During the 20th century, scientists discovered what the Universe is made of; as the 21st century begins, they are preparing experiments to find out how it came to be like this. This great adventure, which will involve a metaphorical journey back in time to within a billionth of a second of the Big Bang, is the latest stage in the quest to understand the nature of the matter that makes our Universe and the forces that govern it.The Particle Odyssey takes the reader on a spectacularly illustrated journey to the heart of matter. In clear, non-technical language the authors describe the key experiments and fundamental discoveries which have led to our current understanding of the origins and nature of the material universe.In this fascinating book, you will find individual 'portraits' of all the major subatomic particles, from the electron to the top quark. The authors describe the history of experimental particle physics: its origins in the discovery of X-rays in 1895; the dissection of the atom by Rutherford and others; the unexpected revelations of the cosmic rays; the explosion of new particles in the 1950s and 60s; the discovery of quarks and the rise of the 'standard model' in the last part of the 20th century. And they also look at the great challenges that face physicists today--where did antimatter go? what is dark matter? can there be a theory of everything?--and the experiments they are devising to explore them.The Particle Odyssey brings together and presents with style over 100 of the best images of particle 'events': mysterious, abstract, beautiful pictures of the tracks of subatomic particles as they speed, curve, dance, or explode through cloud and bubble chambers, stacks of photographic emulsion, and the giant multi-element detectors of modern experiments. Here are spiralling electrons, the tell-tale 'vees' of strange particles, matter and antimatter born from raw energy, energetic jets of particles spraying out from the decay points of quarks and gluons. A further 250 pictures, many taken specially for this book, illustrate the laboratories, experiments, and personalities of over a century of particle physics. This superb book is a testament to the work of 'big' science and one of the great detective stories of our age.

Table of Contents

1. The World of Particles

2. Voyage into the Atom

3. The Structure of the Atom

4. The Extraterrestrials

5. The Cosmic Rain

6. The Challenge of the Big Machines

7. The Particle Explosion

8. Colliders and Image Chambers

9. From Charm to Top

10. Future Challenges

11. Futureclash

12. Particles at Work

Review

"Succeeds in providing readers with an overview of the historical development of particle physics and an appreciation of the exciting ideas that drive current research. No book better captures the visual and intellectual sweep of a century of particle physics."--American Scientist

About the Authors

Frank Close is a particle physicist at Oxford University and has spent several years working at CERN, home to the largest particle accelerator in the world. He is the author of several popular science books, including Too Hot to Handle, Lucifer's Legacy, and The Particle Explosion (with Michael Marten and Christine Sutton).

Michael Marten is Founder and Director of the Science Photo Library, London.

Christine Sutton is a physicist based at Oxford University. She is on the board of the British Association for the Advancement of Science.