Your Particle Physics Guide: Part 2

The Standard Model is the theory that describes the interaction of forces affecting subparticles, like electrons and quarks. Although this physics deals with the major forces that govern our universe, it often seems disconnected from us--like it belongs to another reality. In truth, it does deal with matters outside out everyday experience; however, that does not make it any less important. Ultimately, understanding the Standard Model is a necessary part of understanding our universe; it is the best thing that we have at our disposal when trying to make experimental predictions.

So let"s take a moment to get to know the Standard Model, and the universe, a little better.
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/your-particle-physics-guide/

Image:
2011 Keiko Murano

Your Particle Physics Guide (1/2)

Here at From Quarks To Quasars, we like to cover particle physics topics regularly. The content is abstract and difficult enough to comprehend as it is. But what can further compound the problem for the average science enthusiast is the array of jargon we sometimes use, that is, the unique expressions typically associated with the field of science. Ultimately, showing someone the standard model and then expecting them to understand particle physics is a bit like someone watching a documentary on the pyramids of Giza and then being expected to decipher the cryptic hieroglyphics lining the walls on the inside. Both are things that will take years of study to fully understand (and even then, there is a lot we don"t get).

That being said, we have compiled a beginner"s guide to the basics of the Standard Model terminology, and included some very common misconceptions and descriptions of the more abstract workings.

See the article here: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/your-particle-physics-guide-p1/

Unedited Image (Original Source Unknown): http://ow.ly/s7D7r

Black Holes and You: Schwarzschild Radius

It can be easy for one to feel insignificant in this universe. After all, we are small creatures on a relatively small rock that orbits one of many billion stars within one of many billion galaxies. However, the next time you find yourself experiencing this dilemma, try to take a moment and think about this one simple-but-astounding fact: You are made of matter. To be more specific, you are made of atoms.

While many writers, such as Carl Sagan, have elaborated on the deep connection between our atoms and the stars, I’d like to talk instead about a different astronomical feature, one that is less-obvious but a no less-real connection to celestial objects: black holes.

Find out what you have in common with black holes at:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/black-holes-and-you-schwarzschild-radius/

Image before editing:
NASA

Are Atoms Mostly Empty?

The emptiness of the universe: This is the kind of stuff that the early pioneers of quantum mechanics believed in. In the 1920s, researchers thought that emptiness--an absence of stuff--is what quantum mechanics was talking about. Arthur Eddington"s "The Two Tables" is a really nice treatment of the subject. In this piece, Eddington essentially argues that there are two tables: First, there is the table of everyday experience. It is comparatively permanent, it is coloured, and (above all) it is substantial. Second, there is the table of science: it is mostly emptiness with numerous, sparsely-scattered electric charges rushing about with great speed.

Is this really the way of things? The is universe that we see and interact with made of a great emptiness? Find out at:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/are-atoms-mostly-empty/

Image:
http://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/Contexts/Just-Elemental/Science-Ideas-and-Concepts/The-structure-of-the-nucleus

Time: Examining the Wibbly, Wobbly, Timey Wimey...Stuff

Time is perhaps one of the greatest mysteries of the Universe. Scientists and philosophers alike explore what time means, how it works, and what it’s made of. All throughout time (see what we did there?) questions have arose about the nature of time--questions like “Did humans invent time?”, “do animals experience time?”, “Is time the same everywhere?” Many of these questions do not have a solid or steadfast answer, but that doesn"t mean that we, as humans, stop seeking the answers.

Since time is a subject that has philosophical undertones, in certain instances, it is outside of the realm of science. So instead of focusing on the nature of time, let"s focus on how humans observe time in a physical sense.

Want to learn about time? See:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/time-examining-the-wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey-stuff/

Image source: BBC

Unifying Gravity and Quantum Mechanics:

Quantum mechanics may seem like it is beyond our realm of experience; however, it is an integral part of the physics that governs our lives. Yet, it is not without its problems. There is one very important aspect of our everyday experience that is not described in a quantum framework-- and that is gravity. Because it keeps matter together, gravity is one of the driving forces of the cosmos -- and of life itself.

