An Introduction to Particle Accelerators

Rating:
Summary: European efforts predominating
Review: Very specialised book. Written mostly for engineers involved in designing accelerators, and graduate students in physics who might have experiments at an accelerator.

No abstruse theory here. A book for experimentalists. Wilson describes clearly the differences between cyclotrons and linear accelerators and synchrotrons. The advantages and disadvantages of each. With real life examples, like those at CERN (of course), and at SLAC and Fermilab.

It does seem that the baton is passing from the US in this field. The European scientists have somehow managed to keep their funding together, which Wilson praises. He undoubtedly help bring this about. Certainly, an impression from this book is that if you are starting out in experimental particle physics, you might do best to direct your efforts at CERN.