"Will the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) create a miniature black hole that could swallow up the Earth? Could it help explain the missing matter and energy in the universe? Will it point the way toward unifying the forces of nature? Might it reveal the God particle? Collider goes beyond explaining the mysteries of quantum mechanics and Einstein's theories to sort through a century of actual experiments, revealing how we know what we know, and what we hope to find out." "In this comprehensive guide to the theory, mechanics, and science behind experimental high-energy physics, Paul Halpern gives you the tools you need to understand what the LHC is, what it hopes to discover, and why it is the biggest story in science today."--BOOK JACKET.
Record details
ISBN:9780470643914
Physical Description:print xii, 260 p. : ill ; 25 cm.
Publisher:Hoboken, N.J. : John Wiley & Sons, c2009.
Content descriptions
Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references (p. 233-243) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:
Journey to the heart of the Large Hadron Collider -- The machinery of perfection -- The secrets of creation -- The quest for a theory of everything -- Striking gold : Rutherford's scattering experiments -- Smashing successes : the first accelerators -- A compelling quartet : the four fundamental forces -- A tale of two rings : the Tevatron and the Super Proton Synchrotron -- Deep in the heart of Texas : the rise and fall of the Superconducting Super Collider -- Cashing by design : building the Large Hadron Collider -- Denizens of the dark : resolving the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy -- The brane drain : looking for portals to higher dimensions -- Microscopic black holes : a boon to science or a boom for the world? -- The future of high-energy physics : the International Linear Collider and beyond.