Book Description
This highly regarded textbook for advanced undergraduates provides a comprehensive introduction to modern particle physics. Coverage emphasizes the balance between experiment and theory. It places stress on the phenomenological approach and basic theoretical concepts rather than rigorous mathematical detail. Donald Perkins also details recent developments in elementary particle physics, as well as its connections with cosmology and astrophysics. A number of key experiments are also identified along with a description of how they have influenced the field.Perkins presents most of the material in the context of the Standard Model of quarks and leptons.He also fully explores the shortcomings of this model and new physics beyond its compass (such as supersymmetry, neutrino mass and oscillations, GUTs and superstrings). The text includes many problems and a detailed and annotated further reading list. The volume will also provide a solid foundation for graduate study. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

An absolutely HORRIBLE book to use to learn high energy physics
It has been two full years since I received my doctorate in nuclear physics, and still I can't get over just how truly horrible this book is as an introductory text.The word "introduction" in the title is an absolute lie.Unless, perhaps, it is preceded by the word "incomprehensible".This book is truly a collection of random facts that will leave the reader totally mystified as to where they came from.It will not be until much later in the reader's academic career that he/she understands their origin.Perkins has but one practical use: it is slightly useful to skim the day before your doctoral oral qualifier as (it seems) many professors similarly skim it in order to come up with qualifier oral questions to ask.

But I don't hold Perkins to blame.After all, I'm sure he did his best to write what he considered to be an "introductory" high energy physics book.Whom I hold to blame are the professors who use this book as a classroom text.Here is a simple rule to use when determining whether you should take your college's high energy physics class now or else wait until it is offered next year: if the professor is using this text, then he/she truly 1) has not read the text, 2) is totally out of touch with what an "introductory" course in high energy physics is, and 3) doesn't care one bit about his/her students and is probably, instead, focusing purely on his/her research successes for tenure.

You have been warned.

Be prepared before reading this.
This is a book whose content is close to that of most 'traditional' undergraduate courses on particle physics. Yet, you will probably be tempted to throw it in the dustbin after a few pages unless you have trained yourself into thinking that it's better reading it than failing your exam and have already read a book like Giffiths' before, where you will find some good theoretical basis for all this stuff.

Not horrible for what it is, but you can do better
Basically, If you want theoretical approach stop reading this and buy griffiths' book, it's a lot better.
I'm using Perkins for a course mainly made up of senior undergraduates.First of all, a lot of the other reviewers have ripped the book to shreds, and most of their complaints are valid.I'd like to point out that this book actually attempts a fairly difficult task of introducing relatively advanced concepts which require qft, to students without any background in field theory.
The long and the short of it is... Perkins' book is geared for learning with a phenomonological, experimental approach. This results in a lot of hand waving, and not many mathematical or theoretical insights.If you're expecting these things, the book will be dissapointing.
All of this aside, there are some major flaws in the book.First of all, it kind of lacks on organization.There are a lot of charts, tables and graphs thrown about at random, and with little reasoning or thought.This makes Perkins' fairly useless as a reference, since you might have to look at four or more different charts to find out the relevant properties of a given particle.
My other major complaint, is that Perkins uses a lot of jargon without sufficiently introducing the terminology.While, this is fine for people who already know particle physics, I'm guessing that if you're reading this book, you don't already know particle physics.
Finally, despite being a fourth addition, there are still a bunch of misprints/omissions.For example, there's a question (which i conveniently had for a homework assignment) totally based on a concept not mentioned anywhere within the book.Google searches on the topic led only to obscure and inaccessible papers.
Basically, if you have to use this book for a course be prepared to read and re-read each section of it, and to suppliment with other books.I'd suggest buying griffiths along with it, event if you're not into the whole theory thing.

