Particles, Fields, Space-Time

From Thomson’s Electron to Higgs’ Boson

Martin Pohl (CERN, Geneva)

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English

CRC Press
27 June 2025

Condensed matter physics (liquid state & solid state physics); Atomic & molecular physics; Particle & high-energy physics; Astrophysics; Electronic devices & materials

Series: Discovering Physics

Particles, Fields, Space-Time: From Thomson’s Electron to Higgs’ Boson explores the concepts, ideas, and experimental results that brought us from the discovery of the first elementary particle in the end of the 19th century to the completion of the Standard Model of particle physics in the early 21st century. The book concentrates on disruptive events and unexpected results that fundamentally changed our view of particles and how they move through space-time. It separates the mathematical and technical details from the narrative into focus boxes, so that it remains accessible to non-scientists, yet interesting for those with a scientific background who wish to further their understanding. The text presents and explains experiments and their results wherever appropriate. This book is of interest to a general audience but also to students studying particle physics, physics teachers at all levels, and scientists with a recreational curiosity towards the subject.

For this second edition, the complete text has been thoroughly revised. A description of plans for new accelerator facilities has been added, as well as new results on cosmic ray physics, dark matter and dark energy. The usage of natural units has been abandoned in favour of SI units throughout the text.

Key Features:

Short, comprehensive overview concentrating on major breakthroughs, disruptive ideas, and unexpected results Accessible to all interested in subatomic physics with little prior knowledge required Contains the latest developments in this exciting field

By: Martin Pohl (CERN Geneva)
Imprint: CRC Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Edition: 2nd edition
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781032859583
ISBN 10: 103285958X
Series: Discovering Physics
Pages: 306
Publication Date: 27 June 2025
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , ELT Advanced , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Chapter 1: Introduction. Chapter 2: The First Particles. Chapter 3: Relativity. Chapter 4: Atoms and Nuclei. Chapter 5: Quanta. Chapter 6: War Time Physics. Chapter 7: Quantum Fields. Chapter 8: Enabling Technologies. Chapter 9: The Standard Model of Matter and Forces. Chapter 10: Pushing the Boundaries. Bibliography. Index.

Martin Pohl is a professor emeritus at University of Geneva. He started working on particle physics with the Gargamelle neutrino experiment at CERN in the 1970s. Later, he experimented at the colliders PETRA (DESY, Hamburg Germany), LEP and LHC (CERN, Geneva Switzerland), before turning to astroparticle physics in space. He has been the director of the department for nuclear and particle physics (DPNC) at University of Geneva and head of the physics department. Until his retirement in 2017, he led the Geneva team working on the cosmic ray observatory AMS installed on the International Space Station since 2011. He is the author of a textbook on particle physics, as well as the main author of two introductory online courses on the same subject.