Revolutionary Particle Detector Set to Explore Big Bang ‘Ashes’ After Successful ‘Standard Candle’ Test

A new particle detector at Brookhaven National Laboratory has just proven it’s ready to explore the mysteries of the universe’s early moments. The sPHENIX detector aims to detect “quark-gluon plasma,” a unique state of matter believed to have existed just after the Big Bang.

sPHENIX is part of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), the second most powerful particle accelerator globally, following the Large Hadron Collider. This facility smashes gold ions at nearly light speed, creating conditions similar to those just after the universe began.

Quark-gluon plasma is like a primordial soup made of free quarks and gluons, the building blocks of protons and neutrons. Studying this exotic state could help us understand the universe’s evolution from its fiery beginnings to the matter we see today.

To ensure it was functioning correctly, sPHENIX underwent a critical test known as a “standard candle.” This term, distinct from astronomy’s use for measuring distances, helps scientists gauge the accuracy of detectors. In this case, sPHENIX successfully measured the energy and quantity of particles produced during collisions between gold ions. It discovered that head-on collisions create 10 times more particles than glancing collisions, each with similar energy levels.

Gunther Roland, a member of the sPHENIX team and a professor at MIT, likened the success of this test to taking a first photo with a new telescope after years of preparation. “It’s ready to start doing new science,” he said.

However, this quark-gluon plasma is fleeting. It lasts only a sextillionth of a second and appears at incredibly high temperatures. As the plasma cools, it converts into protons and neutrons, disappearing before it can be directly observed. Instead, scientists will analyze the particles formed from its decay to reconstruct its properties.

sPHENIX itself is a massive detector, about the size of a two-story house and weighing 1,000 tons. It is designed to capture up to 15,000 particle collisions per second. This advanced technology, developed over the past 25 years, allows researchers to explore processes that were once considered too rare to study.

Cameron Dean, another team member, emphasized the excitement ahead: “We expect to hunt for one-in-a-billion rare processes that could shed light on the quark-gluon plasma’s properties.”

As the team continues its research, sPHENIX could reshape our understanding of the universe’s earliest moments. For up-to-date findings, refer to the Journal of High Energy Physics.

By harnessing cutting-edge technology and innovative methodologies, sPHENIX may open doors to exciting discoveries in particle physics and the fundamental nature of our universe.



Source link