ABSTRACT

Quarks, Leptons and The Big Bang is a clear, readable and self-contained introduction to particle physics and related areas of cosmology. It bridges the gap between non-technical popular accounts and textbooks for advanced students. The book concentrates on presenting the subject from the modern perspective of quarks, leptons and the forces between them. This book will be of interest to students, teachers and general science readers interested in fundamental ideas of modern physics.

chapter |4 pages

Prelude Setting the Scene

chapter 1|16 pages

The standard model

chapter 2|21 pages

Aspects of the theory of relativity

chapter 3|43 pages

Quantum theory

chapter 4|16 pages

The leptons

chapter 5|17 pages

Antimatter

chapter 6|16 pages

Hadrons

chapter 7|14 pages

Hadron reactions

chapter 8|19 pages

Particle decays

chapter 9|14 pages

The evidence for quarks

chapter 10|29 pages

Experimental techniques

chapter 11|34 pages

Exchange forces

chapter 12|23 pages

The big bang

chapter 13|17 pages

The geometry of space

chapter 14|42 pages

Dark matter

chapter 15|52 pages

Inflation—a cure for all ills