A new theoretical study suggests that black holes may never completely disappear, potentially offering a way to resolve the long-standing black hole information paradox. One of the biggest unsolved problems in modern physics, known as the “black hole information paradox,” may finally have a compelling solution. The proposed answer could also help explain where the [...]
The universe may have its own version of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, and that might be enough to explain dark energy without invoking any new physics at all.
Scientists have discovered that ultraheavy atomic nuclei could explain some of the highest-energy cosmic rays ever observed. The particles may come from extreme events such as neutron-star mergers and collapsing massive stars. Scientists may have uncovered a new clue behind the origin of the most energetic particles ever detected in the universe. Ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays [...]
High-energy cosmic rays, 10 million times more powerful than particles accelerated in Earth's strongest atom smasher, may hide a superheavy secret that is the key to unlocking a 60-year-old puzzle.
The world's first space-based neutrino detector launched to space this month to study elusive neutrino particles that constantly bombard Earth.
A rare particle decay measured at the LHC may be showing one of the strongest recent hints of physics beyond the Standard Model. A highly unusual pattern detected in rare B meson decays is giving researchers fresh reason to suspect new physics may be hiding beyond the Standard Model. New findings from research we are [...]
At last we’ve made it to the end of term. This morning I delivered my last particle physics lecture. Given that it is the last day of the semester I was half-expecting no students would turn up, but in the end I had about 60% attendance. At the end of my lecture there was even […]
I’ve had these pictures for quite a while and can’t remember where I got them from, but I used to show them in my lectures on Theoretical Particle Physics when I was in Nottingham to illustrate CP-violation and used them in this morning’s lecture at Maynooth. The following picture by M.C. Escher is called Day […]
Physicists are rethinking how to detect elusive particles like neutrinos by combining existing technologies in unconventional ways. Progress in physics often comes from unexpected combinations of familiar ideas. That is increasingly true in the hunt for elusive particles like neutrinos and potential dark matter candidates, where detection is limited not just by theory but by [...]
A long-suspected crack in particle physics may have closed, but the search for what lies beyond continues. A long-standing mystery in particle physics may have just been resolved, but not in the way many scientists had hoped. For years, a key particle seemed to defy the known rules of physics, hinting that the universe might [...]
An unprecedented neutrino detection in the Mediterranean has pushed the boundaries of high-energy astrophysics, raising new questions about the most extreme processes in the universe. Three years ago, scientists detected an “ultra-energetic” cosmic neutrino in the Mediterranean Sea, the most energetic ever recorded. The discovery drew global attention from researchers, the media, and the public.…
A student-led experiment has shown that the search for dark matter doesn’t always require massive infrastructure. Modern cosmology is often associated with large observatories, complex instruments, global collaborations, and major funding. Even so, progress remains possible through smaller, flexible efforts led by young researchers and supported by institutional resources and creative problem…
New experiments reveal possible η′-mesic nuclei, offering evidence that particle masses shift inside nuclear matter and shedding light on how mass originates from vacuum structure. Almost everything around us has mass, but its origin is still a fundamental question in physics. Current theory suggests that mass comes from the properties of the vacuum, which is [...]
Researchers have, for the first time, described the properties of one-dimensional anyons and outlined how these particles can be observed using existing experimental setups. Physicists have traditionally classified all elementary particles in our three-dimensional universe into two groups: bosons and fermions. Bosons typically include force-carrying particles such as photons, while fermions make…
A new study suggests that failing to detect dark matter signals in some galaxies may not contradict evidence seen in our own. The absence of a signal may itself carry meaning. That is the central idea of a new study published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics (JCAP), which proposes a different way [...]
For the first time, researchers measured singularities in combined light and sound waves moving faster than the speed of light. The findings have implications in fluid dynamics, optics and many other fields.
So the Easter break is over and I was back to campus today armed with a very long to-do list. I’m pleased to say I’ve ticked all the items off except the last, which was to prepare my lecture for 9am tomorrow. I’ll do that after supper. I was very tired this morning after doing […]
Environmental carbon coatings determine charge transfer direction between identical insulating materials, enabling control of static electricity in natural and experimental systems. When two microscopic particles collide, they can generate a tiny spark. This simple interaction may have helped supply the energy needed to start life on Earth. But when identical materials come into contact, what…
The ALICE experiment at the world's most powerful particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider, has given scientists their best look yet at quark-gluon plasma, the primordial matter that filled the universe moments after the Big Bang.
Deep beneath the Earth’s surface, a major physics experiment has reached a critical milestone, enabling detectors to operate at temperatures near absolute zero. Far below the surface of a Canadian mine, scientists have brought one of the coldest experiments ever built to life. The Super Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (SuperCDMS) has now reached its operating [...]
It’s Sunday 29th March – Palm Sunday in fact – and Friday 3rd April is Good Friday, which is followed by a break of a week for Easter, so I’ve been looking at what I have to do in the four days between Monday and Thursday. On Tuesday afternoon part of my 3rd Year Computational […]
Using a new method, physicists found a way to 'catapult' electrons across solar materials in quadrillionths of a second.
CERN scientists have uncovered a new proton-like particle, the Ξcc+, revealing a heavier and long-predicted member of the subatomic world. Researchers from The University of Manchester have played a major part in identifying a previously unknown subatomic particle at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The particle, called the Ξcc+ (Xi-cc-plus), is a heavy proton-like particle [...]
I am remiss in having forgotten until now to circulate an open letter that has been set up to express support for the high energy physics theory and particle theory communities in the United Kingdom. I signed the letter a few days ago but neglected to circulate it for further signature. The letter reads: We […]
The tiny bots follow patterns of light and "artificial space-time," navigating like craft following the curved space around a black hole.
Cosmic voids are not truly empty but are filled with vacuum energy that powers the universe’s expansion. If you could somehow strip away everything inside the vast cosmic voids, removing all normal matter, neutrinos, dark matter, cosmic rays, and even radiation, what would remain? At first glance, it might seem like the answer is nothing [...]
It feels so obvious that time moves forward that questioning it can seem almost pointless.
A persistent asymmetry in fusion exhaust has challenged researchers for years. New simulations show that plasma core rotation, working together with cross-field drifts, determines where particles land inside a tokamak. Tokamaks are often described as giant magnetic “doughnuts,” built to keep an ultra-hot soup of charged particles suspended long enough for atomic nuclei to fuse [...]
A new theoretical approach aims to shed light on the complex behavior of many-body systems. Researchers have applied a machine learning technique to uncover unexpected features of the non-reciprocal forces that shape the behavior of a many-body system. The study, published in PNAS, was conducted by experimental and theoretical physicists at Emory University. It combines [...]
On most Friday afternoons there is a seminar in the Physics Department at Maynooth University, and I got it into my mind that there was one this afternoon and set aside an hour to attend it. It turns out that there isn’t a seminar so I have time to write a quick blog post before […]