Practical Particle Physics presents a practical approach for the science of subatomic particle physics.Most know everything is made from combinations of atoms, which are made of only 3 simple particles, the electron, neutron, and proton, in different quantities.The Large Hadron Collider creates high velocity collisions of particles.Scientists working in this field currently devote much of their time trying to understand quarks, or the fragments of the proton and neutron. Many of these fragments are analyzed with the expectation something useful will result. Unfortunately, these fragments are like debris after an automobile crash which cannot explain how its motor runs. Quarks cannot explain a proton's mass.Particle physics also has a known problem called the atomic mass defect. This term refers to the difference in the mass of an atom between what is measured and what is expected when summing the mass of all the subatomic particles within that particular atom.Every element in the periodic table exhibits this difference. It is called a defect and currently lacks a verifiable explanation, as only a simplistic conversion of mass to energy.There are 118 elements and many have multiple isotopes whose mass was measured with suitable precision when its half-life is long enough. The results of an analysis are presented.The current Standard Model is a failure when unable to explain this fundamental atomic behavior, its measured mass. The LHC has contributed nothing useful to our understanding of an intact nucleus. An updated atomic model, based on the analysis of a complete set of the data, is presented in the book. Perhaps, no one else has taken the time to analyze the isotope data until now.This known anomaly in an atomic mass is being ignored by scientists working with the Standard Model for particle physics. Each atom behaves as a system, not as just a collection of independent particles. Its nucleus is not just a bunch of particles stuck together.The entire atom defines its action, not just one or more individual particles within it. The nucleus drives the electron configuration which holds an energy state for the atom. There are several atomic behaviors driven by the current distribution of electrons among the atom's possible shells at the instant of an interaction with electromagnetic radiation. Among them are a) the photoelectric effect, b) absorption and emission lines which are affected by the Doppler effect (which occurs in the atom), c) particle pair production.An updated atomic model is required to describe several atomic behaviors better than now. This update can drop the quark, photon, and graviton.The book offers other contributions by the author. Among them are a) an alternate description of particle pair production, b) a description of both the Doppler effect and photoelectric effect without photons, c) a mechanism for gravity without gravitons, d) an explanation of antimatter, and e) a justification for removing relativity from particle physics.This list could be a surprise, but Einstein and quarks drove a diversion off the correct path.Particle physics needs a practical basis.
