Under The Microscope

THE PARTICLE HUNTERS 2ND EDITION, by Yuval Ne'eman and Yoram Kirsh; Cambridge University Press, 1996; 298 pp; $39.95

Reviewed by Julia Hunter

This is a history book, detailing the development of particle physics, while clearly and readably explaining the physics along the way for the layperson. It also summarises the equipment and techniques used for detecting particles. I haven't seen much on this topic in other popular science books on particle physics, so it was nice to find out more about how physicists find all these particles, and how their machinery works.

Ne'eman and Kirsh are not afraid to put the equations in, unlike many popular science book authors, who seem to think it's a cardinal sin. I found it useful to see the relevant equations.

I liked the book's layout, which is clear, with plenty of topic subheadings to break the text up into manageable chunks. There are plenty of largely clear, informative photos and diagrams. I found the tables of particle properties very helpful since they made keeping track of the particle "zoo" easier. The comments and anecdotes in the margins were a good idea -- I found them easier to read than endless footnotes. They were frequently amusing and I enjoyed reading about the scientists themselves.

The book goes into far more detail on its subject matter than most popular science books I have seen. It is essentially the whole story of particle physics. If you wish to know about the subject, then I don't think you could do much better than read this book. I wish I'd had this book when I did a university paper on this subject!

Julia Hawker lives in Dunedin and has a particular interest in particle physics, astronomy and natural disasters.