High Energy Physics and Computational Science

  The MoEDAL (Monopole and Exotics Detector ) experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which is the world’s largest and highest-energy particle collider, has made a significant leap in its quest for magnetic monopoles. Reported in two papers posted on the arXiv preprint server, the collaboration has narrowed the search window for these magnetic charge-bearing particles. The latest searches conducted by the MoEDAL experiment shrink the theoretical arenas in which the hunt for magnetic monopoles can continue, according to the European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN) . No magnetic monopoles or high-electric-charge objects   The MoEDAL team found no magnetic monopoles or high-electric-charge objects (HECOs) in their latest scanning of the trapping volumes. But it set bounds on the mass and production rate of these particles for different values of particle spin, an intrinsic form of angular momentum. “MoEDAL’s search reach for both monopoles and HECOs allows the collabor...

  Artificial intelligence (AI)  is bringing notable changes to atmospheric science, particularly with the introduction of large AI weather models like Pangu-Weather and GraphCast. However, alongside these advancements, questions have arisen about the alignment of these models with fundamental physics principles. Previous studies have demonstrated that Pangu-Weather can accurately replicate certain climate patterns like tropical Gill responses and extra-tropical teleconnections through qualitative analysis. However, quantitative investigations have revealed significant differences in wind components, such as divergent winds and ageostrophic winds, within current AI weather models. Despite these findings, there are still concerns that the importance of physics in climate science is sometimes overlooked. "The qualitative assessment finds AI models could understand and learn spatial patterns in weather and climate data. On the other hand, the quantitative approach highlights a li...

  Powerful probe The Electron-Ion Collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory will smash together electrons and protons to study the strong nuclear force and the role of gluons in nucleons and nuclei. (CC BY Brookhaven National Laboratory) The US Department of Energy has given the green light for the next stage of the Electron-Ion Collide r (EIC). Known as “critical decision 3A”, the move allows officials to purchase “long-lead procurements” such as equipment, services and materials before assembling the collider can begin. The EIC, costing between $1.7bn and $2.8bn, will be built at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Long Island, New York. This will involve the lab revamping its existing 3.8 km-long Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider accelerator complex that collides heavy nuclei such as gold and copper to produce a quark–gluon plasma. A major part of the upgrade will involve adding an electron ring so that the EIC consists of two intersecting accelerators – one producing an intense ...