Particle Physics: A Very Short Introduction

Frank Close

Very Short Introductions

A compelling and lively one-volume introduction to the fundamental particles that make up the universe.
The author has excellent credentials: former Head of the Theoretical Physics Division at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, he is now a fellow of Exeter College, Oxford, and Professor of Astronomy at Gresham College, London. In 1996 he was awarded the Kelvin Medal of the Institute of Physics for 'outstanding contributions to the public understanding of physics.'
Frank Close's book, Lucifer's Legacy had excellent reviews: 'This is Frank Close's masterpiece...one of the very best introductions to physics for the layperson,' Sunday Times; 'Close's writing is beguiling...' Nature.
Close is also an experienced broadcaster. He delivered the 1993 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, entitled 'The Cosmic Onion', and wrote and presented 'The Lopsided Universe', a three-part series broadcast by BBC Radio Four in 2002.
Other books by the internationally recognized author include The Cosmic Onion (1983), The Particle Exploration (1987), Too Hot to Handle (1991), and The Particle Odyssey.

Particle Physics: A Very Short Introduction

Frank Close

Description

In this compelling introduction to the fundamental particles that make up the universe, Frank Close takes us on a journey into the atom to examine known particles such as quarks, electrons, and the ghostly neutrino. Along the way he provides fascinating insights into how discoveries in particle physics have actually been made, and discusses how our picture of the world has been radically revised in the light of these developments. He concludes by looking ahead to new ideas about the mystery of antimatter, the number of dimensions that there might be in the universe, and to what the next 50 years of research might reveal.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Particle Physics: A Very Short Introduction

Frank Close

Very Short Introductions

1:Journey to the centre of the universe
2:How big and small are big and small
3:How we learn what things are made of and what we found
4:The heart of the matter
5:Accelerators: cosmic and man-made
6:Detectors: cameras and time machines
7:The forces of nature
8:Exotic matter (and antimatter)
9:Where has matter come from?
10:Questions for the 21st Century

Particle Physics: A Very Short Introduction

Frank Close

Very Short Introductions

Author Information

Frank Close, Professor of Physics at Oxford University and a Fellow of Exeter College

Frank Close is Professor of Physics at Oxford University and a Fellow of Exeter College. He was formerly the Head of the Theoretical Physics Division at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, and Head of Communications and Public Education at CERN. He is the author of several books, including the best-selling Lucifer's Legacy (OUP, 2000), and was the winner of the Kelvin Medal of the Institute of Physics for his 'outstanding contributions to the public understanding of physics'. His other books include The Cosmic Onion (1983), The Particle Explosion (1987), End (1988), Too Hot to Handle (1991), and The Particle Odyssey (OUP, 2002). In 2013 Professor Close was awarded the Royal Society Michael Faraday Prize for communicating science.

Particle Physics: A Very Short Introduction

Frank Close

Very Short Introductions

From Our Blog

8 astounding facts about particle physics

What is anti-matter? And why are physicists smashing particles together at CERN? Frank Close, author of Particle Physics: A Very Short Introduction, tells us 10 things everyone should know about particle physics, and how physicists try to re-create the creation of the universe.

Posted on August 26, 2016

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