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Subatomic Physics

Subatomic Physics

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Part I<br />

Tools<br />

One of the most frustrating experiences in life is to be stranded without proper<br />

tools. The situation can be as simple as being in the wilderness with a broken shoe<br />

strap but no wire or knife. It can be as simple as having a leaking radiator hose<br />

in Death Valley and no tape to fix it. In these instances we at least know what<br />

we miss and what we need. Confronted with the mysteries of subatomic physics,<br />

we also need tools and we often do not know what is required. However, during<br />

the past century, we have learned a great deal, and many beautiful tools have been<br />

invented and constructed. We have accelerators to produce particles, detectors to<br />

see them and to study their interactions, instruments to quantify what we observe,<br />

and computers to evaluate the data. In the following three chapters we sketch some<br />

important tools.

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