philosophy of Physics for Chapter 5 uses RBW to resolve the interpretational issues of gauge invariance, gauge fixing, the Aharonov–Bohm effect, regularization, and renormalization, and largely discharges the problems of Poincaré invariance in a graphical approach, inequivalent representations, and Haag’s theorem. Foundational Physics for Chapter 5 shows how classical field theory is related to QFT and introduces gauge fields per QFT.
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- March 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226422664
- eISBN:
- 9780226422657
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226422657.003.0008
- Subject:
- History, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
In the spring of 1964, Jerry Finkelstein, a graduate student in Berkeley's physics department, summarized material culled from earlier course notes—courses that had covered several topics in ...
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In the spring of 1964, Jerry Finkelstein, a graduate student in Berkeley's physics department, summarized material culled from earlier course notes—courses that had covered several topics in theoretical particle physics, many of which his adviser, Geoffrey Chew, had first pioneered or championed only a few years earlier. Finkelstein's study notes comprised simple line drawings, though the diagrams looked to be Feynman diagrams to the casual observer. Finkelstein called the examples in his notes by different names such as Landau graphs, polology diagrams, and Cutkosky diagrams. This chapter discusses these examples in detail. Many particle theorists greeted the failure of perturbative techniques for the strong interactions by working with an alternative representation of particles' scatterings, in the form of dispersion relations. Theorists such as Murph Goldberger, Murray Gell-Mann, Francis Low, Geoffrey Chew, and Nambu Yoichiro launched the new phase of dispersion-relations work.Less
In the spring of 1964, Jerry Finkelstein, a graduate student in Berkeley's physics department, summarized material culled from earlier course notes—courses that had covered several topics in theoretical particle physics, many of which his adviser, Geoffrey Chew, had first pioneered or championed only a few years earlier. Finkelstein's study notes comprised simple line drawings, though the diagrams looked to be Feynman diagrams to the casual observer. Finkelstein called the examples in his notes by different names such as Landau graphs, polology diagrams, and Cutkosky diagrams. This chapter discusses these examples in detail. Many particle theorists greeted the failure of perturbative techniques for the strong interactions by working with an alternative representation of particles' scatterings, in the form of dispersion relations. Theorists such as Murph Goldberger, Murray Gell-Mann, Francis Low, Geoffrey Chew, and Nambu Yoichiro launched the new phase of dispersion-relations work.
Carlo Giunti and Chung W. Kim
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198508717
- eISBN:
- 9780191708862
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198508717.001.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
This book deals with neutrino physics and astrophysics — a field in which some of the most exciting recent developments in particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology took place. The book discusses ...
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This book deals with neutrino physics and astrophysics — a field in which some of the most exciting recent developments in particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology took place. The book discusses all the topics vital to the understanding of the nature of neutrinos such as what they are, how to describe them, how they behave in nature, and the roles that neutrinos play in shaping our universe. The book provides discussions, both experimental and theoretical, with relevant mathematical details, on neutrino oscillations, extra-terrestrial as well as terrestrial neutrinos and the relic neutrinos. It also discusses many implications of current experimental data on reactor, accelerator, atmospheric, solar, and supernova neutrinos with future perspectives. The book starts with an introduction to field theory and gauge theory, with helpful appendices, and it also provides pedagogical, but sufficiently detailed, reviews of supernova physics and cosmology, in particular the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation.Less
This book deals with neutrino physics and astrophysics — a field in which some of the most exciting recent developments in particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology took place. The book discusses all the topics vital to the understanding of the nature of neutrinos such as what they are, how to describe them, how they behave in nature, and the roles that neutrinos play in shaping our universe. The book provides discussions, both experimental and theoretical, with relevant mathematical details, on neutrino oscillations, extra-terrestrial as well as terrestrial neutrinos and the relic neutrinos. It also discusses many implications of current experimental data on reactor, accelerator, atmospheric, solar, and supernova neutrinos with future perspectives. The book starts with an introduction to field theory and gauge theory, with helpful appendices, and it also provides pedagogical, but sufficiently detailed, reviews of supernova physics and cosmology, in particular the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation.
Andrew Zangwill
- Published in print:
- 2021
- Published Online:
- January 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780198869108
- eISBN:
- 9780191905599
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198869108.003.0012
- Subject:
- Physics, History of Physics
Anderson was one of the first scientists to publicly challenge the claim by particle physicists that they deserved the lion’s share of federal funds for accelerators because their work was the most ...