For quite some time, we have struggled with the goal of uniting gravity and quantum mechanics. Nowadays, physicists have had many ideas (some great, others not so much); however, nothing experimentally verifiable (like string theory) has surfaced. That is, until now.

Some physicists are starting to think that gravity itself is the ultimate decoherence, or the weakest form of background noise. To learn about new experiments that can help us solve this problem, see:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/unifying-gravity-and-quantum-mechanics/

Image source:
NASA

The Problem with Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity:

The quantum realm is rife with enigmas -- inexplicable things that leave us puzzled. Unsurprisingly, since we have the (modest) ambition of obtaining a complete mathematical picture of the entire universe, it seems like there are many properties of particle physics that are completely removed from our existence on Earth. However, that previous sentence is a bit of a paradox, because the quantum world is utterly ingrained into our surroundings. For starters, it can be seen emanating from the sun, as photons of electromagnetism bounce off of everyday objects, before arriving near our retinas. It can also be seen in the form of waves slamming into the shorelines, with the molecules of water slowly eroding large rocks into tiny pebbles of sand. These tiny grains, in turn, accumulate by the trillions, eventually forming the beaches we all love.

In short, we know that the realm of the very small is intricately related to our everyday experiences, and that our level of existence is only a tiny piece of a much larger puzzle. To progress as a species, it is imperative that we have a comprehensive understanding of the world around us.

However, we have had a hard time uniting the physics of the very small with the physics of the very large – Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity. To learn all about this problem, see:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/the-problem-with-quantum-mechanics-and-general-relativity/

Image source:
CERN

The Many World Interpretation, or the Copenhagen Interpretation?

This is a raging theoretical debate that has often left the smartest minds reeling in pain from the cognitive dissonance done to the world through quantum physics. The underlying premise is actually quite simple. The many worlds interpretation is entirely based on the mathematics of Edwin Schrodinger, but with mind-bending implications. Conversely, the Copenhagen Interpretation is based on the superposition of a particle and its ability to exist in two states until "observed," which "collapses the wave function".

Let’s go into a bit more detail with each interpretation to get a better feel for what is being purported: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/the-many-world-interpretation-or-the-copenhagen-interpretation/

(P.S. Read the article before commenting on the picture)

Image Source: http://ideasdontwork.files.wordpress.co ... c_0152.jpg

"Seeing" Cosmic Rays

You"ve probably heard of "cosmic rays" before - it"s a term that is thrown about regularly in modern astrophysics and cosmology - but do you know what they really are?

Cosmic rays are high-energy particles with intrinsic mass. They can come from outside the solar system or from extreme solar events (like solar flares). Cosmic rays range from atomic nuclei that have had all of their surrounding electrons stripped away to more exotic particles that make up the standard model. Photons used to be considered cosmic rays; however, they are quanta of electromagnetic radiation that have no intrinsic mass; photons are known by their common names, such as "gamma rays" or "X-rays."

The origin of cosmic rays is unknown, but they are suspected to be born from supernovae, possibly from outside our galaxy. The highest energies produced by cosmic rays have been found to be 40 million times that of those produced in the Large Hadron Collider, but most don"t reach this extreme. Fortunately, our atmosphere protects us from the main front of this strange phenomenon, but out in space where there is no protection, cosmic rays damage equipment--such as microelectronics. However, contrary to popular sci-fi movies, they don"t cause the development of superhuman abilities (The Fantastic Four, anyone?). Studies have tried to detect these particles in a number of experiments, but it has proven difficult for ground-based equipment. They are most easily detected as primary rays in space or the upper atmosphere, and our most effective way of picking up these elusive particles hasn"t been with fancy equipment, but actually through our own eyes!

To learn more about cosmic rays, see:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/seeing-cosmic-rays/

Image source:
http://www.aspera-eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=290&Itemid=196