Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

South Pole Detector Could Yield Signs of Extra Dimensions
Northeastern University ^ | 26 Jan 2006 | Newswise

Posted on 02/15/2006 9:30:32 PM PST by Marius3188

Newswise — Researchers at Northeastern University and the University of California, Irvine say that scientists might soon have evidence for extra dimensions and other exotic predictions of string theory. Early results from a neutrino detector at the South Pole, called AMANDA, show that ghostlike particles from space could serve as probes to a world beyond our familiar three dimensions, the research team says.

No more than a dozen high-energy neutrinos have been detected so far. However, the current detection rate and energy range indicate that AMANDA's larger successor, called IceCube, now under construction, could provide the first evidence for string theory and other theories that attempt to build upon our current understanding of the universe.

An article describing this work appears in the current issue of Physical Review Letters. The authors are: Luis Anchordoqui, associate research scientist in the Physics Department at Northeastern University; Haim Goldberg, professor in the Physics Department at Northeastern University; and Jonathan Feng, associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at University of California, Irvine. The evidence, they say, would come from how neutrinos interact with other forms of matter on Earth.

“To find clues to support string theory and other bold, new theories, we need to study how matter interacts at extreme energies,” said Anchordoqui. “Human-made particle accelerators on Earth cannot yet generate these energies, but nature can in the form of the highest-energy neutrinos.”

In recent decades, new theories have developed – such as string theory, extra dimensions and supersymmetry – to bridge the gap between the two most successful theories of the 20th century, general relativity and quantum mechanics. Quantum mechanics describes three of the fundamental forces of nature: electromagnetism, strong forces (binding atomic nuclei) and weak forces (seen in radioactivity). It is, however, incompatible with Einstein's general relativity, the leading description of the fourth force, gravity. Scientists hope to find one unified theory to provide a quantum description of all four forces.

Clues to unification, scientists say, lie at extreme energies. On Earth, human-made particle accelerators have already produced energies at which electromagnetic forces and weak forces are indistinguishable. Scientists have ideas about how the next generation of accelerators will reveal that strong forces are indistinguishable from the weak and electromagnetic at yet higher energies. Yet to probe deeper to see gravity's connection to the other three forces, still higher energies are needed.

Anchordoqui and his colleagues say that extragalactic sources can serve as the ultimate cosmic accelerator, and that neutrinos from these sources smacking into protons can release energies in the realm where the first clues to string theory could be revealed.

Neutrinos are elementary particles similar to electrons, but they are far less massive, have neutral charge, and hardly interact with matter. They are among the most abundant particles in the universe; untold billions pass through our bodies every second. Most of the neutrinos reaching Earth are lower-energy particles from the sun.

AMANDA, funded by the National Science Foundation, attempts to detect neutrinos raining down from above but also coming "up" through the Earth. Neutrinos are so weakly interacting that some can pass through the entire Earth unscathed. The total number of "down" and "up" neutrinos is uncertain; however, barring exotic effects, the relative detection rates are well known.

AMANDA detectors are positioned deep in the Antarctic ice. The NSF-funded IceCube has a similar design, only it has about six times more detectors covering a volume of one cubic kilometer. A neutrino smashing into atoms in the ice will emit a brief, telltale blue light; and using the detectors, scientists can determine the direction where the neutrino came from and its energy.

The key to the work presented here is that the scientists are comparing “down” to “up” detections and looking for discrepancies in the detection rate, evidence of an exotic effect predicted by new theories.

“String theory and other possibilities can distort the relative numbers of ‘down’ and ‘up’ neutrinos,” said Jonathan Feng. “For example, extra dimensions may cause neutrinos to create microscopic black holes, which instantly evaporate and create spectacular showers of particles in the Earth's atmosphere and in the Antarctic ice cap. This increases the number of ‘down’ neutrinos detected. At the same time, the creation of black holes causes ‘up’ neutrinos to be caught in the Earth's crust, reducing the number of 'up' neutrinos. The relative ‘up’ and ‘down’ rates provide evidence for distortions in neutrino properties that are predicted by new theories.”

“The neutrinos accelerated in the cosmos to energies unattainable on Earth can detect the ‘footprint’ of new physics,” said Goldberg. “The ‘body’ responsible for the footprint can then emerge through complementary experiments at the new generation of human-made colliders. On all fronts, it is an exciting era in high-energy physics.”

More information about AMANDA and IceCube is available at the IceCube website, http://www.icecube.wisc.edu.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Unclassified
KEYWORDS: antarctic; antarctica; cosmology; electronneutrino; extradimensions; fourthneutrino; muonneutrino; neutrino; neutrinodetector; neutrinos; physics; science; southpole; sterileneutrino; stringtheory; tauneutrino
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-68 next last
To: Darkwolf377

Good for you! Brag away and let us know when we can read it!


