Shadow of a Star: The Neutrino Story of Supernova 1987A - Hardcover

Mann, Alfred K.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0716730979 ISBN 13: 9780716730972

Publisher: W H Freeman & Co, 1997

Synopsis

In Shadow of a Star, Mann tells the story of scientists' vigorous and successful search for evidence of particles called neutrinos coming from the collapsed core of the star. Mann captures the team's rush to study the "neutrino burst" that accompanied Supernova 1987A and the anxious wait for confirmation of their findings from scientists at other detectors.

About this title

About the Author:

Alfred K. Mann has been a member of the physics department at the University of Pennsylvania since 1949.

Review:

On February 23, 1987, a star named Sanduleak 69 202 lost its battle for life. The star's fiery death throes known as Supernova 1987A were so brilliant that those of us on Earth could see them with our unaided eyes. But to scientists and nonscientists alike this supernova was much more than a spectacle. Supernova 1987A showered scientists almost literally with clues to numerous mysteries of space and the universe. Physicist Alfred Mann was a member of the first team of scientists to publish an account of Supernova 1987A and one of the few with access to a detector that could identify and count subatomic particles expelled during the event.

In Shadow of a Star, Mann tells the story of scientists' vigorous and successful search for evidence of particles called neutrinos. This is a tale nonscientists can understand and enjoy, thanks to Mann's clear and elegant prose and his careful explanation of the principles and theories involved. It is also about science itself, the passion that drives it, and the euphoria a scientist feels when luck, informed judgment, and a few good guesses collide to yield discovery. 20 illustrations, color and black and white -- Book Description

The birth of neutrino astronomy an intriguing story told to us by one of its pioneers. -- Dr. Georg G. Raffelt, Max-Planck-Institut fur Physik in Munich

This book succeeds in describing the excitement of discovery in the rather arcane field of neutrino astronomy. It will be of interest to a range of readers: from nonscientists with some knowledge of physical science to scientists working in the field. -- Endeavor, September 1997

About this edition

• Publisher: W H Freeman & Co
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0716730979
• ISBN 13: 9780716730972
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 209