Higgs: The invention and discovery of the 'God Particle' - Hardcover

Baggott, Jim

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0199603499 ISBN 13: 9780199603497

Publisher: OUP Oxford, 2012

Synopsis

The hunt for the Higgs particle has involved the biggest, most expensive experiment ever. So exactly what is this particle? Why does it matter so much? What does it tell us about the Universe? Has the discovery announced on 4 July 2012 finished the search? And was finding it really worth all the effort?

The short answer is yes. The Higgs field is proposed as the way in which particles gain mass - a fundamental property of matter. It's the strongest indicator yet that the Standard Model of physics really does reflect the basic building blocks of our Universe. Little wonder the hunt and discovery of this new particle has produced such intense media interest.

Here, Jim Baggott explains the science behind the discovery, looking at how the concept of a Higgs field was invented, how the vast experiment was carried out, and its implications on our understanding of all mass in the Universe.
The book was written over the eighteen months of the CERN Large Hadron Collider experiment, with its final chapter rounded off on the day of the announcement 'that a particle consistent with the standard model Higgs boson has been discovered.'

About this title

About the Author

Jim Baggott is a freelance science writer. He was a lecturer in chemistry at the University of Reading but left to pursue a business career, where he first worked with Shell International Petroleum Company and then as an independent business consultant and trainer. His many books include

Edition details

• Publisher: OUP Oxford
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0199603499
• ISBN 13: 9780199603497
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 304