Particle Accelerator and Fundamental Forces
3.09
Particle Accelerator & Fundamental Forces
1. Answer the following:
a. Describe the structure of the Large Hadron Collider and what it does.
The Large Hadron Collider is a 27km long ring-shaped tunnel that is made mostly of superconducting magnets that sit 100m underground. The Large Hadron Collider accelerates particles. There are two beams of particles involved in the process called ‘hadrons.’ They will be sent speeding around the ring traveling at just about the speed of light and at very high energies. The main purpose of this machine was to discover the Higgs boson.
b. Are the scientists observing the Higgs Boson directly or indirectly? Provide at least one detail to support your answer.
Scientists were observing the Higgs Boson indirectly. “Physicists could not hope, however, to see the Higgs boson directly, as it decays into other particles immediately,” with this evidence from the article, “The Higgs boson: a massive discovery” by Rachel Thomas[->0] it is proven that the scientists were observing indirectly.
c. In your opinion, is the new particle the Higgs Boson or some new unexpected particle? Provide at least one detail to support your answer.
I believe that the new particle is a new unexpected particle. I have the opinion of the new particle because although it is likely that ATLAS made a mistake there is also reasonable doubt that it is in fact a new particle that has excess photons produced. If you have a reasonable doubt, never doubt the possibility.
2. Complete the following table:
Fundamental Force |Description|
A. Weak Force|Very weak and it has an extremely short range. It is responsible for radioactive decay and neutrino interactions.|
B. Strong Interaction |Strong, but very short-ranged and is responsible for holding the nuclei of atoms together. Sometimes can be effectively repulsive in some circumstances|
C. Gravitational Force |Weak, but very
Particle Accelerator & Fundamental Forces
1. Answer the following:
a. Describe the structure of the Large Hadron Collider and what it does.
The Large Hadron Collider is a 27km long ring-shaped tunnel that is made mostly of superconducting magnets that sit 100m underground. The Large Hadron Collider accelerates particles. There are two beams of particles involved in the process called ‘hadrons.’ They will be sent speeding around the ring traveling at just about the speed of light and at very high energies. The main purpose of this machine was to discover the Higgs boson.
b. Are the scientists observing the Higgs Boson directly or indirectly? Provide at least one detail to support your answer.
Scientists were observing the Higgs Boson indirectly. “Physicists could not hope, however, to see the Higgs boson directly, as it decays into other particles immediately,” with this evidence from the article, “The Higgs boson: a massive discovery” by Rachel Thomas[->0] it is proven that the scientists were observing indirectly.
c. In your opinion, is the new particle the Higgs Boson or some new unexpected particle? Provide at least one detail to support your answer.
I believe that the new particle is a new unexpected particle. I have the opinion of the new particle because although it is likely that ATLAS made a mistake there is also reasonable doubt that it is in fact a new particle that has excess photons produced. If you have a reasonable doubt, never doubt the possibility.
2. Complete the following table:
Fundamental Force |Description|
A. Weak Force|Very weak and it has an extremely short range. It is responsible for radioactive decay and neutrino interactions.|
B. Strong Interaction |Strong, but very short-ranged and is responsible for holding the nuclei of atoms together. Sometimes can be effectively repulsive in some circumstances|
C. Gravitational Force |Weak, but very