Nucleus: A Trip into the Heart of Matter

by Ray Mackintosh, Jim Al-Khalili

At the core of the atom, enshrouded by electrons, lies the nucleus. The discovery of the nucleus transformed the past century and will revolutionize this one. Though many persons associate nuclear physics with weapons of mass destruction, it is an exciting, cutting-edge science that has helped to save lives through innovative medical technologies, such as the MRI. In nuclear astrophysics, state-of-the-art theoretical and computer models help to explain the powerful stellar explosions known as supernovas, to account for how stars shine, and to describe how the chemical elements in the universe were formed. A Trip into the Heart of Matter by Ray Mackintosh, Jim Al-Khalili, Bjorn Jonsen, and Theresa Penae is a lavishly illustrated book filled with lively prose and captivating details that describe the evolution of our understanding of this phenomenon. The authors, who include expert nuclear physicists and acclaimed science journalists, tell the story of the nucleus from the early experimental work of the quiet New Zealander Lord Rutherford to the huge atom-smashing machines of today and beyond. Nucleus tells of the protons and neutrons of which the nucleus is made, why some nuclei crumble and are radioactive, and how scientists came up with the "standard model," which shows the nucleus composed of quarks held together by gluons. Nucleus is also the tale of the people behind the struggle to understand this fascinating subject more fully, and of how a vibrant research community uses the power of the nucleus to probe unanswered scientific questions while others seek to harness the nucleus as a tool of twenty-first-century medicine. Intended for a general audience, this book unravels the scientific mysteries that surround the subject of the nucleus. Anyone with a passing interest in science will delight in this guide to the nuclear age.

Genres: Physics, Nonfiction, Science

160 pages, Hardcover

First published December 3, 2001

Reviews

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned a lot from this book on nuclear physics. I really liked the format of the book, especially the many illustrations. I would have preferred to read the second edition of this book (published in 2012), but this is the edition my library had.

[José Luís Fernandes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice and non-exhaustive overview of nuclear physics. It's illustrated with lots of pictures and graphics which helps the reader understanding this complex (and above all counter-intuitive) subject, namely for those like me who think a bit better in Physics and Maths with them (they gave me a bit of help in understanding the valley of energy). The only thing I'm not very "convinced" (here in the sense I still didn't understand, specially as the authors didn't detail about it) is how certain quantum phenomena like the action of the mesons can happen by a temporary lending of energy apparently defying the law of energy conservation (even if for a very short time) or how does the tunneling effect work. I guess I'll have to ask somewhere about this.