文档介绍：From Quarks
to Black Holes
Interviewing the Universe
From Quarks
to Black Holes
Inter viewing the Universe
Richard T. Hammond
North Oukota State Universify
World Scientific
b New Jersey. London Singapore Hong Kong Bangalore
Published by
World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.
P 0 Box 128, Farrer Road, Singapore 912805
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British Library Cataloguing-in-PublicationData
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FROM QUARKS TO BLACK HOLES: INTERVIEWING THE UNIVERSE
Copyright 0 2001 by World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.
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ISBN 981-02-4625-0
Printed in Singapore by Mainland Press
To Nancy, Katherine, Jennifer, and Matthew
Preface
I must admit that the idea of interviewing natural objects was not my own, and in
fact would have thought it to be quite impossible, had it not been for a conversation
I struck up with a carbon atom. As she told me of her spectacular creation in a
remote part of the Universe, her incredible release in a supernova explosion, and
her experiences on Earth, I could barely contain my excitement. It took me a
while to reach a quasi equilibrium, but when I did I found myself furiously jotting
down notes. It was such a wonderful experience I could not suppress the desire to
recapture the moment, and to my glee, found an elec