Detecting atomic particles

JUN 01, 1948

The atom, which used to be simple, has become a composite of many different kinds of parts. A nuclear physicist reviews the manner in which atomic particles can be identified.

DOI: 10.1063/1.3066033

Serge A. Korff

Physics today knows a whole variety of particles. It deals with protons, positive and negative electrons, neutrons, mesotrons, alpha particles, photons (which are not really particles but are detected by similar means), and deuterons.

This article is only available in PDF format

More about the authors

Serge A. Korff, New York University.

Related content

Features

Article

Building graduate programs that support mental well-being

Graduate students in physics and astronomy struggle with mental health. Support from peers and advisers is critical; so is institutional change.

April 13, 2026 11:17 AM

Features

Article

The paradoxical phenomenon of quantum scarring

Inside certain quantum systems, where randomness was thought to lurk, researchers—after a 40-year journey—have found order and unique wave patterns that stubbornly survive.

April 02, 2026 12:26 PM

Features

Article

Black holes aren’t black

A half century after the discovery of Hawking radiation, we are still dealing with the quantum puzzle it exposed.

March 26, 2026 12:23 PM

Features

Article

How the twist of a molecule affects electron spin

Since the discovery was first reported in 1999, researchers have uncovered many aspects of the chiral-induced spin selectivity effect, but its underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

March 11, 2026 09:55 AM

Get PT newsletters in your inbox