Product Description

Antimatter explores a strange mirror world, where particles have identical yet opposite properties to those that make up the familiar matter we encounter everyday; where left becomes right, positive becomes negative; and where, should matter and antimatter meet, the two annihilate in a blinding flash of energy that makes even thermonuclear explosions look feeble by comparison. It is an idea long beloved of science-fiction stories - but here, renowned science writer Frank Close shows that the reality of antimatter is even more fascinating than the fiction itself. We know that once, antimatter and matter existed in perfect counterbalance, and that antimatter then perpetrated a vanishing act on a cosmic scale that remains one of the greatest mysteries of the universe. Today, antimatter does not exist normally, at least on Earth, but we know that it is real for scientists are now able to make small pieces of it in particle accelerators, such as that at CERN in Geneva. Looking at the remarkable prediction of antimatter and how it grew from the meeting point of relativity and quantum theory in the early 20th century, at the discovery of the first antiparticles, at cosmic rays, annihilation, antimatter bombs, and antiworlds, Close separates the facts from the fiction about antimatter, and explains how its existence can give us profound clues about the origins and structure of the universe.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6933 in Books
• Published on: 2009-01-22
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 176 pages

Review
This compact book is a wonderful source of information on antimatter and offers us a meticulously researched account of the nature, properties and applications of the often overlooked entities in the fantastic antiworld around us. (Chemistry World )

A meticulously researched account of the nature, properties and application of the ...antiworld around us. (Dennis Rouvray, Chemistry World )

...worth reading for its beautifully concise history of one vital aspect of twentieth-century particle physics (Mark Ronan, Times Literary Supplement )

His prose is clear, the concepts always understandable, his analysis always insightful. (Mark Greener, Fortean Times )

Beautifully written..This book will inspire a sense of awe in even the most seasoned of physics readers. (Amanda Gefter, New Scientist )

This is a must read for fans of science and science fiction alike. (Dr John Gribbin, www.bbcfocusmagazine.com )

Customer Reviews

An excellent popular explanation of what we know about antimatter
Books which attempt a popular review of a highly specialized subject are notoriously difficult to write. The experts will find little in them that is new, and the general reader will encounter much that is obscure and baffling.

This having been said, Frank Close has done a creditable job presenting the subject of anti-matter.

I personally was intrigued by some technical facts cited (eg anti-protons can be cooled with electrons) and amused by several popular explanations (eg How a space explorer should communicate with super-intelligent inhabitants to ascertain that their territory is not made of anti-matter: a wise precaution before attempting to land.)

An excellent book. I am glad to have it.

Superb
This is a great little book that sets the record straight for anyone taken in by the latest Dan Brown rubbish. The science is much more fascinating than the fiction! Frank Close is the best writer on particle physics around, and this is his best book.

A fascinating introduction to the topic.
After seeing this book on a shelf in Oxford I was immediately intruiged by its premise. As an avid reader of science fiction novels I found myself very curious as to the realities and mysteries of "antimatter" in real life was well as its fictional existance.

This little book offers an insight into the bizarre, strange and awesome possibilities of antimatter, and will provide a marvelous introduction to the subject for anyone who has an interest in astrophysics. As I have not studied an Science in any real detail since I did my GCSEs nearly a decade ago I cannot comment on how well suited this product would be for anyone who already has a solid understanding and knowledge of the subject matter, but I can confirm that it provided an extremely interesting and eye opening introduction to the concept of antimatter. Fascinating stuff, would reccomend.