Supersymmetry : squarks, photinos, and the unveiling of the ultimate laws of nature

Summary: The story of the discovery of supersymmetry is a fascinating one, unlike that of any other major development in the history of science. This engaging book presents a view of the process, mainly in the words of people who participated. It combines anecdotal descriptions and personal reminiscences with more technical accounts of the trailblazers, covering the birth of the theory and its first years - the origin of the idea, four-dimensional field theory realization, and supergravity. The eyewitnesses convey to us the drama of one of the deepest discoveries in theoretical physics in the 20th cent.

Record details

ISBN: 0738204897
ISBN: 9780738204895
ISBN: 0738202037
ISBN: 9780738202037
Physical Description: print
xviii, 199 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Publisher: Cambridge, Mass. : Perseus Pub., ©2000.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 163-164) and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

Foreword / by Edward Witten -- Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going? -- The standard model of particle physics -- Why physics is the easiest science : effective theories -- Supersymmetry and sparticles -- Testing supersymmetry experimentally -- What is the universe made of? -- Higgs physics -- Some additional help from supersymmetry, and some challenges -- Supersymmetry, string theory, and the primary theory -- Can we really understand the origin of the universe and its natural law(s)? -- Appendices. A. The standard model Higgs mechanism ; B. The supersymmetry explanation of the Higgs mechanism ; C. Charginos and neutralinos ; D. Extra dimensions : large extra dimensions -- Glossary.