Trying to cross the vast expanses of the universe According to opinion of some scientists, distortions of space-time can arise in the universe, which have a sense of space-time tunnels — shortcuts for long-distance spatial travels. Moving by a different … Continue reading
Running coupling of particles when they approach close to each other The strong, electromagnetic and weak interaction are probably just different sides of a common interaction that manifests itself at very high temperatures. The intensity of the interactions is controlled … Continue reading
Moving along the familiar four dimensions of the multidimensional universe… Back in the 20s of the last century, the mathematician Theodor Kaluza and the physicist Oskar Klein noticed that adding another dimension to our four-dimensional space-time makes it possible to … Continue reading
You never know where you find neutrinos and where you lose In the seventies, experiments were carried out to study the weak interaction in the CERN Big European Bubble Chamber (BEBC). The results of measurement of the interaction parameter, called … Continue reading
Looking through thousands of photos using own eyes, no computers By the end of 1972, in the bubble chamber experiment Gargamelle, for the first time it was recorded an event of interaction of a muon neutrino with an electron, in … Continue reading
On the particles flying out of radioactive minerals time to time In 1895, a study of cathode rays led Wilhelm Roentgen to the discovery of X-radiation called by his name later on. At a meeting of the Parisian Academy, Henri … Continue reading
Following the predictions of his own theoretical formulae The Dirac equation for electrons has a solution not only with positive but also with negative energy. There were attempts to interpret the latter as protons, but those had been quickly discarded … Continue reading
On the difference of radio waves from the sound vibrations in the air Light and sound — that is what from time immemorial people imagined like something flying or self-spreading. Following the ancient scholars, in the Renaissance they believed that … Continue reading
On electron orbiting far from the nucleus of an atom The foundation of modern physics of elementary particles was actually laid by Ernest Rutherford, who was one of the disciples of J.J. Thomson. By 1911, on the basis of experiments … Continue reading
On the emission of quanta of light waves — photons In 1905, Albert Einstein proposed a far-reaching generalization of Planck’s hypothesis of discrete radiation and successfully applied it to explain the properties of the photoelectric effect. Initially, these Einstein’s views … Continue reading
About gradual separation from the usual concepts for the future In 1881, the founder of atomic physics J.J. Thomson noticed that the inertial mass of а charged particle should increase as it moves, and introduced the concept of electromagnetic mass … Continue reading
About elusive location of elementary particles After creating the Schrodinger formalism of wave mechanics, there were a problem of the physical interpretation of the theory, then the belief has been gradually formed that formalism gives just probability of finding a … Continue reading
About the close proximity of neutrons and protons After the discovery of protons, it has been suggested that they make up atomic nuclei. However, this assumption proved untenable, since the ratio of a nuclear charge to its mass does not … Continue reading
About dull belief in the symmetry of interactions Almost immediately after the discovery of the left-right (mirror) symmetry breaking in the weak interactions, it has been also experimentally proven the violation of the charge symmetry, i.e., non-invariance under replacement of … Continue reading
How the understanding of asymmetry of the weak interaction was coming Following pions, in 1947 positively charged kaons were discovered, which decay into either two or three pions. These decays are relatively slow as occur due to the weak interaction. … Continue reading
How they hoped that pions are carriers of the strong interaction… For the first three decades of the XX century, the idea had been formed that interaction between electrically charged particles is due to the exchange of quanta of the … Continue reading
Going step by step, from ancient Greece to Europe via the east The Miletus school — Thales and his disciples Anaximander, Anaximenes — is considered to be the first at the beginning of the VI BC. It lasted for about … Continue reading
On the stunning results of elementary particle physics and cosmology Modern knowledge of the microcosm and the cosmos is still far from perfect. For example, we can not describe in detail the strong interactions of elementary particles, or explain the … Continue reading
Creating new technologies in the process of studying the universe In various fields of science, there are many examples where access to new technological levels occurred unintentionally, and began with the daily work and imagination of scientists. Exploration of new … Continue reading
Applying knowledge of the fundamental interactions to the universe At the beginning of the XX century, we were not aware of the existence of great number of galaxies yet, so the universe was identified with our galaxy, called the Milky … Continue reading
On the continuous movement of elementary particle fields in the universe When the quantum theory of the electromagnetic field has been extended to describe the strong and weak interactions, the fields of particles not yet known at that time were … Continue reading