Particle Physics
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Particle Physics
Antimatter doesn’t differ from charge-mass expectations
An experiment with unprecedented precision finds that protons and antiprotons have the same ratio of charge to mass, which is consistent with theories but disappoints many physicists.
By Andrew Grant -
Physics
Elusive particle shows up in ‘semimetal’
Weyl fermions, which resemble massless electrons, have been spotted inside tantalum arsenide. Their discovery comes 86 years after they were proposed.
By Andrew Grant -
Particle Physics
LHC reports pentaquark sightings
Two particles discovered at the Large Hadron Collider are composed of five quarks, not two or three like nearly every other known quark-based particle.
By Andrew Grant -
Particle Physics
LHC set to see beyond Higgs
Physicists hope a revamped Large Hadron Collider will discover new particles and forces that could help explain dark matter and other mysteries of the universe.
By Andrew Grant -
Neuroscience
Zipping to Mars could badly zap brain nerve cells
Charged particles like the ones astronauts might encounter wallop the brain, mouse study suggests.
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Earth
Cosmic rays illuminate lightning
Radio waves emitted by particles zipping through thunderstorms allow physicists to probe thunderclouds and, perhaps eventually, learn what triggers lightning strikes.
By Andrew Grant -
Particle Physics
Particle hunting in space, life in the urban jungle and more reader feedback
Readers discuss wheat's journey to England, share stories about urban wildlife and more.
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Astronomy
Cosmic rays misbehave in space station experiment
A puzzling feature in a new cosmic ray census may force physicists to rethink which cosmic objects send these speedy particles hurtling across the galaxy.
By Andrew Grant -
Particle Physics
Exotic particle turns out to be quark molecule
Subatomic particles made of quarks can bind together to form molecules, according to a computer simulation of a long-studied mysterious particle.
By Andrew Grant -
Particle Physics
Sam Ting tries to expose dark matter’s mysteries
Particle physicist Sam Ting is applying a meticulous approach to analyzing positrons in space, testing whether they can reveal clues about dark matter.
By Andrew Grant -
Particle Physics
New particle may be made of four quarks
A newly discovered particle may be comprised of four quarks, a new study posits.
By Andrew Grant -
Particle Physics
Year in review: Neutrinos leave tracks in ice
The IceCube experiment has started to pinpoint the birthplaces of some high-energy neutrinos.
By Andrew Grant