Neutrino hunters
Subtitle: the thrilling chase for a ghostly particle to unlock the secrets of the universe
By: Ray Jayawardhana
Edition: First Canadian edition.
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
Published: 2013
Place of publication: Toronto
Language: eng
Number of pages: 243
ISBN-13: 9781443414265; 9781443414272
Subjects: Nuclear physics; Nuclear physicists; Neutrino astrophysics; Neutrinos; Nuclear astrophysics; Research; Leptons (Nuclear physics); Neutrino interactions; Physicists; Scientists; Astrophysics; Biography
Description: "The hunt for the universe's most elusive particle. Every second of every day and night, many trillions of neutrinos pass through your body. But most people had never heard of them until they made headlines recently for possibly travelling faster than light. Luckily, these ghostly particles -- celebrated in a delightful John Updike poem -- do no harm and leave no trace. They are so difficult to pin down that scientists must use Olympic-size pools of cleaning fluid deep underground and kilometre-thick sheets of Antarctic ice to catch just a handful. Yet the shadowy neutrinos hold the key to unlocking some of the biggest mysteries of the universe: What was the universe like seconds after the Big Bang? Why is anti-matter so rare? What triggers exploding stars? Ray Jayawardhana tells us that neutrino research is now entering a brave new era and explains why these pathologically shy particles may spark a revolution in physics. Ray Jayawardhana is a professor at the University of Toronto,"
Notes: Includes bibliographical references, Internet addresses and index.