High energy nuclear physics II. Fundamental particles
F. Russell Stannard · Physics Education · 1966
Having described in the previous article (High energy nuclear physics: I. Experimental techniques, Physics Education, September 1966, 1, 154-62) the various experimental techniques used by the high energy physicist, we now turn to his discoveries. The idea of exchange forces is introduced and this leads to the successful prediction of a new particle, the pion. Many unexpected particles also come to light, and classification schemes have to be devised for them. By ascribing to the particles new properties, the existence of which could not be inferred from studies of the normal macroscopic world, it has been possible to bring to the field a semblance of order and understanding. Many tantalizing questions, however, still remain to be answered.