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Anderson was one of the first scientists to publicly challenge the claim by particle physicists that they deserved the lion’s share of federal funds for accelerators because their work was the most ‘fundamental’. Anderson’s 1972 article “More is Different” challenged this idea and led to the idea of ‘emergence’ as a deep principle of Nature. He and Sam Edwards introduced a model for spin glass behavior and this activity dovetailed with his involvement in helping George Cowan, Murray Gell-Mann, Ken Arrow, and others create the Santa Fe Institute as a venue where complexity was celebrated as an organizing principle to solve difficult many-agent problems.Less
Anderson was one of the first scientists to publicly challenge the claim by particle physicists that they deserved the lion’s share of federal funds for accelerators because their work was the most ‘fundamental’. Anderson’s 1972 article “More is Different” challenged this idea and led to the idea of ‘emergence’ as a deep principle of Nature. He and Sam Edwards introduced a model for spin glass behavior and this activity dovetailed with his involvement in helping George Cowan, Murray Gell-Mann, Ken Arrow, and others create the Santa Fe Institute as a venue where complexity was celebrated as an organizing principle to solve difficult many-agent problems.
Jean Zinn-Justin
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- August 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780198787754
- eISBN:
- 9780191829840
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198787754.003.0008
- Subject:
- Physics, Theoretical, Computational, and Statistical Physics
Chapter 8 discusses effective field theory. This concept is inspired by the theory of critical phenomena in statistical physics and based on renormalization group ideas. The basic idea behind ...
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Chapter 8 discusses effective field theory. This concept is inspired by the theory of critical phenomena in statistical physics and based on renormalization group ideas. The basic idea behind effective field theory is that one starts from a microscopic model involving an infinite number of fluctuating degrees of freedom whose interactions are characterized by a microscopic scale and in which, as a result of interactions, a length that is much larger than the microscopic scale, or, equivalently, a mass much smaller than the characteristic mass scale of the initial model, is generated. The chapter illustrates this topic with examples. It also stresses that all quantum field theories as applied to particle physics or statistical physics are only effective (i.e. not fundamental) theories. Besides the problem of a phi4 type field theory with a large mass field, two more complicated examples are discussed: the Gross–Neveu and the non–linear sigma models.Less
Chapter 8 discusses effective field theory. This concept is inspired by the theory of critical phenomena in statistical physics and based on renormalization group ideas. The basic idea behind effective field theory is that one starts from a microscopic model involving an infinite number of fluctuating degrees of freedom whose interactions are characterized by a microscopic scale and in which, as a result of interactions, a length that is much larger than the microscopic scale, or, equivalently, a mass much smaller than the characteristic mass scale of the initial model, is generated. The chapter illustrates this topic with examples. It also stresses that all quantum field theories as applied to particle physics or statistical physics are only effective (i.e. not fundamental) theories. Besides the problem of a phi4 type field theory with a large mass field, two more complicated examples are discussed: the Gross–Neveu and the non–linear sigma models.
Stephen Weinberg
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- August 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780262026215
- eISBN:
- 9780262268011
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262026215.003.0022
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Science
This chapter discusses the philosophy of science as distinguished from a discussion about science itself. It attempts to show how the construction of a large new accelerator for elementary particle ...
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This chapter discusses the philosophy of science as distinguished from a discussion about science itself. It attempts to show how the construction of a large new accelerator for elementary particle physics, the Superconducting Supercollider, or SSC in the United States affects the direction of physics research as well as the philosophy of science in general. This accelerator opens up a new realm of high energy, the study of which is only made possible by the accelerator. A similar accelerator was built in Berkeley over 30 years ago, the Bevatron, which for the first time was capable of producing particles with masses of 1 GeV. The discovery of new physics is generally the main reason why these accelerators are built, but one can also point out specific discoveries that can be anticipated from a new accelerator as another reason.Less
This chapter discusses the philosophy of science as distinguished from a discussion about science itself. It attempts to show how the construction of a large new accelerator for elementary particle physics, the Superconducting Supercollider, or SSC in the United States affects the direction of physics research as well as the philosophy of science in general. This accelerator opens up a new realm of high energy, the study of which is only made possible by the accelerator. A similar accelerator was built in Berkeley over 30 years ago, the Bevatron, which for the first time was capable of producing particles with masses of 1 GeV. The discovery of new physics is generally the main reason why these accelerators are built, but one can also point out specific discoveries that can be anticipated from a new accelerator as another reason.
