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This book describes the development of our understanding of the strong interactions in particle physics, through its competing ideas and personalities, its false starts, blind alleys, and moments of glory - culminating with the author's discovery of quarks, real particles living in a deeper layer of reality. How were quarks discovered, what did physicists think they were, and what did they turn out to be? These questions are answered through a collection of personal remembrances. The focus is on the reality of quarks, and why that reality made them so difficult to accept. How Feynman and Gell-Mann practiced physics, with their contrasting styles and motivations, presented different obstacles to accepting this reality. And how was the author, as a graduate student, able to imagine their existence, and act on it? Science buffs, students, and experts alike will find much here to pique their interest and learn about quarks along the way.
List of contents
Preface; 1. The Road to Quarks; 2. The Discovery of Quarks; 3. Alvin Tollestrup; 4. Richard Phillips Feynman; 5. Murray Gell-Mann; 6. A Deeper Layer of Reality; 7. Epilogue; Appendix A. A Primer on Quarks; Appendix B. The First CERN Report; Glossary; Acknowledgments; Bibliography; References; Index.
About the author
George Zweig discovered quarks, increased our understanding of the inner ear, and invented algorithms for signal and image processing. He received a MacArthur Fellowship the first year it was awarded, the Caltech Distinguished Alumnus Award, and the J. J. Sakurai Prize of the American Physical Society. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
