Kobayashi・Maskawa Theory-From Its Birth to Verification(In Commemoration of the 2008 Nobel Prizes of Physics Winners; Yoichiro Nambu, Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Maskawa)

Abstract

If we look back over the past half a century, we see that Japanese physicsists played major roles in spontaneous symmetry breaking, theory of CP violation, the construction of the B factory, and verifying the validity of the theory of CP violation. This is a set of historical achievements for which the Japanese Physical Society can be proud. I will take this opportunity to summarize this history.