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How it works, why it’s so powerful, and where it’s likely to be most useful first This is the first in a series of explainers on quantum technology. The other two are on quantum communication and post-quantum cryptography. A quantum computer harnesses some of the almost-mystical phenomena of quantum mechanics to deliver huge leaps forward in processing power. […]
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Why is gravity so much weaker than the other fundamental forces? A small fridge magnet is enough to create an electromagnetic force greater than the gravitational pull exerted by planet Earth. One possibility is that we don’t feel the full effect of gravity because part of it spreads to extra dimensions. Though it may sound […]
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CERN physicists collide heavy ions to free quarks – recreating conditions that existed in the universe just after the Big Bang or a few millionths of a second, shortly after the Big Bang, the universe was filled with an astonishingly hot, dense soup made of all kinds of particles moving at near light speed. This […]
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The ALICE, CMS and LHCb collaborations present new measurements that show how particles containing charm quarks can serve as “messengers” of hadrons and the quark–gluon plasma, carrying information about these forms of matter The Xc1(3872) hadron, which contains charm quarks, could be a pair of two-quark particles loosely bound together. (Image: CERN) This media update […]
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Cosmic-ray data collected by the AMS detector on the International Space Station again challenge conventional theory of cosmic-ray origin and propagation Ever since astronauts attached the 7.5 tonne AMS detector to the International Space Station in May 2011, the space-based magnetic spectrometer, which was assembled at CERN, has collected data on more than 150 billion cosmic rays […]
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The Antiproton Decelerator (AD) is a unique machine that produces low-energy antiprotons for studies of antimatter, and “creates” antiatoms. The Decelerator produces antiproton beams and sends them to the different experiments. A proton beam that comes from the PS (Proton Synchrotron) is fired into a block of metal. These collisions create a multitude of secondary […]
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The lab’s suite of experiments to study the subtle, elusive particle called the neutrino will aid humanity’s understanding of the origin of matter, the unification of forces and the Big Bang. Before being detected, neutrinos from Fermilab experiments travel over short distances — several hundred meters — and over long distances — several hundred miles. […]
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An international flagship neutrino experiment hosted in a world class facility Solving big mysteries The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment is an international flagship experiment to unlock the mysteries of neutrinos. DUNE will be installed in the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility, under construction in the United States. DUNE scientists will paint a clearer picture of the universe and how […]
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“From a cavern 100 metres below a small Swiss village, the 7000-tonne ATLAS detector is probing for fundamental particles“ ATLAS is one of two general-purpose detectors at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). It investigates a wide range of physics, from the search for the Higgs boson to extra dimensions and particles that could make up dark matter. Although it has the same scientific […]
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To accelerate particles, the accelerators are fitted with metallic chambers containing an electromagnetic field known as radiofrequency (RF) cavities. Charged particles injected into this field receive an electrical impulse that accelerates them. In the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), 16 RF cavities are housed in four cylindrical refrigerators called cryomodules, which enable them to work in a […]