Particle Physics
- Physics
50 years ago, scientists were on a quest for quarks
In the 1970s, physicists confirmed particles called quarks existed. Fifty years later, many kinds of quarks in many combinations have been discovered.
- Particle Physics
This is the first known particle with four of the same kind of quark
A weird four-quark particle could be a unique testing ground for the strong force that governs how quarks stick together.
- Particle Physics
Physicists spot a new class of neutrinos from the sun
Researchers with the Borexino experiment in Italy have detected neutrinos produced in the secondary fusion process taking place in the sun’s core.
- Particle Physics
An unexpected result from a dark matter experiment may signal new particles
An excess of events spotted in the XENON1T experiment could be signs of solar axions or weird, new properties of neutrinos, but not dark matter itself.
- Particle Physics
Measuring the neutron’s lifetime from space could solve an enduring mystery
Measurements on Earth show that lone neutrons decay after about 15 minutes, and now scientists have measured that lifetime from space.
- Physics
A star shredded by a black hole may have spit out an extremely energetic neutrino
A star’s fatal encounter with a black hole might have produced a neutrino with oomph.
- Space
A controversial X-ray glow didn’t show up in the Milky Way’s dark matter halo
A new look at old data suggests that an odd X-ray glow that emanates from some galaxies cannot come from decaying dark matter.
- Particle Physics
Particles called axions could reveal how matter conquered the universe
Axions, if they exist, may solve not one, not two, but three pressing puzzles of particle physics.
- Particle Physics
Physicists have narrowed the mass range for hypothetical dark matter axions
In two new studies, scientists search for axions within new mass ranges but the particles remain elusive.
- Particle Physics
Antimatter hydrogen has the same quantum quirk as normal hydrogen
Atoms of antihydrogen are affected by the Lamb shift, which results from transient particles appearing and disappearing.
- Physics
A barrier to colliding particles called muons has been smashed
Future particle accelerators could slam muons together to reach higher energies than any before.
- Particle Physics
Misbehaving kaons could hint at the existence of new particles
Certain extremely rare decays seem to be happening more often than expected, and scientists don’t know why.
