Particles, Fields and Forces

This book provides unique and comprehensive conceptual explanations of quantum field theory and the standard model of particle physics. How can fundamental particles exist as waves in the vacuum? How can such waves have particle properties such as inertia? What is behind the notion of virtual particles? Why and how do particles exert forces on one another? Not least: What are forces anyway? These are some of the central questions that have intriguing answers in Quantum Field Theory and the Standard Model of Particle Physics. Unfortunately, these theories are highly mathematical, so that most peopleeven many scientistsare not able to fully grasp their meaning. This book untangles these theories in a conceptual non-mathematical way, using more than 190 figures and extensive explanations and will provide the nonspecialist with great insights that are not to be found in the popular science literature. This fully revised and expanded second edition adds remarkable insights into the transition from quantum to classical world using the concepts of quantum decoherence, while also explaining "collapse of the wave function", tunnelling and quantum computing.

Provides unique conceptual explanations of quantum field theory and the standard model of particle physics Includes new material on quantum decoherence and its implications Contains no math but full of insights into how the universe works

Autorentext

Wouter J.M. Schmitz, born 1970, studied physics in Amsterdam. He worked at CERN for an assignment at the Spin Muon Collaboration (SMC) and later as a summer student at a LEP experiment. He graduated at Nikhef Amsterdam in 1994. He has subsequently worked in IT and also holds an MBA degree. Today, Wouter works as a leading digital architect, retaining nonetheless a deep and informed interest in conceptual problems in physics. His lifelong quest for a profound conceptual understanding of the foundations of physics has led him to develop and collect a substantial set of insights. In recent years Wouter managed to combine these insights into a consistent end-to-end story of how quantum field theory works conceptually. This, in turn, led to the publication of his highly praised book "Particles, Fields and Forces" (Springer, 2019). Until then, anyone seeking a deeper insight than popular science has to offer, was obliged to confront the mathematical treatment of the subject. But for those without mathematical training, this step is too challenging. Wouter's mission is to provide every interested person with a deeper insight into the workings of the universe without having to go through the math. His presentations thus bridge the huge gap between popular science and the mathematical treatment of fundamental theory. The present book on relativity follows the same concept.

Inhalt

Introduction.- Particles or waves?.- Fields.- What is a particle if it is a wave?.- A matter of energy exchange.- A wave of relativity.- Quantization of fields.- Energy in waves and fields.- Symmetry and the origin of force.- Propagators and virtual particles.- Renormalisation of fearful infinities.- Spin makes up bosons and fermions.- Conservation of charge and particle number.- Particle zoo.- Electroweak force in the early universe.- The breaking of the world will never be the same.- The strong force: Quantum Chromo Dynamics.- Gravity as a field.- Further reading.- References and sources.