Introduction to Experimental Methods
As many previous reviewers have already pointed out, this book is not nearly as good an introduction to theoretical high energy physics as Griffiths' "Introduction to Elementary Particles". The primary reason for this is that Perkins' book was never meant to be read as a theoretical course in the first place. This is why Griffiths introduces Feynman rules and gamma matrices near the middle of the book and uses them extensively throughout the rest; Perkins mentions them in passing in the first chapter and then completely forgets them. In Perkins you will find little rigorous math, but a lot of experimental physics. If you want to understand the theory behind T violation, use Griffiths. If you want to know how physicists measured the electric dipole momentum of the neutron ( thus putting an upper limit on the magnitude of T violation ), Perkins will explain it in detail, together with the schematics of the apparatus they used.
Overall, this book does not fit its title well - it is not a good introduction to high energy physics ( unless you are so totally averse to math that you can't manage Griffiths or Peskin/Shroeder ). However, it has its own purpose - that is, to teach experimental methods in high energy physics. It probably should be studied after Griffiths by those who are interested in experimental side of particle physics.

A absolutely horrible introduction to High Energy Physics
I used Perkin's book for a one sememester 500 level graduate course.I honestly believe that of the 20+ books that I have used in undergrad and grad school, that this is the absolute worst text I have encountered.The equations in the text are mearly thrown in without the slightest justification or hint of the possible method of derivation.If you would truly understand the significance of the equations, then you would need a background knowledge that I can hardly believe anybody looking for an introduction to high energy physics could have.However, this is far from its biggest pitfall.The book is choppy to read.There are almost no quantitative examples and yet the questions are mostly quantitative.I am sure that I could think of more specifics dislikes, but I think that the reader has seen my opion.To anybody considering buying this text I suggest instead purchasing griffiths "introduction to elementary particles."My class was so displeased with perkins text that our professor has promised to switch to griffiths next year.To reiterate....Perkins book is the epitome of bad writing.I give my apologies to the author, but I don't want others to waste their time and money on this text.Buy Griffiths Book, it is good! ... Read more

Book Description
From superstring theory to models with extra dimensions to dark matter and dark energy, a range of theoretically stimulating ideas have evolved for physics beyond the standard model. These developments have spawned a new area of physics that centers on the interplay between particle physics and cosmologyastroparticle physics. Providing the necessary theoretical background, Particle and Astroparticle Physics clearly presents the many recent advances that have occurred in these fields.
Divided into five parts, the book begins with discussions on group and field theories. The second part summarizes the standard model of particle physics and includes some extensions to the model, such as neutrino masses and CP violation. The next section focuses on grand unified theories and supersymmetry. The book then discusses the general theory of relativity, higher dimensional theories of gravity, and superstring theory. It also introduces various novel ideas and models with extra dimensions and low-scale gravity. The last part of the book deals with astroparticle physics. After an introduction to cosmology, it covers several specialized topics, including baryogenesis, dark matter, dark energy, and brane cosmology.
With numerous equations and detailed references, this lucid book explores the new physics beyond the standard model, showing that particle and astroparticle physics will together reveal unique insights in the next era of physics. ... Read more

Book Description

The raw numbers of high-energy-density physics are amazing: shock waves at hundreds of km/s (approaching a million km per hour), temperatures of millions of degrees, and pressures that exceed 100 million atmospheres. This book introduces the reader to the fundamental tools and discoveries of high-energy-density physics. It surveys the production of high-energy-density conditions, the fundamental plasma and hydrodynamic models that can describe them and the problem of scaling from the laboratory to the cosmos. Connections to astrophysics will be discussed throughout. The book is intended to support coursework in high-energy-density physics, to meet the needs of new researchers in this field, and also to serve as a useful reference on the fundamentals.

