Particles Larger Than Galaxies Fill the Universe?

National Geographic News ^ | June 2, 2009 | Charles Q. Choi

[SunkenCiv]

The oldest of the subatomic particles called neutrinos might each encompass a space larger than thousands of galaxies, new simulations suggest... According to quantum mechanics, the "size" of a particle such as a neutrino is defined by a fuzzy range of possible locations. We can only detect these particles when they interact with something such as an atom, which collapses that range into a single point in space and time. For neutrinos created recently, the ranges they can exist in are very, very small. But over the roughly 13.7-billion-year lifetime of the cosmos, "relic" neutrinos have been stretched out by the expansion of the universe, enlarging the range in which each neutrino can exist. "We're talking maybe up to roughly ten billion light-years" for each neutrino, said study co-author George Fuller of the University of California, San Diego. "That's nearly on the order of the size of the observable universe."

[SunkenCiv]

Every day billions of subatomic particles called neutrinos are streaming at Earth from the sun. But these particles have no charge, very tiny masses, and move near the speed of light, making them especially hard to detect (above, a diver services a tank of water in Michigan used to detect neutrinos).

In May 2009 astronomers trying to measure neutrino masses found that the oldest known neutrinos might have been stretched by the expansion of the universe so that each particle encompasses a space larger than thousands of galaxies.

Photograph by Joe Stancampiano/NGS

[SunkenCiv]

How many angels on the head of a pin ping.

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· Google ·

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[dirtboy]

Particles Larger Than Galaxies Fill the Universe?

Hence coined MichaelMoorinos

[bvw]

Cool. Not that it’s correct, but it is interesting new way of re-framing the thought process.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Wonder if there are other particles this fat, and if those would account for the so called “dark matter” being currently talked about.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

What is the mass of such a 10B light year sized neutrino?
Is it different than the mass of a previously detected, very tiny mass neutrino?
If so, what effect does this have on the equations being used by astronomers looking for all that Dark Matter?

[SunkenCiv]

That’s the raison d’, raison d’, uh, that’s what they’re trying to get at. ;’)

[SunkenCiv]

LOL!

[SunkenCiv]

/bingo

[SunkenCiv]

Neutrinos have a lot of jobs to do in the Standard Model. ;’)

[dfwgator]

Pinto: Okay. That means that...our whole solar system...could be, like...one tiny atom in the fingernail of some other giant being....This is too much!

That means...one tiny atom in my fingernail could be—

Jennings: Could be one little...tiny universe.

Pinto: Could I buy some pot from you?

[TomOnTheRun]

Fascinating. Simply fascinating. Many many thanks for sharing this.

[exist]

Cool article thx for posting.

[TomOnTheRun]

There is a string theory list? Nifty!

Must go see if there are quantum brain/consciousness lists now =)

[SunkenCiv]

Why Pinto?

Why not?!?

;’)

[SunkenCiv]

My pleasure.

[SunkenCiv]

My pleasure.

[SunkenCiv]

If there isn’t, let me be the first to say, I ain’t doin’ one. ;’)

[dfwgator]

You do know why he was called Pinto, right?

[Darksheare]

Ping: Story fodder.