Scattering Theory 2 2015_02_21_MG_6430a - Douglas Stinson Photography

Douglas Stinson Photography

Scattering Theory

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In 1909 Ernest Rutherford, Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden used the pattern formed by alpha particles scattered from thin metal foils to discover the atomic nucleus. Since then, scattering has been a staple technique physicists use to expose the secrets of the universe. Rutherford’s tabletop experiment has evolved into massive apparatuses such as the 1.9 mile-long Stanford Linear Accelerator or the 17-mile circumference CERN Large Hadron Collider, where the elusive Higgs Particle was discovered. The patterns formed by scattering, such as the one shown to the left, not only reveal the beauty of the universe at its most basic level, but have intrinsic beauty in and of themselves. Why should it be that beauty reveals beauty? That connection is its own mystery and one I seek to explore in this body of work, inspired not just by CERN, but by the technological achievements of Harold Edgerton and the Poetism of Jaromir Funke.

Scattering Theory 2 2015_02_21_MG_6430a - Douglas Stinson Photography