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Particle physics

From the Standard Model to the Large Hadron Collider and from quantum physics to the Higgs boson, read about the latest discoveries in particle physics here.

Related topics: The Big Bang theory, Black holes, Dark matter

Latest Updates

'Ant-Man' star Paul Rudd quizzes NASA expert on quantum science

By Robert Lea published 30 March 23

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania star Paul Rudd can’t get enough of the quantum realm. Rudd took to YouTube to ask a NASA quantum physicist some big questions.

a series of ripples on a blue grid background

Faint gravitational waves may be from primordial fractures in space-time

By Paul Sutter published 15 March 23

The early universe may have been such a violent place that space-time itself fractured like a pane of glass, releasing gravitational waves that astronomers say we may have already detected.

Dark energy could lead to a second (and third, and fourth) Big Bang, new research suggests

By Paul Sutter published 7 March 23

Scientists have proposed a way that the universe could stop expanding, ending in a 'Big Crunch' that resets space and time as we know it.

X-rays reveal how 450-year-old Tycho supernova became a giant cosmic particle accelerator

By Sharmila Kuthunur published 6 March 23

In new research, astronomers have mapped the magnetic field in the historic Tycho supernova remnant that accelerates charged particles close to the speed of light.

A photograph of one of Leonardo da Vinci's sketches of experiments to understand gravity.

Leonardo da Vinci's lost sketches show early experiments to understand gravity

By Samantha Mathewson published 18 February 23

Leonardo da Vinci's centuries-old sketches reveal he may have understood key aspects of gravity long before Galileo, Newton and Einstein.

Artist's illustration showing a gluon appearing as a bubble around a quark, holding it together.

What are gluons?

By Keith Cooper published 29 January 23

Reference Discover how gluons bind quarks together to form protons and neutrons and explore the form weird form of matter in which they existed just after the Big Bang.

Neutrinos are leptons and are created during a supernova, here a graphic illustration of a supernova. Bright yellow and white streaks spread out from a central bright white point. Swirls of purple and blue fill the right side of the image and on the left a black backdrop with a handful of bright stars.

Leptons: The elementary particles explained

By Keith Cooper published 20 January 23

Reference Here we look at what leptons are, how they fit in the Standard Model of particle physics, and their importance in atoms and particle decay.

A new particle accelerator at Michigan State University is set to discover thousands of never-before-seen isotopes.

Powerful linear accelerator begins smashing atoms – 2 scientists on the team explain how it could reveal rare forms of matter

By Sean Liddick, Artemis Spyrou published 15 January 23

The accelerator at FRIB started working at low power, but when it finishes ramping up to full strength, it will be the most powerful heavy-ion accelerator on Earth.

Concept art of quantum mechanics, theory of superstrings.

Does consciousness explain quantum mechanics?

By Paul Sutter published 3 January 23

A wild theory suggests that consciousness may explain quantum mechanics, by forcing the subatomic particles to choose one concrete outcome.

Photo of Nobel Prize winner John F. Clauser

Nobody took John F. Clauser's quantum experiments seriously. 50 years later, he's collecting a Nobel Prize.

By Jonas Enander published 28 December 22

John F. Clauser reflects on receiving the 2022 Nobel Prize in physics for the groundbreaking work he did 50 years ago.

This illustration shows the three basic steps astronomers use to calculate how fast the universe expands over time, a value called the Hubble constant. All the steps involve building a strong "cosmic distance ladder," by starting with measuring accurate distances to nearby galaxies and then moving to galaxies farther and farther away. This ladder is a series of measurements of different kinds of astronomical objects with an intrinsic brightness that researchers can use to calculate distances.

How do we know the fundamental constants are constant? We don't.

By Paul Sutter published 27 December 22

Physicists have measured no changes in time or space for any of the fundamental constants of nature.

Scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California briefly ignited nuclear fusion using powerful lasers.

Major breakthrough in pursuit of nuclear fusion unveiled by US scientists

By Tereza Pultarova published 13 December 22

American researchers have achieved a major breakthrough paving the way toward nuclear fusion energy generation, but major hurdles remain.

The mixed time directions of the photon could help physicists probe inside black holes.

'Quantum time flip' makes light move simultaneously forward and backward in time

By Ben Turner published 13 December 22

The time-flipped photon can't be used to restage "Back to the Future," but it could help us figure out some of the universe's most mysterious phenomena.

An illustration of antimatter particles entering the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider.

The Large Hadron Collider reveals how far antimatter can travel through the Milky Way

By Robert Lea published 12 December 22

The antimatter counterparts of light atomic nuclei can travel vast distances through the Milky Way before being absorbed, new findings have revealed.

Graphic illustration of an atomic model with a nucleus containing protons and neutrons and electrons "orbiting" around the nucleus.

Neutrons: Facts about the influential subatomic particles

By Keith Cooper published 4 December 22

Reference Neutral particles lurking in atomic nuclei, neutrons are responsible for nuclear reactions and for creating precious elements.

Breakthrough wormhole simulation may unite quantum physics and general relativity

By Robert Lea published 30 November 22

A quantum experiment has been used to model the dynamics of a wormhole, which could be the key to uniting quantum physics and Einstein's general relativity.

Protons are subatomic particles that form the nucleus of an atom.

Protons: The essential building blocks of atoms

By Keith Cooper published 27 November 22

Reference Protons are ubiquitous in the universe. They are found in the nuclei of all atoms and play a crucial role in how stars shine.

One of the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope filled with stars and galaxies.

Something is wrong with Einstein's theory of gravity

By Kazuya Koyama, Levon Pogosian published 20 November 22

Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity has been remarkably successful in describing the gravity of stars and planets, but it doesn’t seem to apply perfectly on all scales.

Front view of the IceCube Lab at twilight, with a starry sky showing a glimpse of the Milky Way overhead and sunlight lingering on the horizon.

Elusive neutrinos caught streaming from a black hole hidden in dust

By Tereza Pultarova published 3 November 22

A unique observatory buried in pristine Antarctic ice detected a stream of elusive neutrino particles streaming from the center of a distant galaxy obscured with dust.

Quarks are the ultimate building blocks of visible matter.

Quarks: What are they?

By Keith Cooper published 1 November 22

Reference Quarks are elementary particles that are the building blocks of all visible matter in the universe. Explore them in more detail here.