Book Description
Supersymmetry or SUSY, one of the most beautiful recent ideas of physics, predicts sparticles existing as superpartners of particles. This book gives a theoretical and phenomenological account of sparticles. Starting from a basic level, it provides a comprehensive, pedagogical and user-friendly treatment of the subject of four-dimensional N=1 supersymmetry as well as its observational aspects in high energy physics and cosmology. Part One of the book introduces the requisite formal theory, preceded by a discussion of the naturalness problem. Part Two describes the supersymmetrization of the Standard Model of particle interactions as well as the origin of soft supersymmetry breaking and how it can be mediated from higher energies. Search strategies for sparticles, supersymmetric Higgs bosons, nonminimal scenarios and cosmological implications are some of the other topics covered. Novel features of the book include a dictionary between two-component and four-component spinor notation, a step-by-step derivation of the nonrenormalization theorem, an extended discussion of supersymmetric renormalization group evolution, detailed analyses of minimal and nonminimal models with gravity (including anomaly) mediated and gauge mediated supersymmetry breaking as well as elaborate self-contained presentations of collider signals of sparticles plus supersymmetric Higgs bosons and of supersymmetric cosmology. Appendices list all Feynman rules for the vertices of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent Introduction to SUSY
This book is an authoritative and current introduction to supersymmetry (SUSY).It is well-written with clear and consistent notation.The book assumes familiarity with quantum field theory and the Standard Model.SUSY is developed from the point of view of superfields, which can be somewhat abstract, but is elegant and rigorous.The subject matter is introduced in a systematic and well-organized manner. ... Read more

Book Description
The first half deals with the motion of a single particle under the influence of electronic and magnetic fields. The basic language of linear and circular accelerators is developed. The principle of phase stability is introduced along with phase oscillations in linear accelerators and synchrotrons. Presents a treatment of betatron oscillations followed by an excursion into nonlinear dynamics and its application to accelerators. The second half discusses intensity dependent effects, particularly space charge and coherent instabilities. Includes tables of parameters for a selection of accelerators which are used in the numerous problems provided at the end of each chapter. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent introduction
This book is a superb introduction to the field of acclereator physics.Starting with a basic knowledge of relativity and E&M is all that is necessary.Edwards and Syphers do a great job of"building" anaccelerator in their book and using operating parameters of real worldaccelerators (mostly the Tevatron) for their numerical examples.

My onlycomplaint is that some of the problems could be worded more clearly andconcisely ... Read more

Book Description
Neutrino physics remains one of the most exciting fields of fundamental physics today. The neutrino's position at the intersection of particle physics, astrophysics, and nuclear physics ensures continuing interest in the subject. Major activities at accelerators like Fermilab, KEK and CERN, in addition to underground facilities like Gran Sasso, Kamioka and Sudbury, continue to enhance our understanding of the origins and properties of neutrinos, and their implications for the Standard Model and cosmology.Neutrino Physics provides an up to date and comprehensive introduction to the subject as well as an invaluable resource for researchers in physics and astrophysics. Starting with a brief historical overview the author proceeds to review fundamental neutrino properties, the neutrino mass question, and their place within and beyond the Standard Model. The final chapters examine the role of neutrinos in modern astroparticle physics, cosmology and the dark matter problem. The book concludes with a summary of the current status of neutrino physics and the implications of recent results.Written to be accessible to readers from different backgrounds in nuclear, particle or astrophysics and with a detailed reference list, this title will be essential for any researcher or advanced student who needs to understand modern neutrino physics. ... Read more

Book Description
More than 3,000 terms with clear, working definitions, alternative meanings, and related references comprise this uniquely focused lexicon. Published in a convenient, paperback format, it covers chemical, energy, nuclear, plasma, condensed matter, and solid-state physics, fluid dynamics, quantum mechanics, quantum optics, thermodynamics, and materials science. ... Read more

Book Description
Now thoroughly revised and up-dated, this volume describes techniques for handling and analyzing data obtained from high-energy and nuclear physics experiments. Beginning with a chapter on real-time data triggering and filtering, the book describes methods of selecting the relevant events from a large background. The use of pattern recognition techniques to group the huge number of measurements into physically meaningful objects such as particle tracks or showers is then examined and the track and vertex fitting methods necessary to extract the maximum amount of information from the available measurements are explained. The final chapter describes tools and methods useful for the physical interpretation and presentation of results. ... Read more