Allday Jonathan. Quarks, Leptons and the Big Bang

CRC Press, 2001. — 426 p.Quarks, Leptons and The Big Bang is a clear, readable and self-contained introduction to particle physics and related areas of cosmology. It bridges the gap between non-technical popular accounts and textbooks for advanced students. The book concentrates on presenting the subject from the modern perspective of quarks, leptons and the forces between them. This book will be of interest to students, teachers and general science readers interested in fundamental ideas of modern physics.Preface to the second edition.
Preface to the first edition.
Prelude: Setting the scene.
The standard model.
The fundamental particles of matter.
The four fundamental forces.
The big bang.
Summary of chapter.
Aspects of the theory of relativity.
Momentum.
Kinetic energy.
Energy.
Energy and mass.
Reactions and decays.
Summary of chapter.
Quantum theory.
The double slot experiment for electrons.
What does it all mean?
Feynman’s picture.
A second experiment.
How to calculate with amplitudes.
Following amplitudes along paths.
Amplitudes, states and uncertainties.
Summary of chapter.
The leptons.
A spotter’s guide to the leptons.
The physical properties of the leptons.
Neutrino reactions with matter.
Some more reactions involving neutrinos.
‘Who ordered that?’.
Solar neutrinos again.
Summary of chapter.
Antimatter.
Internal properties.
Positrons and mystery neutrinos.
Antiquarks.
The general nature of antimatter.
Annihilation reactions.
Summary of chapter.
Hadrons.
The properties of the quarks.
A review of the strong force.
Baryons and mesons.
Baryon families.
Meson families.
Internal properties of particles.
Summary of chapter.
Hadron reactions.
Basic ideas.
Basic processes.
Using conservation laws.
The physics of hadron reactions.
Summary of chapter.
Particle decays.
The emission of light by atoms.
Baryon decay.
Meson decays.
Strangeness.
Lepton decays.
Summary of chapter.
The evidence for quarks.
The theoretical idea.
Deep inelastic scattering.
Jets.
The November revolution.
Summary of chapter.
Experimental techniques.
Basic ideas.
Accelerators.
Targets.
Detectors.
A case study—DELPHI.
Summary of chapter.
Interlude 1: CERN.
Exchange forces.
The modern approach to forces.
Extending the idea.
Quantum field theories.
Grand unification.
Exotic theories.
Final thoughts.
Summary of chapter.
Interlude 2: Antihydrogen.
The big bang.
Evidence.
Explaining the evidence.
Summary of chapter.
The geometry of space.
General relativity and gravity.
Geometry.
The geometry of the universe.
The nature of gravity.
The future of the universe?Dark matter.
The baryonic matter in the universe.
The evidence for dark matter.
What is the dark matter?
Summary of chapter.
Interlude 3: A brief history of cosmology.
Inflation—a cure for all ills.
Problems with the big bang theory.
Inflation.
The return of.
The last word on galaxy formation.
Quantum cosmology.
The last word.
Summary of chapter.
Postlude: Philosophical thoughts.
Apprendices.
Nobel Prizes in physics.Particle data tables.
Further reading.