How the universe’s expansion may have stopped dark matter taking over

Dark matter is a core component of the universe, but how did we end up with exactly the amount needed to hold the universe together? Physicists have proposed a new mechanism where dark matter particles in the early universe converted regular matter int… Continue reading How the universe’s expansion may have stopped dark matter taking over

The antimatter enigma: What is it and why didn’t it destroy the universe?

It sounds like sci-fi: normal matter has an “evil twin” that annihilates as soon as the two come into contact. But this antimatter is very real, and despite decades of study it remains very mysterious. So what actually is antimatter? Where is it? Why i… Continue reading The antimatter enigma: What is it and why didn’t it destroy the universe?

How a really cold bath can help unravel the mysteries of the cosmos

A new “bathtub” experiment has allowed physicists to measure the lifetime of a free neutron far more precisely than ever before. The breakthrough could help probe the fringes of the Standard Model of particle physics, as well as mysteries like dark mat… Continue reading How a really cold bath can help unravel the mysteries of the cosmos

Dark matter detector may have accidentally detected dark energy instead

Last year, physicists reported that an experimental dark matter detector picked up a strange signal that could hint at new physics, with several suspects highlighted. Now, Cambridge scientists have proposed an answer that wasn’t considered at the time … Continue reading Dark matter detector may have accidentally detected dark energy instead

Strange supersolid state of matter created in new dimension

Besides the basic well-known states of matter – solid, liquid, gas and plasma – there are many exotic states being conjured up in the lab. One of these, known as a “supersolid,” was only confirmed a few years ago, and now researchers at the University … Continue reading Strange supersolid state of matter created in new dimension

2D quantum crystal sensor could hunt for dark matter particles

Dark matter should be all around us, but the stuff is frustratingly elusive. Now physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new sensor that could help us detect certain hypothetical dark matter particles, u… Continue reading 2D quantum crystal sensor could hunt for dark matter particles

New particle discovered at CERN is a long-lived double charmer

Physicists at CERN have discovered an exotic new particle that’s quite charming. Known as Tcc+, the particle belongs to a rare class called tetraquarks, and its unusual composition makes it the longest-lived exotic hadron found so far.Continue ReadingC… Continue reading New particle discovered at CERN is a long-lived double charmer

Laser pincers generate antimatter by recreating neutron star conditions

Some of the greatest mysteries in cosmology revolve around antimatter, and it’s hard to study because it’s rare and hard to produce in the lab. Now a team of physicists has outlined a relatively simple new way to create antimatter, by firing two lasers… Continue reading Laser pincers generate antimatter by recreating neutron star conditions

Scientists create solid crystal form of electrons in the lab

Researchers at ETH Zurich have created a crystal made entirely of electrons. The structures have been theorized for decades, but this marks the first time they’ve been experimentally confirmed in the lab.Continue ReadingCategory: Physics, ScienceTags: … Continue reading Scientists create solid crystal form of electrons in the lab

Particle seen switching between matter and antimatter at CERN

A subatomic particle has been found to switch between matter and antimatter, according to Oxford physicists analyzing data from the Large Hadron Collider. It turns out that an unfathomably tiny weight difference between two particles could have saved t… Continue reading Particle seen switching between matter and antimatter at CERN