The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has entered Long Shutdown 3 (LS3), marking the end of a significant operational era and the beginning of a major upgrade phase. This period involves extensive maintenance, such as replacing 1.2 kilometers of magnets, to prepare for the High-Luminosity LHC (HiLumi LHC). Scheduled to begin operation in 2030, the HiLumi LHC aims to increase luminosity tenfold, allowing for more precise studies of the Higgs boson and other fundamental particles. During the shutdown, experiments like ATLAS and CMS will undergo significant detector upgrades to manage increased collision rates.
- Transition to the High-Luminosity LHC (HiLumi LHC)
- Major maintenance and magnet replacement projects
- Extensive upgrades to ATLAS and CMS detectors
- Continued scientific research through data analysis
- Transition to the High-Luminosity LHC (HiLumi LHC)
- Major maintenance and magnet replacement projects
- Extensive upgrades to ATLAS and CMS detectors
- Continued scientific research through data analysis
Physicists may have uncovered evidence that string theory is a natural consequence of fundamental physical laws rather than just an assumed mathematical framework. Using the bootstrap approach, researchers started with basic principles regarding particle behavior at extreme energies and found that the resulting equations automatically produced the defining characteristics of string theory. This study suggests that the universe's structure might be a necessary outcome of simple rules governing particle collisions.
- The unexpected emergence of the infinite tower of particles known as the string spectrum from basic assumptions.
- Use of the bootstrap method to investigate high-energy scattering amplitudes without assuming strings exist beforehand.
- How string theory's property of ultrasoftness helps avoid the mathematical infinities encountered in quantum gravity.
- The unexpected emergence of the infinite tower of particles known as the string spectrum from basic assumptions.
- Use of the bootstrap method to investigate high-energy scattering amplitudes without assuming strings exist beforehand.
- How string theory's property of ultrasoftness helps avoid the mathematical infinities encountered in quantum gravity.
An introduction to particle physics, covering the building blocks of matter, fundamental forces, the Standard Model, and the search for physics beyond it.
A new theoretical framework utilizing three dimensions of time, arising from symmetries observed across quantum, interaction, and cosmological scales. This framework naturally explains the three generations of particles and their mass hierarchy, offering solutions to problems in particle physics like parity violation and ultraviolet divergences in quantum gravity. The theory makes testable predictions for neutrino masses, new resonances at colliders, and modifications to the speed of gravity, potentially verifiable within the next few years.
Dark matter detectors designed to spot hypothetical dark matter particles have instead detected a signal from neutrinos produced by the sun. This 'neutrino fog' is both a milestone and a sign that these detectors may soon be overwhelmed by neutrinos, hindering their ability to detect dark matter.
In the coming weeks, Symmetry will explore the ways scientists are using artificial intelligence to advance particle physics and astrophysics. This series of articles will be written and illustrated entirely by humans.
