Physicists have definite the existence of a latest form of atomic nuclei, and the fact that it’s not symmetrical challenges the basic theories of physics that explain our space.
But that's not as bad as it sounds, since the discovery could help scientists solve one of the main mysteries in theoretical physics - where is every one the dark matter? - And could also explain why travelling backwards in time might really be impossible.
But that's not as bad as it sounds, since the discovery could help scientists solve one of the main mysteries in theoretical physics - where is every one the dark matter? - And could also explain why travelling backwards in time might really be impossible.
We've found these nuclei factually point towards a direction in space. This relates to a way in time, proving there's a well-defined way in time and we will always tour from past to present," Marcus Scheck from the University of the West of Scotland tell Kenneth MacDonald at BBC News.
So let’s back up here, since to understand this new form of atomic nuclei, you have to get to recognize the old ones first. Until recently, it was recognized that the nuclei of atoms could be one of presently three shapes - spherical, discus, or rugby ball.
These shapes are formed by the sharing of electrical charge within a nucleus, and are dictate by the specific combination of protons and neutrons in a sure type of atom, whether it’s a hydrogen atom, a zinc atom, or a complex isotope shaped in a lab.
The common issue across all 3 shapes is their symmetry, and this marries nicely with a theory in particle physics recognized as CP-Symmetry. CP-symmetry is the combination of 2 symmetries that are thought to live in the Universe: C-Symmtery and P-Symmetry.
C-Symmetry, also known as allege symmetry, states that if you flip an atomic allege to its opposite, the physics of that atom should immobile be the same. So if we take a hydrogen atom & an anti-hydrogen atom and mess with them, both should react in identical ways, even though they have conflicting charges.
P-Symmetry, also recognized as Parity, states that the the spatial coordinates telling a system can be upturned through the point at the origin, so that x, y, and z are replaced with −x, −y, and −z.
"Your left give and your right hand exhibit P-Symmetry from one another: if you point your thumb up and curl your fingers, your left and correct hands mirror one another," Ethan Siegel from It Starts With a Bang explain.
CP-Symmetry is a combination of together of these assumptions. "In particle physics, if you have a particle spinning clockwise and rotting upwards, its antiparticle should spin counterclockwise and decay upwards 100 percent of the time if CP is preserved," says Siegel. "If not, CP is violated.”
The option that the Universe could actually violate both C-Symmetry and CP-Symmetry is one of the conditions that have been future to explain the mystery of antimatter in the Universe. But prove that would mean the Standard Model of Physics needs a grave rethink.
According to the laws of physics, at the time of the Big Bang, equivalent amounts of topic and antimatter had to have been shaped, but now, billions of years later, we’re surrounded by heaps of matter (solid, liquid, gas, and plasma), but there appear to be almost no naturally occurring antimatter.
"This is a puzzling feature, as the theory of relativistic quantum mechanics suggest we should have equal amounts of the 2 mathematician Gianluca Sarri from Queen's University Belfast in the UK writes for The Conversation. "In fact, no present model of physics can explain the inconsistency."
Okay, so back to our atomic nuclei shape. The majority of our fundamental theories of physics are based on symmetry, so when physicists at CERN exposed an asymmetrical pear-shaped nucleus in the isotope Radium-224 back in 2013, it was a bit of a shock, since it showed that nuclei could have more mass at one end than the additional.
Now, three years later, the discover has been confirmed by a second study, which has shown that the nucleus of the isotope Barium-144 is as well asymmetrical and pear-shaped.
"[T]he protons enrich in the bump of the pear and make a specific charge sharing in the nucleus," Scheck told the BBC. "This violates the theory of mirror symmetry and relate to the violation shown in the distribution of substance and antimatter in our space."
While physicists have supposed that Barium-144 has a pear-shaped nucleus for a number of time now, Scheck and his team finally figured out how to straight observe that, and it turns out its bend is even more pronounced than predict.
