Sinossi
Dove eravate la mattina del 23 febbraio 1987? Verso le 7.30, ora di Greenwich, un potente scroscio di neutrini, provenienti da una supernova in una galassia remota, ha raggiunto la Terra e ha letteralmente attraversato i suoi ignari abitanti. Quasi sicuramente voi non ve ne siete accorti! Di taglia piccolissima e di massa pressoché nulla, i neutrini sono quasi inafferrabili. Teorizzati da Wolfgang Pauli nel 1930 per risolvere le anomalie nei processi di decadimento nucleare, sono stati poi descritti in eleganti quadri teorici da Enrico Fermi e da Bruno Pontecorvo, ma sono stati "osservati" solo a partire dagli anni Cinquanta del secolo scorso. Ancora oggi sfidano la nostra comprensione della fisica delle particelle: eppure, sono i mattoni più comuni dell'Universo, poiché si producono spontaneamente nei processi radioattivi sulla Terra e nella fornace del Sole, nei reattori nucleari e nelle spettacolari esplosioni che avvengono nel cosmo. Questo libro racconta le delusioni inattese e i successi imprevisti di tutti coloro che (con una vera e propria fisica underground, fatta di esperimenti sottoterra, ma anche di speculazioni fortemente eterodosse) si sono lanciati in una ricerca caparbia per riuscire infine a catturarli, penetrando così negli enigmi di una natura che, per dirla con l'antico Eraclito, ama nascondersi.
- ISBN:
- Casa Editrice:
- Pagine: 173
- Data di uscita: 30-11-2011
Recensioni
As expected, I was completely out of my element here. Too much Science. However, I understood enough of it to see what was going on. Kind of. Here's brief outline. Neutrinos are byproducts of beta decay, a type of radioactivity were mass turns into energy or something. So these scientists were examin Leggi tutto
Frank Close is Professor Emeritus of Theoretical Physics, and Fellow Emeritus at Exeter College at Oxford University. He was formerly Head of Theoretical Physics Division at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, vice President of the British Science Association and Head of Communications and Public Un Leggi tutto
En este entretenido "relato" el físico de partículas Frank Close narra la increíble historia de una de los más intrigantes tipos de partículas que hayamos predicho, descubierto y estudiado como especie: los neutrinos. No es esta, naturalmente, la historia de los neutrinos en el Universo, que han esta Leggi tutto
This book was decent, but I felt like the language could have been tighter. Close repeated himself quite often, and the flow of the ideas didn't always seem the most sensible when it came to presenting the history of the search for neutrinos. However, the science descriptions were very good, so this Leggi tutto
A most excellent book of history of science. Well-researched, the science clearly explained.
As you read this, billions of them are hurtling, unseen, through your eyeballs at almost the speed of light. In just a few seconds, the Sun has emitted more neutrinos than there are grains of sand in the deserts and beaches of the world, greater even than the number of atoms in all the humans that h Leggi tutto
Frank Close's book Neutrino is an enjoyable and accessible journey through the recent history of particle physics with an emphasis on the scientists involved. The author has pulled off the impressive feat of making particle physics not only (somewhat) comprehensible for the man or woman on the stree Leggi tutto
As other books by Frank Close, this one shines as a chunk of purest gold. The book elucidates incredible perseverance and belief of key individuals who played role in the discovery of a neutrino (the subatomic particle). You are taken on an exciting journey that begins with Wolfgang Pauli proposing
I really enjoyed this concise explanation of what neutrinos are and how we came to know about them. My favorite snippet of the book was an interaction between the neutrino scientists and nuclear power plant managers, with the people at the power plant insisting that no neutrinos escape the plant, be Leggi tutto
A lucid well-written book. Provides a succinct general-science-reader level introduction to the elusive particle the neutrino. Hard to fault, I would have preferred a few more references - but I assume that the OUP editors know their audience quite well. Recommended for those who want to learn about Leggi tutto
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