RSS Feeds

Earth Science

Space Science

Life Science

Fields of Scientific Study

Nanotechnology

Cancer

Definitions of The Fields of Scientific Study

A microscope for Higgs bosons and squarks - The Physics Congress 2002

April 02, 2002

There is now agreement in Europe, Asia and the United States of America that the next major project in particle physics should be a world-wide linear electron-positron collider. Dr Phil Burrows of the University of Oxford will explain to the Institute of Physics Congress on Tuesday 9 April how this huge particle accelerator, 20-30 km long, will accelerate electrons, and their antimatter partners, positrons, to energies roughly five times higher than was achieved at the giant Large Electron-Positron (LEP) collider ring at CERN before it was closed down last year. This would recreate energies not seen since the earliest seconds after the Big Bang, and it is hoped, yield an insight into the strange world of Higgs bosons and superparticles.

LEP saw a possible glimpse of the Higgs particle weighing 115 times that of the proton. If this turns out to be true, Higgs particles will surely be discovered within the next decade at the giant proton colliders: the Tevatron near Chicago, and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) being built in the LEP tunnel at CERN. A prime aim of this new Linear Collider is to be a `Higgs factory` for producing Higgs particles in abundance. `Snapshots` of how they decay and change into other particles will be recorded with new ultra-precise particle detectors that act like giant microscopes within the collider.

The Linear Collider will also be able to produce and study `superparticles` in detail. If they exist, these `superparticles` will have exactly the same properties as the corresponding `particles`, except that they will have different `spin` or angular momentum and also be much heavier. For example, the super-quark, or `squark` will have a spin of zero, compared with 1/2 for the normal quark. Theorists speculate that in the early universe a symmetry known as supersymmetry existed between the spin-0 and spin-1/2 matter particles. But for some reason that symmetry has been broken, and we only see the spin-1/2 ordinary particles at our low energies today. The first task in finding out why this is the case is to make and study the `superparticles`. The huge Linear Collider will be ideally suited to this task.

Teams of hundreds of physicists centred in Europe, the US and Japan have already spent more than ten years working on the technologies needed to realise the Linear Collider. Last year Europe threw down the gauntlet when a group of 1100 physicists submitted a technical design report to the German Government for the 4 billion Euro TESLA collider. The teams in Japan and the United States have not been slow to respond and reports from both regions have recommended that each should bid to host the collider.

"Hopefully all teams will win in this race, and collaborate together to build a single world machine," said Dr Burrows. "The UK is heavily involved and a number of institutes are engaged in cutting-edge research and development on vital components needed to make the project a reality," he added.

Institute of Physics

Science Research Departments

	Scientific Explorer's Mind Blowing Science Kit for Young Scientists by Scientific Explorer Mind blowing experiments to delight and educate young scientists! Erupt a color changing volcano. Mix up magic ooze with a mind of its own. Play with sand that never gets wet. Mix safe chemicals and watch colors change before your eyes. You'll amaze yourself and your friends as you explore the science behind these truly remarkable reactions.
	The Everything Kids' Science Experiments Book: Boil Ice, Float Water, Measure Gravity-Challenge the World Around You! (Everything Kids Series) by Tom Robinson (Author) Science has never been so easy - or so much fun! With The Everything Kids' Science Experiments Book, all you need to do is gather a few household items and you can recreate dozens of mind-blowing, kid-tested science experiments. High school science teach Tom Robinson shows you how to expand your scientific horizons - from biology to chemistry to physics to outer space. You'll discover answers to questions like: Is it possible to blow up a balloon without actually blowing into it? What is inside coins? Can a magnet ever be "turned off"? Do toilets always flush in the same direction? Can a swimming pool be cleaned with just the breath of one person? Get ready to enter the laboratory and learn how to conduct cool experiments, understand scientific terms...
	Scientific Explorer's Disgusting Science - A Kit for Studying the Science of Revolting Things by Scientific Explorer Grow your own friendly germs and fuzzy molds. Mix up a batch of coagulating fake blood. Even make a stinky intestine. learn the science behind unmentionable bodily functions while doing some truly NASTY Experiments. Ages 8+
	The Science Book: Everything You Need to Know About the World and How It Works (National Geographic) by National Geographic (Author), Marshall Brain (Foreword) A delight for the casual reader, yet so complete and wide-ranging that science buffs and students will welcome it, The Science Book encapsulates centuries of scientific thought in one richly illustrated volume. Natural phenomena, revolutionary inventions, and the most up-to-date investigations are explained in detailed text, and 2,000 vivid illustrationsincluding 3-D graphics and pictogramsmake the information even more accessible and amazing to discover. The Science Book offers both a general overview of topics for the browsing reader and more specific information for those seeking deeper insight into a particular subject. Six major sections, ranging from the universe and planet Earth to biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, encompass everything from microscopic life...
	Scientific Explorer's The Magic Science Wizard's Kit by Scientific Explorer Cast real smoke from your fingertips, make a wizard wand, and whip up color-changing potions in your test tube laboratory. Also included are laminated cards with wizard facts, an instruction booklet with 11 activities, lab equipment, and mysterious wizard powders that will mix together to mystify you!
	Scientific Explorer's Tasty Science Chemistry in the Kitchen Kit by Scientific Explorer Who knew science could taste so good? With this kit, you’ll whip up cupcakes, cookies, candy, and more—all in the name of science! Learn what makes cakes rise, candy crystallize, and more real chemistry happen in the kitchen. Tasty Science is packed with ingredients, recipes, activity cards, a test tube laboratory, and lots more to explore the science of taste.
	The Complete Book of Science, Grades 5-6 by School Specialty Publishing (Author) The Complete Book of Science for grades 5 to 6 teaches children important science skills! Children complete a variety of exercises that help them develop a number of skills in this 352 page workbook. Including a complete answer key this workbook features a user-friendly format perfect for browsing, research, and review. Over 4 million in print! The best-selling Complete Book series offers a full complement of instruction, activities, and information about a single topic or subject area. Containing over 30 titles and encompassing preschool to grade 8 this series helps children succeed in every subject area! ...
	Magic School Bus Journey into the Human Body Science Kit by Young Scientist Club The Magic School Bus and Ms. Frizzle take Young Scientists on a wild ride into the human body with these breathtaking experiments. Young Scientists bend bones, make joints, map taste buds, expand lungs, build a stethoscope, measure lung capacities and heart rates, perform the iodine starch test, spin glitter, simulate synovial fluid, create a human body poster, and much, much more! This exciting kit includes a life-size poster with eight sheets of body part stickers. So put on your seat belts, students, and get ready to discover The Human Body!
	Scientific Explorer's Glow in the Dark Fun Lab Science Kit by Scientific Explorer You will love setting up your own Glow in the Dark Fun Lab. Create a light wand, make your own glow stick, and even generate a human-powered light.
	What Is the World Made Of? All About Solids, Liquids, and Gases (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 2) by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld (Author), Paul Meisel (Author) Did you ever walk through a wall? Drink a glass of blocks? Have you ever played with a lemonade doll, or put on milk for socks? This latest addition to the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series introduces the youngest readers to an important science concept: the differences between solids, liquids, and gases. Any child who wants to know why he can't walk through a wall will enjoy Kathleen Zoehfeld's simple text and Paul Meisel's playful illustrations.