Andrew Steane
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- July 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780198824589
- eISBN:
- 9780191863370
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198824589.003.0003
- Subject:
- Physics, History of Physics
The first major theme of the book is introduced. This is that science does not present a ladder or tower of explanation, but a network of mutually interacting and informing ideas. The digital ...
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The first major theme of the book is introduced. This is that science does not present a ladder or tower of explanation, but a network of mutually interacting and informing ideas. The digital computer is invoked to introduce the concept of low-level and high-level language. The role of symmetry and symmetry principles in physics is discussed at length. It is argued, in agreement with Anderson, that symmetry is central to fundamental physics, but, more importantly, it is shown that what symmetry offers is a subtle constraining influence that is not the same as cause and effect, but is nevertheless central to the concept of explanation and understanding. It is argued that the laws of thermodynamics and the laws of particle physics are in a relationship of mutual consistency with neither able to render the other superfluous. Numerous examples are invoked.Less
The first major theme of the book is introduced. This is that science does not present a ladder or tower of explanation, but a network of mutually interacting and informing ideas. The digital computer is invoked to introduce the concept of low-level and high-level language. The role of symmetry and symmetry principles in physics is discussed at length. It is argued, in agreement with Anderson, that symmetry is central to fundamental physics, but, more importantly, it is shown that what symmetry offers is a subtle constraining influence that is not the same as cause and effect, but is nevertheless central to the concept of explanation and understanding. It is argued that the laws of thermodynamics and the laws of particle physics are in a relationship of mutual consistency with neither able to render the other superfluous. Numerous examples are invoked.
Marzio Nessi
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199669165
- eISBN:
- 9780191749346
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199669165.003.0017
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Organization Studies, Knowledge Management
In a very personal reflective essay, Marzio Nessi, the technical coordinator of the ATLAS Collaboration at CERN, recounts Max Boisot’s work and interaction with the particle physics community at ...
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In a very personal reflective essay, Marzio Nessi, the technical coordinator of the ATLAS Collaboration at CERN, recounts Max Boisot’s work and interaction with the particle physics community at ATLAS and CERN, whose research on the Higgs particle, the famous “God particle”, has attracted a lot of media attention. Boisot was interested in the creation of knowledge at ATLAS and studied its unique organization, characterized by collaborative behavior, a bottom-up approach, and a consensus-driven management style, which has enabled this Big Science institution to create a new way of dealing with extreme complexity. Boisot was fascinated by how a scientific collaboration as large as ATLAS generates and sustains creative and constructive interactions among thousands of researchers from diverse cultures, traditions and habits. He believed that the self-organizational capability of the collaboration was the key to success. Boisot’s research also laid the ground for studying how scientific and technical progress is made and how the value of basic research can be captured for society.Less
In a very personal reflective essay, Marzio Nessi, the technical coordinator of the ATLAS Collaboration at CERN, recounts Max Boisot’s work and interaction with the particle physics community at ATLAS and CERN, whose research on the Higgs particle, the famous “God particle”, has attracted a lot of media attention. Boisot was interested in the creation of knowledge at ATLAS and studied its unique organization, characterized by collaborative behavior, a bottom-up approach, and a consensus-driven management style, which has enabled this Big Science institution to create a new way of dealing with extreme complexity. Boisot was fascinated by how a scientific collaboration as large as ATLAS generates and sustains creative and constructive interactions among thousands of researchers from diverse cultures, traditions and habits. He believed that the self-organizational capability of the collaboration was the key to success. Boisot’s research also laid the ground for studying how scientific and technical progress is made and how the value of basic research can be captured for society.
Hermann Kolanoski and Norbert Wermes
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- September 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780198858362
- eISBN:
- 9780191890710
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198858362.001.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Atomic, Laser, and Optical Physics, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
The book describes the fundamentals of particle detectors in their different forms as well as their applications, presenting the abundant material as clearly as possible and as deeply as needed for a ...