21 posted on 02/15/2006 10:01:47 PM PST by sageb1 (This is the Final Crusade. There are only 2 sides. Pick one.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: Marius3188
Whenever a neutrino detector is set up at the South Pole the grad students can run it. If one is set up on Hawaii it will require direct supervision by the professors.
22 posted on 02/15/2006 10:04:23 PM PST by KarlInOhio (In this year's White House play, Henry VI part II, VP Cheney got the role of Dick the Butcher.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: sageb1

Well, here's how the MSM plans on speaking in 2008 when Hillary gets in the saddle:

Newswise - chercheurs à l'université du nord-est et à l'université de la Californie, parole d'Irvine que les scientifiques pourraient bientôt avoir l'évidence pour des dimensions supplémentaires et d'autres prévisions exotiques de théorie de corde. Les premiers résultats d'un détecteur de neutrino aux Sud Polonais, appelé AMANDA, prouvent que les particules de ghostlike de l'espace pourraient servir de sondes à un monde au delà de nos trois dimensions familières, la équipe de recherche dit.

Pas plus que les neutrinos une douzaine de grande énergie n'ont été détectés jusqu'ici. Cependant, le taux de détection et la gamme courants d'énergie indiquent qu'un plus grand successeur d'AMANDA, appelé IceCube, maintenant en construction, pourrait fournir la première évidence pour la théorie de corde et d'autres théories qui essayent de construire sur notre arrangement courant de l'univers.


23 posted on 02/15/2006 10:05:46 PM PST by Bender2 (Redid my FR Homepage just for ya'll... Now, Vote Republican and vote often!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: RockinRight
The idea of scientists conducting creepy experiments at the South Pole unnerves me. Have we learned nothing from Lovecraft or anime?
24 posted on 02/15/2006 10:13:32 PM PST by B-Chan (Catholic. Monarchist. Texan. Any questions?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Marius3188
If my uncle was female, he COULD give birth to a baby.

Wake me up when they demonstrate the actual event!

25 posted on 02/15/2006 10:15:42 PM PST by Hunble
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Names Ash Housewares

Way over my head. The Science Channel has been showing a really cool program on String Theory. I have watched it four times and I have no clue what they are talking about. Very frustrating because I can usually understand, in a layman's way, this kind of stuff. But string theory? I don't get it.


26 posted on 02/15/2006 10:24:27 PM PST by Hound of the Baskervilles (Liberals are unfit for citizenship in a country that values freedom and courage.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Marius3188

bump


27 posted on 02/15/2006 10:37:00 PM PST by lesser_satan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Bender2
lol! That taxed my memory...5 years of French 30 years ago.

But if Hillary gets in, the white flag will rise above the WH.

28 posted on 02/15/2006 10:40:55 PM PST by sageb1 (This is the Final Crusade. There are only 2 sides. Pick one.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: dangus

Ice cubes are white, what is this dood?


29 posted on 02/15/2006 10:42:47 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Hound of the Baskervilles
Think like a mathematician or a software programmer:

In the C++ programming language, it is easy to define multiple dimensions.

double dimensions[123];

Now once the dimensions have been defined, we can do all sorts of fancy mathematical manipulations to fit any data set presented to us.

Unfortunately, some little child will asks us a dumb and ignorant question: "Mister, what direction is that dimension, and can you point your finger at it?"

Sadly, we can not answer her stupid and ignorant question.

30 posted on 02/15/2006 10:45:44 PM PST by Hunble
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: sageb1
My translation genius will go to the grave with me...
31 posted on 02/15/2006 10:48:49 PM PST by Bender2 (Redid my FR Homepage just for ya'll... Now, Vote Republican and vote often!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: Names Ash Housewares

Bump to see that again.


32 posted on 02/15/2006 10:57:26 PM PST by Steve Van Doorn (*in my best Eric cartman voice* “I love you guys”)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Hound of the Baskervilles
Try looking at it from the view of some of the theosophists.
33 posted on 02/15/2006 10:58:03 PM PST by sageb1 (This is the Final Crusade. There are only 2 sides. Pick one.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Bender2

lmao!


34 posted on 02/15/2006 10:59:07 PM PST by sageb1 (This is the Final Crusade. There are only 2 sides. Pick one.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: AntiGuv; KevinDavis

ping


35 posted on 02/15/2006 11:03:08 PM PST by Wiz (News hyaena providing you news with spice of acid)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Marius3188; Lijahsbubbe; aculeus; dighton; martin_fierro
Early results from a neutrino detector at the South Pole called AMANDA, show...

... varmints everywhere.

36 posted on 02/15/2006 11:03:41 PM PST by Thinkin' Gal (As it was in the days of NO...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hound of the Baskervilles

http://superstringtheory.com/


37 posted on 02/15/2006 11:04:25 PM PST by Thinkin' Gal (As it was in the days of NO...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Marius3188

This article cracks me up. Cutting edge, eh? No mention of slippery dynamics, from here or any where else. Some fine day, the relation will be "kinda configured."


38 posted on 02/15/2006 11:04:57 PM PST by Treader ("When we can't farm the fields- we'll plow the roads...")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hound of the Baskervilles
Here it is in a nutshell:


39 posted on 02/15/2006 11:09:25 PM PST by Cementjungle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: sageb1
Is that English for Riant Mon Âne Au loin?

Oh merde!

40 posted on 02/15/2006 11:12:28 PM PST by Bender2 (Redid my FR Homepage just for ya'll... Now, Vote Republican and vote often!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-68 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson