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Neutrinos rarely interact, but watch them hit the Nova detector here! Neutrinos rarely interact, but watch them hit the Nova detector here!
(about 2 hours later)
I would love to claim that the last couple of weeks of silence from the Life & Physics pages were due to me being occupied at CERN with a superconducting spanner, getting the Large Hadron Collider ready to roll again. This has not been the case. As I told Jonathan Webb at the BBC, the accelerator work is carried out at CERN by accelerator physicists and engineers, in a team quite independent of the particle detectors such as ATLAS, which is where I do my research.I would love to claim that the last couple of weeks of silence from the Life & Physics pages were due to me being occupied at CERN with a superconducting spanner, getting the Large Hadron Collider ready to roll again. This has not been the case. As I told Jonathan Webb at the BBC, the accelerator work is carried out at CERN by accelerator physicists and engineers, in a team quite independent of the particle detectors such as ATLAS, which is where I do my research.
So we wait, we code, we tweak our kit, and we hope the short-circuit can be fixed without having to warm up the supercooled magnets. It’s going to work soon anyway, and we are excited.So we wait, we code, we tweak our kit, and we hope the short-circuit can be fixed without having to warm up the supercooled magnets. It’s going to work soon anyway, and we are excited.
I have been occupied by various things, including a holiday, some ATLAS/LHC physics stuff and some UCL things, none of which are terrible noteworthy, so I will not inflict myself on you any further.I have been occupied by various things, including a holiday, some ATLAS/LHC physics stuff and some UCL things, none of which are terrible noteworthy, so I will not inflict myself on you any further.
Meanwhile, particle physics continues elsewhere. In addition to the LHC powering tests, the live event stream from the Nova neutrino experiment has been rather mesmerising. There’s an example below, but follow this link for a new one every 15 seconds, as well as for some more explanation of what is going on.Meanwhile, particle physics continues elsewhere. In addition to the LHC powering tests, the live event stream from the Nova neutrino experiment has been rather mesmerising. There’s an example below, but follow this link for a new one every 15 seconds, as well as for some more explanation of what is going on.
The Nova experiment detects neutrinos created at the Fermi National Accelerator laboratory in Chicago. Nova has one detector (the near one) at Fermilab, and another (the far one) over 800 km away. The beam of neutrinos is created by firing protons from “main injector” into a target of carbon, and focussing the resultant particles (pions) before they decay into neutrinos. The beam is called NUMI, for “neutrinos at the main injector”, and it supplies some other experiments with neutrinos too. The main injector used to provide protons and antiprotons for the Tevatron, the highest energy particle collider in the world before the LHC took over.The Nova experiment detects neutrinos created at the Fermi National Accelerator laboratory in Chicago. Nova has one detector (the near one) at Fermilab, and another (the far one) over 800 km away. The beam of neutrinos is created by firing protons from “main injector” into a target of carbon, and focussing the resultant particles (pions) before they decay into neutrinos. The beam is called NUMI, for “neutrinos at the main injector”, and it supplies some other experiments with neutrinos too. The main injector used to provide protons and antiprotons for the Tevatron, the highest energy particle collider in the world before the LHC took over.
Neutrinos are always created by a decay or some other interaction which involves the weak force (the fundamental force carried by W and Z bosons). Most of the neutrinos coming from pion decays are “muon neutrinos”, which means that when they hits some matter (for example the near or far detector) they should produce muons, a fairly short lived particle very like the electron but heavier. Neutrinos are always created by a decay or some other interaction which involves the weak force (the fundamental force carried by W and Z bosons). Most of the neutrinos coming from pion decays are “muon neutrinos”, which means that when they hit some matter (for example the near or far detector) they should produce muons, a fairly short lived particle very like the electron but heavier.
However, as they travel the 800 or so kilometres to the far detector, the neutrinos undergo quantum mixing, and can arrive there as, for example, electron neutrinos, meaning they can produce an electron when they interact instead of a muon.However, as they travel the 800 or so kilometres to the far detector, the neutrinos undergo quantum mixing, and can arrive there as, for example, electron neutrinos, meaning they can produce an electron when they interact instead of a muon.
Nova can measure the difference, and as it collects more and more data it will tell us more about the mixing and the nature of the neutrino, a particle which is one of the most abundant in the universe and which may hold clues to some of the big puzzles which remain open in physics.Nova can measure the difference, and as it collects more and more data it will tell us more about the mixing and the nature of the neutrino, a particle which is one of the most abundant in the universe and which may hold clues to some of the big puzzles which remain open in physics.
As will higher-energy collisions at the LHC, when they happen. Here’s hoping.As will higher-energy collisions at the LHC, when they happen. Here’s hoping.
Jon Butterworth has written a book about being involved in the discovery of the Higgs boson, Smashing Physics, available here, and in North America as “Most Wanted Particle”. Events where you might be able to hear him talk about it are listed here. (Including a live webcast from the Perimeter Institute on 1 April). Also, Twitter.Jon Butterworth has written a book about being involved in the discovery of the Higgs boson, Smashing Physics, available here, and in North America as “Most Wanted Particle”. Events where you might be able to hear him talk about it are listed here. (Including a live webcast from the Perimeter Institute on 1 April). Also, Twitter.