Archive | Physics

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New boson could be Higgs particle, say CERN boffins

CERN physicists say they have enough statistical evidence to claim discovery of a new fundamental particle – a boson that may, pending further investigation, prove to be the so-called “god” particle responsible for the elusive Higgs field that gives other particles mass. Yesterday’s announcement (pictured) represents confirmation of the tantalizing preliminary data revealed late last […]

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Atom shadow photographed using traditional microscopy

For the first time, Griffith University (Australia) scientists have managed to photograph the shadow of an atom using only visible light and an extremely powerful optical microscope. Traditionally, images at such magnifications were the preserve of electron microscopes and other exotic imaging systems. “We wanted to investigate how few atoms are required to cast a […]

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“Cloaked” buildings could withstand earthquakes, say UK scientists

While much media attention has been paid to the development of an invisibility “cloak” that works with electromagnetic waves such as light, mathematicians from the University of Manchester have been looking at cloaking other wave-types, specifically, the damaging elastic waves generated by earthquakes. While their work, reported in Proceedings of the Royal Society A, is […]

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Higgs boson: no news is God news

The Higgs boson, the elusive so-called “God particle” that gives other particles mass, is still proving to be elusive, with the release yesterday of nebulous findings from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) that physicists say “hint” at the elemental particle’s existence. Finding the predicted Higgs particle would complete the standard model of particle physics that […]

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Fine structure constant may vary across universe

Electromagnetism, measured by the so-called fine-structure constant, is one of the four fundamental forces of nature and it underpins Einstein’s general theory of relativity. The constant, denoted by the symbol alpha, should be the same across the cosmos, but an Australian physicist’s observations of distant galaxies indicate that it may in fact be variable. The […]

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Acoustic diode allows one-way sound transmission

Based on a simple assembly of granular crystals that transmit sound vibrations, Caltech researchers have created the first tunable acoustic diode that allows sound to travel only in one direction. “We exploited a physical mechanism that causes a sharp transition between transmitting and non-transmitting states of the diode,” explained Chiara Daraio, lead author of the […]

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Galactic spin theory neatly explains Charge Parity violation

Experimental observations of sub-atomic particles known as Kaons and B Mesons have revealed significant differences in how their matter and anti-matter versions decay. This “Charge Parity violation” is an awkward anomaly for physicists but a new theory suggests that the rotation of our galaxy may explain the discrepancy. When CP violation has been observed in […]

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Experimental results hint at neutrino flavor change

By shooting a beam of neutrinos through a small slice of the Earth under Japan, physicists say they’ve caught the particles changing their stripes in intriguing new ways. The experiment – known as T2K – uses the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC), located on the east coast, to shoot a beam of muon neutrinos […]

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