Social currents in weak interactions

APR 01, 1979

The controversy surrounding possible violation of the

Δ S = Δ Q

selection rule yields useful insights into the reward system of a scientific field.

DOI: 10.1063/1.2995489

D. Hywel White

Daniel Sullivan

At the end of his concluding remarks, summarizing the reports at the 1962 International Conference on High Energy Physics at CERN, Victor Weisskopf referred to the excitement caused by experimental claims that the selection rule known as the $ΔS = ΔQ$ rule did not hold and showed the New Yorker cartoon reprinted opposite.

This article is only available in PDF format

References

1. V. Weisskopf, in Proceedings of the 1962 Conference on High‐Energy Physics at CERN, CERN Scientific Information Service, Geneva (1963); page 933.
2. M. Gell‐Mann, A. Pais, Proceedings of the 1954 Glasgow Conference on Nuclear and Meson Physics. Pergamon, London (1955).
3. R. P. Ely et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 8, 132 (1962); https://doi.org/PRLTAO
A. Barbaro‐Galtieri et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 9, 26 (1962); https://doi.org/PRLTAO
G. Alexander et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 9, 69 (1962).https://doi.org/PRLTAO
4. R. P. Feynman, M. Gell‐Mann, Phys. Rev. 109, 193 (1958); https://doi.org/PHRVAO
F. C. G. Sudarshan, R. E. Marshak, Phys. Rev. 109, 1860 (1860).
5. See, for example, D. Sullivan, D. H. White, E. J. Barboni, Social Studies of Science 7 (1977), pages 167 and 223;
and D. H. White, D. Sullivan, E. J. Barboni, Social Studies of Science 9 (1979, forthcoming).
6. J. H. Christenson et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 13, 138 (1964).https://doi.org/PRLTAO
7. See, for example, H. G. Small, Social Studies of Science 7, 139 (1977).
8. See, for example, R. E. Behrends, A. Sirlin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 5, 476 (1960).https://doi.org/PRLTAO
9. R. D. Tripp, M. B. Watson, M. Ferro‐Luzzi, Phy. Rev. Lett. 9, 66 (1962).https://doi.org/PRLTAO
10. A. Barbaro‐Galtieri et al., in reference 1, page 447;
G. Alexander et al., in reference 1, page 448.
11. L. B. Okun, in reference 1, page 853.
12. C. T. Chang et al., in Proceedings of the 1963 International Conference on Fundamental Aspects of Weak Interactions; page 54.
13. C. Y. Chang et al., in Proceedings of the Sienna International Conference on Elementary Particles, Vol. I; page 48.
14. B. Aubert et al., in reference 13, Vol. I, page 38.
15. M. Baldo‐Ceolin et al., in reference 13, Vol. I, page 46.
16. A. Salam, in reference 13, Vol. II, page 1.
17. R. E. Behrends, A. Sirlin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 5, 476 (1960), https://doi.org/PRLTAO
and R. E. Behrends, A. Sirlin, Phys. Rev. 121, 324 (1961).https://doi.org/PHRVAO
18. S. Weinberg, “Reflections of a Working Scientist,” Daedalus, Summer 1972, page 41.
19. See R. K. Merton, Sociological Ambivalence and Other Essays, Full, New York (1976), Part 1, for several analyses of the sort of ambivalence we refer to here, especially pages 32–64.
20. W. Hagstrom, The Scientific Community, Basic, New York (1965).

More about the Authors

D. Hywel White. Cornell University.

Daniel Sullivan. Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota.