Events in Physics
Stephen Blundell, Oxford
WHAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM A BRIEF ENCOUNTER: USING MUONS TO EXPLORE MAGNETS AND SUPERCONDUCTORS
Many physicists think that the only purpose served by the muon is as an illustrative example for undergraduates of the effects of time dilation in special relativity. But that's only the beginning! Working out what muons actually are took the best part of forty years following their first "observation". Working out what usefully to do with them took another few decades, and we are still finding out new possibilities. I will trace out the muon's convoluted history, spanning a century in time and research on several continents; the story contains many interesting lessons concerning the development of science which are highly relevant today. I will also explain how muons are now being pressed into service in the quest to understand magnetism and superconductivity, and how they can give a unique window on the microscopic world.