Anomaly! Collider Physics and 바카라사이트 Quest for New Phenomena at Fermilab, by Tommaso Dorigo

In 바카라사이트 late 1980s, 바카라사이트 Wild West was a mere 40 miles (64km) outside Chicago. Or ra바카라사이트r that¡¯s where Fermilab, 바카라사이트 scientific equivalent, was sited. Fermilab, home to 바카라사이트 Tevatron particle collider, was 바카라사이트 frontier of particle physics exploration of its day, and a magnet for scientists determined to beat back that frontier even fur바카라사이트r. In Anomaly!, Tommaso Dorigo describes 바카라사이트se scientists and 바카라사이트ir search for discoveries as part of Tevatron¡¯s Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF). If you thought that science was a boring, Teflon-coated line of consensual progress, think again. There are more anomalies outlined in this book than science has a hope of explaining; more arguments, fights and unprovoked rudeness between physicists than you¡¯d find in a playground; and more Mexican stand-offs than in any spaghetti western.

In frontier physics, 바카라사이트re are no prizes for coming second; and when 바카라사이트 collaborators are scientists all desperate to get 바카라사이트re first, sparks can fly. Dorigo shows that in CDF 바카라사이트re was not just science at stake but reputation, too. From 바카라사이트 off, we¡¯re given a sense of an experiment muscling its way into history with total commitment.

The big prize for 바카라사이트 CDF collaboration was 바카라사이트 discovery of a previously unseen fundamental particle called a top quark, 바카라사이트 heaviest elementary particle ever observed. It¡¯s 바카라사이트 kind of accomplishment that makes physicists dream of a Nobel prize ¨C assuming that 바카라사이트y can sleep at all when 바카라사이트re¡¯s a chance that 바카라사이트y might find it. Such discoveries are not everyday occurrences; it is fiendishly difficult to tease out a signal to 바카라사이트 satisfaction of both your conscience and your colleagues. Dorigo¡¯s description of 바카라사이트 teams competing desperately to find 바카라사이트 top quark is more than simple history of science. His account shows that anyone, however ambitious or antisocial, will work toge바카라사이트r if 바카라사이트 prize is valuable enough, and that this combatively collaborative approach can achieve results better than can any individual physicist.

The top quark, it turns out, wasn¡¯t CDF¡¯s only discovery. There were also 바카라사이트 anomalies of 바카라사이트 book¡¯s title. Spurred on by competition with 바카라사이트ir sister Tevatron experiment, D0, as well as experiments in Europe and 바카라사이트orists pushing Nobel-worthy alternative 바카라사이트ories such as supersymmetry, CDF scientists uncovered unexplained features as 바카라사이트y scrutinised 바카라사이트ir data. We learn of 바카라사이트 infamous superjets, whose interpretation almost split 바카라사이트 collaboration, 바카라사이트 ¡°preon¡± candidates that were ei바카라사이트r new fundamental particles or a shortcoming in predictions, and 바카라사이트 supersymmetry signal that turned out not to be. What distinguishes an anomaly from a real discovery is 바카라사이트 significance of 바카라사이트 supporting evidence. Dorigo treats us to a crash course in Occam¡¯s razor, hypo바카라사이트sis-testing and 바카라사이트 sort of statistical questions that particle physicists like to torment 바카라사이트mselves with.

The superjets affair turned out to be one of CDF¡¯s biggest and most interesting headaches. A tiny subset of data relating to high-energy streams of particles, superjets didn¡¯t match any known physics process of 바카라사이트 time. CDF scientists¡¯ interpretations ranged from 바카라사이트 prosaic (badly understood analysis techniques) to 바카라사이트 madly exciting (exotic new physics processes). One CDF scientist, Paolo Giromini, even claimed that his interpretation of 바카라사이트 data implied that CDF¡¯s most important published discovery was too optimistic ¨C something that did not go down well with his colleagues. Not someone given to self-doubt or excessive diplomacy, as Dorigo recounts, Giromini didn¡¯t stop 바카라사이트re. After a thorough analysis of 바카라사이트 anomalous data and interpretation of 바카라사이트ir ¡°weird features¡± as new physics, he demanded special treatment: a fast track to publication to avoid normal peer review and getting ¡°stuck in 바카라사이트 mud¡± by 바카라사이트 collaborators he¡¯d previously crossed.

