Particle Physics : Discovery News

Big Question for 2012: Is the Higgs Boson Real?

Posted by Ian O'Neill Tue Dec 13, 2011 05:28 PM ET | 0

After detecting "tentative hints" for its existence, physicists are confident that a definitive answer for whether or not the Higgs boson exists will come in 2012. Read more

Big Question for 2012: Is the Higgs Boson Real?

Dark Matter Mystery Unraveled by Dwarf Galaxies?

Posted by Jason Major Wed Nov 30, 2011 03:16 AM ET | 0

Researchers have narrowed down the size requirements for dark matter -- the elusive stuff that pervade the universe, lending mass but emitting no detectable radiation. Read more

Dark Matter Mystery Unraveled by Dwarf Galaxies?

Faster-Than-Light Neutrinos Re-Tested: Same Result

Posted Fri Nov 18, 2011 01:17 PM ET | 0

CERN's OPERA experiment continues to clock the subatomic particles traveling faster than the speed of light. Read more

Particle Physicists Learn Cancer-Fighting Tricks

Posted by Jennifer Ouellette Wed Nov 9, 2011 02:58 PM ET | 0

Particle physicists have developed useful simulation tools to help them predict the behavior of subatomic particles, with valuable applications in medical and space science to boot. Read more

Particle Physicists Learn Cancer-Fighting Tricks

'Anyons' Could Blur the Boson-Fermion Gap

Posted by Jennifer Ouellette Sun Nov 6, 2011 05:18 AM ET | 0

Bosons and fermions are fundamental particles -- but the "anyon" could be the wild-child of the quantum world. Read more

'Anyons' Could Blur the Boson-Fermion Gap

Bubble Chambers Aid Search for Dark Matter

Posted by Jennifer Ouellette Tue Nov 1, 2011 09:17 AM ET | 0

By tracing bubbles in a jar, physicist hope to detect the most mysterious stuff in the universe. Read more

Bubble Chambers Aid Search for Dark Matter

FTL Neutrino Research 'Almost Certainly Wrong'

Posted by Ian O'Neill Wed Oct 12, 2011 05:19 AM ET | 0

As scientists counter the claim that neutrinos can travel faster than the speed of light, the discussion is becoming less about the physics and more about how physics is presented to the public. Read more

FTL Neutrino Research 'Almost Certainly Wrong'

Coffee Stain Science Smartens Up Inks

Posted Thu Aug 18, 2011 10:43 AM ET | 0

Change a particle's shape and change the way it dries. Read more

Help Hunt the Higgs with LHC@home 2.0

Posted by Ian O'Neill Thu Aug 11, 2011 05:12 PM ET | 0

Using the collective power of the world's home computers, the conditions immediately after the Big Bang may be modeled, ultimately helping physicists unravel Nature's mysteries. Read more

Smidgen of Antimatter Surrounds Earth

Posted by Jennifer Ouellette Thu Aug 11, 2011 03:57 PM ET | 0

"The most abundant" source of antimatter particles have been discovered trapped in the Earth's magnetic field, but can it be used for advanced propulsion? Read more

Higgs Field Makes a Cameo on 'Eureka'

Posted by Jennifer Ouellette Wed Aug 3, 2011 06:55 PM ET | 0

Is Eureka's "Higgs field disruptor" a realistic interpretation of physics? Probably not, but it makes for some great sci-fi. Read more

Flurry of New Results Narrow Range for Higgs

Posted by Jennifer Ouellette Tue Jul 26, 2011 08:45 PM ET | 0

While much of North America was roiling in the summer heat over the weekend, the search for the elusive Higgs boson was also heating up. Read more

Flurry of New Results Narrow Range for Higgs

Fermilab's MINOS Experiment Also Sees Neutrino Quick-Change

Posted by Jennifer Ouellette Tue Jul 5, 2011 01:14 AM ET | 0

Physicists continue to close in on the mystery of neutrino oscillation -- the process by which one type of neutrino morphs into another as it travels through space. Read more

Fermilab's MINOS Experiment Also Sees Neutrino Quick-Change

We May Not Live in a Hologram After All

Posted by Ian O'Neill Fri Jul 1, 2011 08:11 PM ET | 0

By analyzing the gamma-rays emitted by a gamma ray burst, a European satellite may have inadvertently found evidence contradicting the holographic universe hypothesis. Read more

Physicists Observe Neutrino Quick-Change in Japan

Posted by Jennifer Ouellette Sat Jun 25, 2011 08:41 PM ET | 0

There was big news on the neutrino front last week, when the Japanese T2K (Tokai to Kamioka) experiment announced the first evidence of a rare form of neutrino oscillation. Read more