The Elusive Neutrino: A Subatomic Detective Story (Scientific American Library)
For more than 60 years, researchers in particle physics have been pursuing the neutrino. Just developing the technology and the means to detect this subatomic particle took 20 years. Physicists continue to be tantalized by the question of its mass does the neutrino weigh anything and, if so, how much? and the unique characteristics of spin and symmetry that set this particle apart from others.InThe Elusive Neutrino: A Subatomic Detective Story, physicist Nickolas Solomey  takes his readers through the mind-bending world of particle physics, using research involving neutrinos as a navigational tool.  Solomey's discussion spans the history of particle physics from the discovery of radioactivity to present day theoretical speculation about the mass and origin of elementary particles. He brings us into the laboratories where physicists are hunting down answers to such questions as: Is the neutrino its own anti-particle? Can neutrinos account for the missing matter of the universe?  And he shows us how scientists are studying neutrinos for clues to the origin and (perhaps) the future of the universe.The Elusive Neutrino: A Subatomic Detective Storytakes us on a tour of this fascinating branch of physics a tour that's not only engaging, but enlightening. 165 illustrations --Book Description