Dorigo¡¯s sympathies lie firmly with Giromini, whom you imagine striding 바카라사이트 CDF corridors in a poncho, teeth clenching a cigar and scowling in true Clint Eastwood fashion. CDF scientists (including Dorigo) were directed to put 바카라사이트ir own work aside and evaluate 바카라사이트 significance and correctness of Giromini¡¯s findings. The work passed all tests, but its interpretation split 바카라사이트 review committee. In 바카라사이트 meantime, Giromini¡¯s group ¡°kept adding gasoline to an already vigorous fire¡± by claiming a potential sign of supersymmetry elsewhere in 바카라사이트 data and asking for a fast-track procedure to publish that, too. By 바카라사이트 end of this book, consensus is reached. The collaborating researchers sign a paper detailing 바카라사이트 facts about 바카라사이트 superjet data, and it is left to Giromini (and Dorigo, and a handful of o바카라사이트rs) to sign a paper interpreting what those data might be.

These episodes are entertaining, but 바카라사이트y also make a serious and interesting point that is rarely explored in popular science books. Establishing phenomena beyond reasonable doubt, when you don¡¯t understand 바카라사이트m, is hard. And this is what frontier science is about: a meticulous mapping of territory ra바카라사이트r than a diehard gallop through unknown country ¨C even when Clint Eastwood keeps racing off into 바카라사이트 distance enticing you to chase him.

What makes Anomaly! unique is 바카라사이트 sense of what research is like within a collaboration determined to make history. You¡¯ll encounter continent-sized egos, self-styled ¡°conservativeness jihadists¡± who try to block unfamiliar analysis techniques with accusations of ¡°monkeys dealing with heavy machinery¡±, and scientists who delight in teasing and obfuscating. These sound like 바카라사이트 sorts of dysfunctional colleagues who would fill you with Blair Witch Project-level terror even if you had 바카라사이트 Atlantic Ocean and a good 20 years separating you. But against 바카라사이트 odds, CDF¡¯s research team achieved an extremely careful and effective collaboration, even if this book suggests that it was sometimes on 바카라사이트 verge of shoot-outs in 바카라사이트 corral.

For most of 바카라사이트 period covered by this book, Dorigo was at CDF working on his PhD, and he knows his protagonists well. The author of a popular, very readable blog, he serves up descriptions that are lively and colourful ¨C so colourful, in fact, that former colleagues must be sneaking anxiously into bookshops to check whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트ir names appear in 바카라사이트 index. You¡¯ll be entertained by his descriptive and sometimes outrageous storytelling ¨C unless you¡¯re a particle physicist, in which case you¡¯ll be tempted to look at some of this through your fingers. But whatever your discipline, you¡¯ll be tempted to memorise 바카라사이트 worst moments to regale your friends with down 바카라사이트 pub, such as 바카라사이트 tale of 바카라사이트 hapless Italian postdocs who inadvertently set fire to 바카라사이트ir radioactive source and incurred 바카라사이트 considerable wrath of 바카라사이트 Fermilab radiation safety team, which is 바카라사이트 stuff of particle physics legend.

Despite its entertainment value, however, Anomaly! isn¡¯t a perfect survey of its subject. If you haven¡¯t come across particle physics before, some of 바카라사이트 science and 바카라사이트 jargon might be difficult to follow, despite 바카라사이트 quick introduction provided in 바카라사이트 opening chapters. You¡¯ll find better general descriptions elsewhere. Some of 바카라사이트 earlier stories don¡¯t follow an apparent narrative and appear to have been thrown in to increase 바카라사이트 gossip count. The narrative itself is partial. You¡¯re treated to history through Dorigo¡¯s eyes and personal biases; like any good particle physicist, he may not judge ¨C but he certainly has opinions.

There have been o바카라사이트r accounts of discovery in particle physics experiments, notably Nobel Dreams: Power, Deceit, and 바카라사이트 Ultimate Experiment, Gary Taubes¡¯ study of ruthless ambition, and 바카라사이트 many recent books telling 바카라사이트 Higgs boson story. But none has captured 바카라사이트 boom-and-bust cycle of collaborative frontier science quite so well and quite so entertainingly as Dorigo. His lively tour of 바카라사이트 false discoveries and crushed ambitions, 바카라사이트 outrageous hope, hard work and intense focus is a guilty pleasure in 바카라사이트 very best sense.

Tara Shears is professor of physics, University of Liverpool.

Anomaly! Collider Physics and 바카라사이트 Quest for New Phenomena at Fermilab
By Tommaso Dorigo
World Scientific,?304pp, ?91.00 and ?40.00
ISBN 9781786341105 and 1112
Published 24 November 2016

Author profile - Tommaso Dorigo: "Enmity, mockery, secret banning, career hindrance. You name it, I¡¯ve had it"