Dark Matter Breakthrough: Physicists Crack “Big Bang Theory” Puzzle

 Dark Matter Breakthrough: Physicists Crack “Big Bang Theory” Puzzle



Physicists have long suspected that elusive particles known as axions could help explain the hidden matter shaping the universe. While the idea even made its way into popular culture, solving the problem proved more difficult than fiction suggested.

A new theoretical study suggests fusion reactors could do more than generate energy, they might also produce particles linked to dark matter.

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati say they have worked out, at least on paper, how fusion reactors could produce subatomic particles known as axions, a challenge that stumped two of America’s most famous fictional physicists.

In the CBS sitcom “The Big Bang Theory,” particle physicists Sheldon Cooper and Leonard Hofstadter, who share an apartment, grapple with the same idea across three episodes in Season 5 but never solve it.

UC physics Professor Jure Zupan and his co-authors, all theoretical physicists from the Fermi National Laboratory, MIT and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, now report what they consider a workable approach. Their study appears in the Journal of High Energy Physics.
What Are Axions and Why Do They Matter?

Axions are particles that have not yet been confirmed, but many physicists think they could be connected to dark matter. Dark matter matters because it helps scientists explain how the universe developed after the Big Bang nearly 14 billion years ago.

Although dark matter has never been detected directly, researchers believe it makes up most of the universe’s matter, with ordinary, visible matter accounting for only a smaller share. It is called dark matter because, unlike normal matter, it does not absorb or reflect light.

Global Energy Awards

Nomination link: https://globalenergyawards.org/award-nomination/...

Visit Our Website: globalenergyawards.org
Contact Us: support@globalenergyawards.org

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

"Explore the Fourth Dimension"

Quantum Tunneling Breakthrough: Technion Scientists Move Atoms With Precision

Physicists observe a new form of magnetism for the first time