Einstein first correctly predicted how mass deflects light. Galaxy clusters, comprising of up to hundreds of galaxies all residing in a still larger dark...
May16
The Hunting of the Quark
Dr. Michael Riordan, Univ. of California / Santa Cruz
-
Between 1967 and 1976, experiments at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (and elsewhere) demonstrated the existence of fundamental particles known as quarks inside protons, neutrons, and other hadrons. I describe the key SLAC experiments and the related theoretical advances that led to the quark-parton model becoming the accepted picture of subatomic matter by the late 1970s. Among the experiments were the MIT-SLAC deep-inelastic electron-nucleon scattering experiments in SLAC End Station A and the SLAC-LBL experiments on the SPEAR electron-positron collider, both of which led to Nobel prizes for physicists involved. From the historical perspective of one participant, these experiments proved pivotal in the establishment of the now-dominant Standard Model of elementary particle physics.
About Dr. Michael Riordan
Michael Riordan earned a Ph.D. in physics from MIT, where he worked on the MIT-SLAC electron-scattering experiments that led to the discovery of quarks. He has taught the history of physics and technology at Stanford University and the University of California, Santa Cruz. He is author of "The Hunting of the Quark" and coauthor of "Crystal Fire," "The Shadows of Creation" and "Tunnel Visions." A Guggenheim Fellow and Fellow of the American Physical Society, Riordan was awarded the 2002 Andrew W. Gemant Award by the American Institute of Physics in recognition of his efforts in communicating physics and its cultural implications.
Audience:
In case you're interested
Upcoming events
Abstract: The demonstration of energy gain by nuclear fusion in the laboratory and its eventual utilization as an unlimited energy source has been a...
Mar24