So what does all of this have to do with time travel? It's a pretty out-there hypothesis, but Scheck says that this uneven distribition of mass and charge causes Barium-144's nucleus to 'point' in a certain direction in spacetime, and this bias could explain why time seems to only want to go from past to present, and not backwards, even if the laws of physics don't care which way it goes.
Of course, there's no way of proving that without further evidence, but the discovery is yet another indication that the Universe might not be as symmetrical as the Standard Model of Physics needs it to be, and proving that could usher us into a whole new era of theoretical physics.
So let’s back up here, since to understand this new form of atomic nuclei, you have to get to recognize the old ones first. Until recently, it was recognized that the nuclei of atoms could be one of presently three shapes - spherical, discus, or rugby ball.
These shapes are formed by the sharing of electrical charge within a nucleus, and are dictate by the specific combination of protons and neutrons in a sure type of atom, whether it’s a hydrogen atom, a zinc atom, or a complex isotope shaped in a lab.
The common issue across all 3 shapes is their symmetry, and this marries nicely with a theory in particle physics recognized as CP-Symmetry. CP-symmetry is the combination of 2 symmetries that are thought to live in the Universe: C-Symmtery and P-Symmetry.
C-Symmetry, also known as allege symmetry, states that if you flip an atomic allege to its opposite, the physics of that atom should immobile be the same. So if we take a hydrogen atom & an anti-hydrogen atom and mess with them, both should react in identical ways, even though they have conflicting charges.
P-Symmetry, also recognized as Parity, states that the the spatial coordinates telling a system can be upturned through the point at the origin, so that x, y, and z are replaced with −x, −y, and −z.
"Your left give and your right hand exhibit P-Symmetry from one another: if you point your thumb up and curl your fingers, your left and correct hands mirror one another," Ethan Siegel from It Starts With a Bang explain.
CP-Symmetry is a combination of together of these assumptions. "In particle physics, if you have a particle spinning clockwise and rotting upwards, its antiparticle should spin counterclockwise and decay upwards 100 percent of the time if CP is preserved," says Siegel. "If not, CP is violated.”
The option that the Universe could actually violate both C-Symmetry and CP-Symmetry is one of the conditions that have been future to explain the mystery of antimatter in the Universe. But prove that would mean the Standard Model of Physics needs a grave rethink.
According to the laws of physics, at the time of the Big Bang, equivalent amounts of topic and antimatter had to have been shaped, but now, billions of years later, we’re surrounded by heaps of matter (solid, liquid, gas, and plasma), but there appear to be almost no naturally occurring antimatter.
"This is a puzzling feature, as the theory of relativistic quantum mechanics suggest we should have equal amounts of the 2 mathematician Gianluca Sarri from Queen's University Belfast in the UK writes for The Conversation. "In fact, no present model of physics can explain the inconsistency."
Okay, so back to our atomic nuclei shape. The majority of our fundamental theories of physics are based on symmetry, so when physicists at CERN exposed an asymmetrical pear-shaped nucleus in the isotope Radium-224 back in 2013, it was a bit of a shock, since it showed that nuclei could have more mass at one end than the additional.
Now, three years later, the discover has been confirmed by a second study, which has shown that the nucleus of the isotope Barium-144 is as well asymmetrical and pear-shaped.
"[T]he protons enrich in the bump of the pear and make a specific charge sharing in the nucleus," Scheck told the BBC. "This violates the theory of mirror symmetry and relate to the violation shown in the distribution of substance and antimatter in our space."
While physicists have supposed that Barium-144 has a pear-shaped nucleus for a number of time now, Scheck and his team finally figured out how to straight observe that, and it turns out its bend is even more pronounced than predict.
So what does all of this have to do with time travel? It's a pretty out-there hypothesis, but Scheck says that this uneven distribition of mass and charge causes Barium-144's nucleus to 'point' in a certain direction in spacetime, and this bias could explain why time seems to only want to go from past to present, and not backwards, even if the laws of physics don't care which way it goes.
Of course, there's no way of proving that without further evidence, but the discovery is yet another indication that the Universe might not be as symmetrical as the Standard Model of Physics needs it to be, and proving that could usher us into a whole new era of theoretical physics.
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