This book brings the body and its passions back into a new theory of social interaction and social order. Building on innovative conceptions of order, change, and organization, Thomas Spence Smith dramatically expands the definition of human interactions that hold societies together. Here he examines the "strong interactions," such as love relationships, attachments, and addictive behaviors, that are inherently unstable—but are integral parts of any social order. Blending physiology and psychology with historical examples of social change and a sophisticated new model of social systems, this book contributes to our understanding how societies are possible.
A thoroughly revised edition of a landmark textbook on gauge theories and their applications to particle physics This completely revised and updated graduate-level textbook is an ideal introduction to gauge theories and their applications to high-energy particle physics, and takes an in-depth look at two new laws of nature—quantum chromodynamics and the electroweak theory. From quantum electrodynamics through unified theories of the interactions among leptons and quarks, Chris Quigg examines the logic and structure behind gauge theories and the experimental underpinnings of today's theories. Quigg emphasizes how we know what we know, and in the era of the Large Hadron Collider, his insightful survey of the standard model and the next great questions for particle physics makes for compelling reading. The brand-new edition shows how the electroweak theory developed in conversation with experiment. Featuring a wide-ranging treatment of electroweak symmetry breaking, the physics of the Higgs boson, and the importance of the 1-TeV scale, the book moves beyond established knowledge and investigates the path toward unified theories of strong, weak, and electromagnetic interactions. Explicit calculations and diverse exercises allow readers to derive the consequences of these theories. Extensive annotated bibliographies accompany each chapter, amplify points of conceptual or technical interest, introduce further applications, and lead readers to the research literature. Students and seasoned practitioners will profit from the text's current insights, and specialists wishing to understand gauge theories will find the book an ideal reference for self-study. Brand-new edition of a landmark text introducing gauge theories Consistent attention to how we know what we know Explicit calculations develop concepts and engage with experiment Interesting and diverse problems sharpen skills and ideas Extensive annotated bibliographies
The thermodynamics of strongly interacting matter has become a profound and challenging area of modern physics, both in theory and in experiment. Statistical quantum chromodynamics, through analytical as well as numerical studies, provides the main theoretical tool, while in experiment, high-energy nuclear collisions are the key for extensive laboratory investigations. The field therefore straddles statistical, particle and nuclear physics, both conceptually and in the methods of investigation used. This course-tested primer addresses above all the many young scientists starting their scientific research in this field, providing them with a general, self-contained introduction that emphasizes in particular the basic concepts and ideas, with the aim of explaining why we do what we do. To achieve this goal, the present text concentrates mainly on equilibrium thermodynamics: first, the fundamental ideas of strong interaction thermodynamics are introduced and then the main concepts and methods used in the study of the physics of complex systems are summarized. Subsequently, simplified phenomenological pictures, leading to critical behavior in hadronic matter and to hadron-quark phase transitions are introduced, followed by elements of finite-temperature lattice QCD leading to the important results obtained in computer simulation studies of the lattice approach. Next, the relation of the resulting critical behavior to symmetry breaking/restoration in QCD is clarified before the text turns to the study of the QCD phase diagram. The presentation of bulk equilibrium thermodynamics is completed by studying the properties of the quark-gluon plasma as new state of strongly interacting matter. The final chapters of the book are devoted to more specific topics which arise when nuclear collisions are considered as a tool for the experimental study of QCD thermodynamics.
This textbook gives a comprehensive summary of the gauge theories of the fundamental interactions. The authors stress the intimate connection between the basic experimental facts and the formulation of gauge theories of the strong and electroweak interaction. The concepts and technical tools of quantum field theory are presented. They are used to derive precision results of quantum chromodynamics and the standard model of the electroweak interaction of experiments in elementary particle physics. The book includes the latest experimental results and presents the actual status of the theory.
The book provides theoretical and phenomenological insights on the structure of matter, presenting concepts and features of elementary particle physics and fundamental aspects of nuclear physics. Starting with the basics (nomenclature, classification, acceleration techniques, detection of elementary particles), the properties of fundamental interactions (electromagnetic, weak and strong) are introduced with a mathematical formalism suited to undergraduate students. Some experimental results (the discovery of neutral currents and of the W± and Z0 bosons; the quark structure observed using deep inelastic scattering experiments) show the necessity of an evolution of the formalism. This motivates a more detailed description of the weak and strong interactions, of the Standard Model of the microcosm with its experimental tests, and of the Higgs mechanism. The open problems in the Standard Model of the microcosm and macrocosm are presented at the end of the book.
This first open access volume of the handbook series contains articles on the standard model of particle physics, both from the theoretical and experimental perspective. It also covers related topics, such as heavy-ion physics, neutrino physics and searches for new physics beyond the standard model. A joint CERN-Springer initiative, the "Particle Physics Reference Library" provides revised and updated contributions based on previously published material in the well-known Landolt-Boernstein series on particle physics, accelerators and detectors (volumes 21A, B1,B2,C), which took stock of the field approximately one decade ago. Central to this new initiative is publication under full open access
Hadrons and Their Interactions: Current and Field Algebra, Soft Pions, Supermultiplets, and Related Topics focuses on formulas, principles, and interactions involved in the study of physics. The compilation contains the papers presented at the ""Ettore Majorana,"" held in Erice on July 1-14, 1967. Divided into three parts with 22 chapters, the compilation focuses first on lectures on soft pions; the method of phenomenological lagrangians and algebra of fields; and radiative corrections to beta decay and the structure of hadrons. The second part focuses on seminars. The areas covered include a review of coherent production in strong interactions; spontaneous breakdown and the weak interaction angle; and the symmetries of the S-matrix. The concluding part also focuses on lectures, including lectures on the present status of the fundamental interactions; a pedagogical exercise in binning and resolution; and the pomeranchuk affair and twisting trajectories. The compilation is a valuable source of data for readers and physicists wanting to explore the interactions of hadrons.
A Tour of the Subatomic Zoo is a brief and ambitious expedition into the remarkably simple ingredients of all the wonders of nature. Tour guide, Professor Cindy Schwarz clearly explains the language and substance of elementary particle physics for the 99% of us who are not physicists. With hardly a mathematical formula, views of matter from the atom to the quark are discussed in a form that an interested person with no physics background can easily understand. It is a look not only into some of the most profound insights of our time, but a look at the answers we are still searching for. College and university courses can be developed around this book and it can be used alone or in conjunction with other material. Even college physics majors would enjoy reading this book as an introduction to particle physics. High-school, and even middle-school, teachers could also use this book to introduce this material to their students. It will also be beneficial for high-school teachers who have not been formally exposed to high-energy physics, have forgotten what they once knew, or are no longer up to date with recent developments.
