Wonder of Quantum Spin (eBook)

The Wonder of Quantum Spin is a confection of the history and the science of quantum spin sprinkled with quotations and excerpts from pioneers who lived and breathed science. The book unfolds two centuries of the golden era in mathematics and physics, where first glimpses of spin appeared nearly 200 years ago in the mathematics of rotations. In these studies, spinors emerged as a new entity that changes sign after a 360 degree rotation, reminiscent of the Mobius geometry. A century later, quantum spins described by spinors was discovered in physics in atomic spectra. This led to the discovery of antimatter and raised the possibility of parity violation. It gave the first warning that protons and neutrons are not elementary. As we approach the centennial of the discovery, the spin mystique prevails as we have no clue of what exactly is spinning. Nevertheless, the theoretical framework underlying the spin determines why we exist, and explains the mysteries of the 3000-year-old phenomenon of magnetism. This book showcases MRI - one of the most important medical advances of the 20th century with a tantalizing history of the application of nuclear spin to humanity. It narrates fascinating spin tales of the precision measurements of electron and muon spin magnetic moments displaying a mindboggling confrontation between theory and experiment that remains our ambassador to quantum physics.