Astronomy Picture of the Day 8-6-02

NASA ^ | 8-06-02 | Robert Nemiroff and Jerry Bonnell

[petuniasevan]

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2002 August 6

Muon Wobble Possible Door to Supersymmetric Universe
Credit: R. Bowman, g-2 Collaboration, BNL, DOE

Explanation: How fast do fundamental particles wobble? A surprising answer to this seemingly inconsequential question is coming out of Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York, USA and may not only that indicate that the Standard Model of Particle Physics is incomplete but also that our universe is filled with a previously undetected type of fundamental particles. Specifically, the muon, a particle with similarities to a heavy electron, has had its relatively large wobble under scrutiny since 1999 in an experiment known as g-2 (gee-minus-two), pictured above. The result galvanizes other experimental groups around the world to confirm it, and pressures theorists to better understand it. The rate of wobble is sensitive to a strange sea of virtual particles that pop into and out of existence everywhere. The unexpected wobble rate may indicate that this sea houses virtual particles that include nearly invisible supersymmetric counterparts to known particles. If so, a nearly invisible universe of real supersymmetric particles might exist all around us.

[petuniasevan]

Astronomy Fun Fact:

Studies in particle physics have helped us to understand our universe a little bit better.

Particle physics has also contributed to medicine (PET scan, for instance).

Get on the APOD PING list!

[petuniasevan]

APOD PING!

[petuniasevan]

Particle physics PING!

Maybe you can field any questions that arise on this subject? Thanks!

[maxwell]

So lemme get a handle on this, since the links above won't come in, and I ain't had anything to do with particle phys since undergrad modern-- "wobble" refers to oscillation, of nonconstant frequency, resulting from interaction of particle magnetic moment with external B-field?

[Physicist]

Last week's thread:

Studies Suggest Unknown Form of Matter Exists

FR threads from February, 2001, when the result was first announced:

Unexpected New Observation May Advance Physics

Physicists Announce Possible Violation of Standard Model of Particle Physics

I posted a number of explanations to the latter two threads. Of course I'm willing to field any new questions that people have.

[RightWhale]

Virtual particles cause muon wobble.

Filed.

Might be useful later.

[petuniasevan]

Thanks for the links.

I definitely need to brush up on physics! So much new subject matter to learn!