Purpose and plan; PART I: 1895-1945: A HISTORY; The new rays; From
uranic rays to radioactivity; The first particle; Interlude:
earliest physiological discoveries; Radioactivity's three early
puzzles; Pitfalls of simplicity; ß-spectra 1907-1914; Atomic
structure and spectral lines; `It was the epoch of belief, it was
the epoch of incredulity'; Nuclear physics' tender age; Quantum
mechanics, an essay; First encounters with symmetry and invariance;
Nuclear
physics: the age of paradox; Quantum fields, or how particles are
made and how they disappear; Battling the infinite; In which the
nucleus acquires a new constituent, loses an old one, reveals new
forces
with new symmetries, and is explored by new experimental methods -
the 1930s; PART II: THE POSTWAR YEARS: A MEMOIR; Of quantum
electrodynamics' triumphs and limitations and of a new particle
sobering impact; In which particle physics enters the era of big
machines and big detectors and pion physics goes through ups and
downs; Onset of an era: new forms of matter appear, old symmetries
crumble; Essay on modern times: 1960-83; Being a conclusion that
starts as epilog and ends as prolog.
Abraham Pais is Detlev W. Bronk Professor of Physics at the Rockefeller University and winner of the 1979 J.R. Oppenheimer Memorial Prize. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Council on Foreign Relations.
'It is rare indeed to find a professional physicist who combines
such historical accomplishment, a lucid and refreshing style and a
deep and relaxed understanding of his subject matter...Throughout,
he provides shrewd and illuminating comments on experimental
practice and theory construction and on current theories in the
philosophy of scientific discovery.' Times Literary Supplement
'a learned and detailed commentary on what has been discovered
about the constituents of matter, the laws to which they are
subject, and the forces which act on them. It is a work of real
scholarship.' New Scientist
'Pais's mastery of the whole field of elementary particle physics
is manifest on every page. In addition, his insight into the
personalities of the actors in the story is remarkable ... It is an
inimitable work.' Nature
'The history of "modern" physics has been told many times, although
seldom with such insight and affection.' Times Higher Education
Supplement
'In this groundbreaking new volume, Pais undertakes a history of
the physics of matter and of physical forces since the discovery of
X-rays ... this magisterial survey richly conveys what has been
discovered about the constituents of matter, the laws to which they
are subject and the forces that act on them'
europe & astronomy, 1992
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