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The Quantum Quark

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The Quantum Quark by Andrew Watson

In the preface, Watson explains his book "...focuses on quantum chromodynamics, the essentials of how it works and how it came into being." He goes on to say "At the modest cost of a complete story...The Quantum Quark explores QCD in more detail than all other books on particle physics intended for a wider readership." And finally assures the reader, "...this is a pleasant stroll through great ideas, and not a textbook." I agree on all accounts.

Let me qualify to whom I think this book will attract.
Some of us are deeply curious, intelligent & interested folks - actively seeking answers and doggedly pursuing the richness of fundamental physics at a readership that spans a range well past the "golly-gee!" pop-physics level (e.g. Hawking/Green) but striving, reaching, stretching on tip-toes below the University academic level with its rigorous mathematical quantification proofs and rules. While it is meant for a serious lay-reader and undeniably non-mathematical in its presentation, this is definitely not light reading. People who aren't afraid of becoming a little lost while navigating the figurative `forest through the trees' can have courage this book will guide them if they're patient and willing to be led. To be sure, the dedicated reader will aquire a nodding acquaintance with concepts of conservation laws, symmetries, gauge theory, and U(1) X SU(2) & SU(3) group theories (which ultimately account for and lie at the root of the most fundamental physical laws) and last, but not least, a good conceptual grip of QCD. A willingness to do some re-reading will bode you well. The trip can be somewhat heavy going with its deep, abstract and technical description of a fundamentally mathematical subject - but it is well worth the wear & tear on the intellectual soles of your mind. Ultimately, this is an account of humanity's pinnacle intellectual achievement.

OK, so what have we got here?

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 Introduction 1
2 Symmetry 9
3 The quantum world 19
4 Toward QCD 110
5 The one number of QCD 269
6 The gregarious gluon 288
7 Quarks and hadrons 305
8 Quarks under the microscope 328
9 Much ado about nothing 370
10 Checkerboard QCD 391
Appendix 1 A QCD chronology 413
Appendix 2 Greek alphabet & SI prefixes 426

The introduction does its job setting the scope of subjects: Quantum Electrodynamics (QED), the Electro-Weak force, and last, but principally, Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) a.k.a. the theory of the Strong Force. It brushes on experiments in high-energy physics that bring the constituents of the Standard Model to light.

After the introduction, we're treated to a little history of the mathematicians and physicists who brought us Group Theory and a sketch of the properties of groups (i.e. identity element, closure, associativity & the inverse element). Descriptions and brief examples are given for O(2) orthogonal and SO(2) special orthogonal (abelian) transformations plus mention of associated dimensional 2x2 matrices; non-abelian SO(3) groups are discussed and the U(1)XSU(2) and SU(3) groups are revealed to be the fundamental abstract spaces of particle physics in a nutshell. Lie groups are briefly mentioned as well.

The next major section, "The Quantum World", is my favorite material in this book. It starts with the fact that the measured magnetic moment anomaly of QED demonstrates its superior standing as the crown achievement of theoretical & experimental physics. Basic quantum mechanics topics are effectively covered:
Energy quanta (Planck's constant h), wave phase & interference, Uncertainty Principle, Schrodinger, the principle of least action and Feynman's sum over paths.

The elements quickly evolve in relative complexity and abstraction - ultimately leading towards a clearly developed connection between QED to QCD. The progression takes us through:
mass-energy relations in Relativity, matter-antimatter pair production, Fermion and Boson spin & statistics and Pauli's Exclusion principle, quantum fields, the four-momentum, virtual particles, vacuum polarization, Green's functions, Feynman diagrams, vertex interactions, self-energy, infinite divergences, perturbation and renormalization program (dimensional regularization), effective low-energy field theory, Fermi's theory of weak interactions to Weinberg/Glashow/Salam and Veltman/t'Hooft Nobel prize winning contributions in the electroweak realm, and finally the all important gauge principle including the example of changes in potentials and changes in global vs. local phase.

I'm now going to do the author a grave disservice by reviewing the remainder of the book in an all too brief summarization. The majority of the book plumbs the depths of QCD. Andrew brings us by the experimental facilities for a thorough inspection of the accelerators & detectors (BNL RHIC, Fermilab CDF, CERN-LEP, DESY, KEK-BELLE & SLAC). He gives complete coverage of the physicists responsible for its development and associated milestones. To name just a few of the many discussed in great detail: Yukawa - Isospin, mesons; Yang-Mills - CP violation, Gell-Man - the Eightfold Way; `the particle zoo', families, Quark-Gluon, flavordynamics, inelastic scattering, color charges; Nambu - spontaneous symmetry breaking; the Higgs mechanism & weak neutral currents; Gross, Wilczek & Politzer - Asymptotic Freedom.

Watson judiciously included countless diagrams to illustrate important concepts and fundamental interactions plus many photographic pictures of physicists, experimental devices and facilities. The back of the book includes a good glossary and a nice annotated "Further reading" section that breaks suggested titles in easy reading, not-so-easy reading, and `hard core' sections.

That's it. Altogether a serious undertaking - I hope you are challenged by it and thoroughly enjoy it as much as I have!

p.s. I recommend these complementary books: "Deep Down Things" by Schumm; "The Force of Symmetry" by Icke; "Fearful Symmetry" by Zee; "Symmetry and the Beautiful Universe" by Lederman; and "Out of This World" by Webb. N.B. check out the reviews on these books, also browse the "So You'd Like To..." and "Listmania!" lists below to help decide which ones you might want to consider.

The Quantum Quark is a close look at quantum chromodynamics that does not require an extensive mathematics or physics background of the reader. Freelance science journalist and regular contributor to "Science" magazine Andrew Watson explores such topics as the quantum world, "the gregarious gluon", quarks and hadrons, the true significance of the vacuum state, and much more. A handful of black-and-white diagrams and photographs illustrate this fascinating tour of scientific theory, recommended for anyone with even the most casual interest in understanding the fundamental particles composing the Universe.

Not a casual read but for a person like myself, a graduate in Physics in 1969, it represents the most concise, complete and readable history of particle Physics as it stands today. It is an incredible piece of work. The appendix alone is a work of art.

I can scarcely add to the outstanding reviews already here! Just to say, if you're into quark physics, or just plain ol' particle physics, you need to get this book. Every page is packed with fascinating stuff you can't get anywhere else in the popular press.

This book gets real technical in many places. If you're a complete physics newbie, I might suggest you improve your general knowledge of quantum physics first. Also, a good place to start with quark physics is Quarks: The Stuff of Matter by Harald Fritzsch. This book is now nearly thirty years old, but he lays out the fundamentals so cleanly that you will be better equipped to take on Dr. Watson's volume.

Lastly, I must say that Watson's assertion that "The QCD Casimir force is real" is something I've not seen published anywhere else. I have suspected this to be true for a long time, but it is gratifying to see it asserted in print by someone else. I mean, if all four fundamental forces are really different manifestations of one overarching grand-unified field, and if there is an electromagnetic Casimir force, then necessarily the Casimir effect should also be present in the other three forces. Makes sense to me, at least.

'Nuff said. Get the book.