The mesonic theory and the young Brazilian physicists: the organization of particle physics as a research field (1944-1951)

In this article, we will analyze the process of setting up an agenda in particle physics by a group of young Brazilian and foreign physicists who worked in the second half of the 1940s, taking the Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas (CBPF) as the reference institution where this effort was implemented. Through a wide range of historical sources that have reached us, we will see the decisions taken by this group in the face of scientific and non-scientific problems in their own circumstances. We will devote special attention to Brazilian scientists, such as José Leite Lopes, Jayme Tiomno and César Lattes, understanding them as central historical actors in the emergence of elementary particle physics.

Keywords:
José Leite Lopes; César Lattes; Jayme Tiomno; Particle physics; CBPF