The discovery of the Higgs boson has shaken the world of particle
physics. But what is the Higgs boson and why is it so important for
our understanding of the universe? This book is a simple and
accessible guide for appreciating the discoveries that are taking
place at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, the world's
largest particle accelerator. A CERN physicist leads the lay reader into
the realm of particle physics, from the astonishing technological
innovations that were necessary to build the LHC, up to the
speculative theories invented to describe the ultimate laws
governing the universe. The result is an extraordinary journey
inside the fabric of matter, an exciting adventure inside a strange
and bewildering space, through which one can appreciate the scale of
the intellectual revolution that is happening. What do we expect
after the discovery of the Higgs boson? Does space hide
supersymmetry or extend into extra dimensions? How can colliding
protons at the LHC unlock the secrets of the origin of our universe?
These questions are all framed and then addressed by an expert in
the field. While making no compromises in accuracy, this
cutting-edge material is presented in a friendly, accessible style. The book's aim is not
just to inform, but to give the reader a physicist's sense of awe
and excitement, as we stand on the brink of a new era in
understanding the world in which we all live.
A Zeptospace Odyssey has been finalist at the Galileo Prize 2012 for scientific literature and the Prize Pianeta Galileo 2013 for popular science.
Gian Francesco Giudice
A Zeptospace Odyssey: A Journey into the Physics of the LHC
Oxford University Press, Oxford 2010
288 pages
ISBN: 978-0-19-958191-7
"... engaging and frequently witty, speckled with original
analogies and pithy quotations from physicists and cultural figures
alike ... The result is an excellent introduction to the LHC." - Physics World
"If you have ever wondered what would drive an entire scientific
community to spend 20 years designing a single experimental
facility, or are merely curious as to what makes particle physics so
fascinating and seductive, then this book is for you ... Both the
layman and expert will find these insights into particle physics
fascinating ... This book's insights into the most fundamental
theories of the Universe are wonderful. If you have any interest in
what's happening at the frontiers of our understanding of the
Universe, then it's a must." - The Times Higher Education
"[This book] anticipates the intellectual revolution that the LHC
may trigger." - Nature
"A book absolutely worth reading, interesting and written with love
for detail. A must for those who want to know what the LHC is, what
challenges had to be overcome to achieve it, and why physicists
believe that it marks the beginning of a new era in particle
physics." - Physik Journal
"... enjoyable reading, with the important information that it
carries mixed in with many fun facts and anecdotes of all sorts. Not
to mention the spot-on explanatory metaphors that are distributed
profusely throughout almost every chapter ... a successful effort to
make clear the astonishing technological innovations involved in the
LHC enterprise ... To whom do I recommend its reading? To everybody, experts or non-experts. I would in particular encourage young people, starting from those who are nearing the end of their high-school studies. I am sure that their efforts will be highly rewarded, not to mention the pleasure they will find." - CERN Courier
"Gian Giudice has, as one would expect from such a clear and
original thinker, produced a book which both challenges and excites,
providing fresh insights into the domain of particles and their
interactions." - Ken Peach, University of Oxford and Royal Holloway University of London
"This fascinating book is entertaining and comprehensible, leading the reader to the world of extremes: the high technology of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN and its huge particle detectors, the quest for the Higgs particle and the mysterious Dark Matter, and the theories of superstrings and extra dimensions at the verge of human imagination." - Thomas Lohse, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
"I enjoyed this book tremendously. The weaving of important information with fun facts and anecdotes was awesome." - Savas Dimopoulos, Stanford University, winner of the 2006 Sakurai Prize in Theoretical Physics
"This book shows that it is possible to describe to non-experts the frontiers of modern physics, in a way which is both faithful and comprehensible. I believe that this book will become required reading for anyone interested in the reality of our world and in scientific human endeavour." - Riccardo Barbieri, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy
"Gian Giudice provides a comprehensive introduction to the LHC as only a physicist working in the field could do." - Lisa Randall, Harvard University, author of the book Warped Passages
"Gian Giudice has given us a charming, comprehensive, and deep yet easily readable description of the history, technology, and scientific aspirations of the Large Hadron Collider, perhaps the greatest scientific experiment ever." - Gordon Kane, University of Michigan, author of the book Supersymmetry
"This book, written by one of the leaders of the field, has a
number of outstanding qualities: it is brilliant, original,
comprehensive, entertaining and clear. It is a must for cultivated,
non specialist readers who want to get an introduction to contemporary
particle physics and to the exciting programme of the Large Hadron
Collider of CERN." - Guido Altarelli, University of Rome, Italy
"Gian Giudice has drawn on his deep understanding of physics to
write a wonderful book, presenting the central ideas underlying the
grand intellectual adventure of particle physics in an engaging and
thought-provoking way. A must read for anyone who wants to understand
the big questions we face in fundamental physics, and the ways we are
tackling them." - Nima Arkani-Hamed, Institute for Advanced
Study, Princeton
Gian Francesco Giudice is a theoretical particle physicist and has
been a member of the Theoretical Physics Division at CERN since 1993. Born
in 1961, he graduated from the University of Padua and obtained his
PhD in theoretical physics from the International School for
Avdanced Studies (SISSA) in Trieste. His career has
always been closely related to collider research: before coming to
CERN he worked at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
(Fermilab), near Chicago, as well as at the University of Texas, in
the group of Prof. S. Weinberg, during the construction phase of the
Superconducting Super Collider (SSC). He has contributed to our present understanding of particle physics and cosmology with more than a hundred articles published in refereed scientific journals.
Here you can find the Table of Contents and the Prologue of A Zeptospace Odyssey:
If you have questions regarding the book, you can contact the author
at:
Gian Francesco Giudice
A Zeptospace Odyssey: A Journey into the Physics of the LHC
Oxford University Press, Oxford 2010
288 pages
ISBN: 978-0-19-958191-7
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