High Energy Physics

High Energy Physics

anitmatter annihilation
From the tiniest subatomic scales to the grandest cosmic structures of all, everything that exists depends on two things: charge and mass.
Diagram illustrating how small fundamental particles are, showing scaling sizes from macroscopic matter to quarks. It details crystal, atom, atomic nucleus, and nucleon sizes in meters, ranging from 10^-9 m to
When we divide matter into its fundamental, indivisible components, are those particles truly point-like, or is there a finite minimum size?
elements
From LIGO, there weren't enough neutron star-neutron star mergers to account for our heavy elements. With a JWST surprise, maybe they can.
Illustration of the periodic table with a human silhouette reveals how heaviest elements shape us. Elements are color-coded, depicting the percentage composition of the body: 73% oxygen, 16.5% carbon, 9.5% hydrogen, and 1% others.
Matter is made up largely of atoms, where atomic nuclei can contain up to 100 protons or more. But how were the heaviest elements made?
proton internal structure
A proton is the only stable example of a particle composed of three quarks. But inside the proton, gluons, not quarks, dominate.
A vibrant cosmic scene reveals a galaxy with bright jets of energy, hottest stars twinkling vividly amidst scattered stars against a dark backdrop.
Here in our Universe, stars shine brightly, providing light and heat to planets, moons, and more. But some objects get even hotter, by far.
Diagram of particle interactions with wavy and straight lines, illustrating how photons mediate attraction and repulsion in various Feynman diagrams in particle physics.
The electromagnetic force can be attractive, repulsive, or "bendy," but is always mediated by the photon. How does one particle do it all?
A planet's horizon illuminated by a bright sun against a backdrop of stars in space.
A recent measurement has simultaneously settled an ongoing scientific debate while puzzling scientists.
A person in a red shirt stands next to "Waves in an Impossible Sea," the 2024 science book by Matt Strassler. The background displays a blurred bookshelf.
Matt Strassler's journey into fundamental physics culminates in a brilliant explanation of the Higgs field. Enjoy this exclusive interview.
Betelgeuse visualization
The closest known star that will soon undergo a core-collapse supernova is Betelgeuse, just 640 light-years away. Here's what we'll observe.
A digital visualization displays particle collision results with colored tracks and trails diverging from a central point against a black background, hinting at how B-mesons might break the standard model.
We have very specific predictions for how particles ought to decay. When we look at B-mesons all together, something vital doesn't add up.
Close-up of an analog weight scale needle pointing to zero grams, with a black background.
"A person’s mass is made not of 'stuff' in the way we normally think about it, but rather our mass is made of energy."
elements Cas A remnant Chandra X-ray
The last naked-eye Milky Way supernova happened way back in 1604. With today's detectors, the next one could solve the dark matter mystery.
Abstract image of a dark central circle surrounded by radial green and yellow light streaks resembling an eye or vortex.
The race to find dark matter could grow more complex with high-energy neutrino interference.
Bright cosmic explosion with flames and smoke surrounded by stars against a dark, starry background.
Black holes are the most massive individual objects, spanning up to a light-day across. So how do they make jets that affect the cosmic web?
Two individuals examine a large panel of wires and components. Overlaid on the right is a chart with arrows and symbols, possibly depicting a scientific process or experiment.
Why hasn’t matter fallen apart over billions of years? The mystery might start with protons.
A large, intricate machine with metallic components and blue scaffolding in a laboratory setting. Numerous cables and pipes are connected to the central structure.
LHC scientists just showed that spooky quantum entanglement applies to the highest-energy, shortest-lived particles of all: top quarks.
A person stands in front of a large, circular particle detector in a brightly lit, high-tech facility.
CERN scientists achieved record-breaking accuracy in mapping the mass of a key particle in the Standard Model.
A technician in a cleanroom suit works by a large cylindrical piece of equipment in a high-tech laboratory setting with industrial tools and machinery.
A recent experiment challenges the leading dark matter theory and hints at new directions for uncovering one of the Universe's biggest mysteries.
A satellite orbits Earth against a backdrop of space. Below, the Earth's curvature and cloud formations are visible, making our planet seem even bigger.
The observation that everything we know is made out of matter and not antimatter is one of nature's greatest puzzles. Will we ever solve it?
Interior of a particle physics laboratory showing a complex particle accelerator setup with multiple cables, detectors, and machinery designed to study glueball particles.
Scientific surprises, driven by experiment, are often how science advances. But more often than not, they’re just bad science.
Diagram showing four circles, each containing a different particle symbol: antiproton (n-bar), antineutron (n-bar), anti-lambda (Λ-bar), and antiproton (p-bar), set against a graph-like background.
Researchers at the Brookhaven National Laboratory recently created the heaviest exotic antimatter hypernucleus ever observed.
Two individuals in hard hats and safety glasses working on complex machinery with numerous cables and metal components in an industrial setting.
DUNE is designed to detect the Universe's most antisocial particle: the neutrino.
A worker in a hard hat and safety vest adjusts equipment in a facility alongside large red machinery labeled "Jefferson Lab." The scene fades into concentric circles, as if drawn by the powerful collider, leading to a bright light.
The largest particle accelerator and collider ever built is the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. Why not go much, much bigger?
Einstein
More than any other equation in physics, E = mc² is recognizable and profound. But what do we actually learn about reality from it?
A close-up digital rendering shows a glowing blue orb with intricate internal patterns, resembling a microscopic or sci-fi object, set against a dark background with scattered lights.
Quarks and leptons are the smallest known subatomic particles. Does the Standard Model allow for an even smaller layer of matter to exist?
A computer-generated visualization shows particle collision data with yellow lines and red dots against a black background. The simulated particles appear to interact within a transparent geometric shape.
Today, the Large Hadron Collider is the most powerful particle physics experiment in history. What would a new, successor collider teach us?
A digital rendering of a black hole with a glowing, distorted light accretion disk around its event horizon in space, set against a pitch-black background.
A recent paper in the journal Physical Review Letters claims to prove that a "kugelblitz" is not possible.
Often viewed as a purely theoretical, calculational tool only, direct observation of the Lamb Shift proved their very real existence.
A black and white particle track image on the left and a colorful representation of a neutrino.
The properties of a ghostly particle called a neutrino are coming into focus.