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The book describes the fundamentals of particle detectors in their different forms as well as their applications, presenting the abundant material as clearly as possible and as deeply as needed for a thorough understanding. The target group for the book are both, students who want to get an introduction or wish to deepen their knowledge on the subject as well as lecturers and researchers who intend to extent their expertise. The book is also suited as a preparation for instrumental work in nuclear, particle and astroparticle physics and in many other fields (addressed in chapter 2). The detection of elementary particles, nuclei and high-energetic electromagnetic radiation, in this book commonly designated as ‘particles’, proceeds through interactions of the particles with matter. A detector records signals originating from the interactions occurring in or near the detector and (in general) feeds them into an electronic data acquisition system. The book describes the various steps in this process, beginning with the relevant interactions with matter, then proceeding to their exploitation for different detector types like tracking detectors, detectors for particle identification, detectors for energy measurements, detectors in astroparticle experiments, and ending with a discussion of signal processing and data acquisition. Besides the introductory and overview chapters (chapters 1 and 2), the book is divided into five subject areas: – fundamentals (chapters 3 to 5), – detection of tracks of charged particles (chapters 6 to 9), – phenomena and methods mainly applied for particle identification (chapters 10 to 14), – energy measurement (accelerator and non-accelerator experiments) (chapters 15, 16), – electronics and data acquisition (chapters 17 and 18). Comprehensive lists of literature, keywords and abbreviations can be found at the end of the book.Less
The book describes the fundamentals of particle detectors in their different forms as well as their applications, presenting the abundant material as clearly as possible and as deeply as needed for a thorough understanding. The target group for the book are both, students who want to get an introduction or wish to deepen their knowledge on the subject as well as lecturers and researchers who intend to extent their expertise. The book is also suited as a preparation for instrumental work in nuclear, particle and astroparticle physics and in many other fields (addressed in chapter 2). The detection of elementary particles, nuclei and high-energetic electromagnetic radiation, in this book commonly designated as ‘particles’, proceeds through interactions of the particles with matter. A detector records signals originating from the interactions occurring in or near the detector and (in general) feeds them into an electronic data acquisition system. The book describes the various steps in this process, beginning with the relevant interactions with matter, then proceeding to their exploitation for different detector types like tracking detectors, detectors for particle identification, detectors for energy measurements, detectors in astroparticle experiments, and ending with a discussion of signal processing and data acquisition. Besides the introductory and overview chapters (chapters 1 and 2), the book is divided into five subject areas: – fundamentals (chapters 3 to 5), – detection of tracks of charged particles (chapters 6 to 9), – phenomena and methods mainly applied for particle identification (chapters 10 to 14), – energy measurement (accelerator and non-accelerator experiments) (chapters 15, 16), – electronics and data acquisition (chapters 17 and 18). Comprehensive lists of literature, keywords and abbreviations can be found at the end of the book.
Pauline Gagnon
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- August 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780198783244
- eISBN:
- 9780191826269
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198783244.003.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
What are the smallest grains of matter and how do they interact to form the matter we observe around us? This chapter explains how matter is built from a handful of tiny “bricks” called fundamental ...
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What are the smallest grains of matter and how do they interact to form the matter we observe around us? This chapter explains how matter is built from a handful of tiny “bricks” called fundamental particles. Although twelve different bricks have been found, only three are needed to form all atoms found on Earth, in stars and in galaxies. The Standard Model is the current theoretical model that describes the fundamental particles and how they interact, giving us a clear representation of the material world. This model also predicts the behavior of these particles with a very high level of accuracy. Each particle comes with its own antiparticle. But why has nearly all the antimatter mysteriously disappeared from our Universe? Why are there useless bricks? These are some of the many puzzles described in this chapter that physicists are still trying to elucidate.Less
What are the smallest grains of matter and how do they interact to form the matter we observe around us? This chapter explains how matter is built from a handful of tiny “bricks” called fundamental particles. Although twelve different bricks have been found, only three are needed to form all atoms found on Earth, in stars and in galaxies. The Standard Model is the current theoretical model that describes the fundamental particles and how they interact, giving us a clear representation of the material world. This model also predicts the behavior of these particles with a very high level of accuracy. Each particle comes with its own antiparticle. But why has nearly all the antimatter mysteriously disappeared from our Universe? Why are there useless bricks? These are some of the many puzzles described in this chapter that physicists are still trying to elucidate.