Neutrinos: The key to unearthing the origin of the universe?

Dec 20, 2022 | News On Japan

Dec 20, 2022 (scotsman.com) - Physicists have proposed that ‘neutrinos’ – one of the most abundant fundamental particles in the universe – could be the origin of all matter in the universe today.

However, despite their abundance, neutrinos are some of the most elusive particles to detect and, after decades of research, physicists still have many questions about their make-up, properties, and role in the universe’s origin.

At the University of Glasgow, research by members of the particle physics group uses data from the most sensitive neutrino detector on Earth, the T2K (Tokai-to-Kamioka) experiment in Japan. The main goal of the T2K experiment is addressing one of the greatest outstanding problems of modern physics, namely that our current models of the composition of the universe have a fundamental gap.

Modern physics observes particles (such as electrons) and antiparticles (like positrons) which form a symmetric pair where each has an identical mass but opposite charge. However, we now know that for every antiparticle there are in fact approximately ten billion particles, meaning the universe has a perfect symmetry with each particle balanced by an antiparticle with identical mass but opposite charge, and an almost perfect asymmetry, due to there being many, many more particles than antiparticles in the universe. This naturally leads to the question: where does this asymmetry stem from?

One way to investigate this phenomenon is through studying neutrinos. These fundamental neutral particles can be created in a state of quantum superposition – for example, the ability to be in multiple states at the same time – wherein they change their state in what is known as ‘neutrino oscillation’. By counting how often this change occurs, it may illuminate the underlying mechanism giving rise to the observed particle/antiparticle asymmetry. ...continue reading

Fire Destroys Historic Arima Inari Shrine

A fire broke out at Arima Inari Shrine near the Arima Onsen hot spring resort area in Kobe on the night of June 9th, destroying multiple buildings and leaving an elderly Shinto priest and his wife with minor injuries.

Japan Ranks Last Among OECD Countries in Sleep

Japan, which records the shortest average sleep duration among OECD countries, is launching new efforts to tackle widespread sleep deprivation, including the opening of specialized sleep disorder departments and programs aimed at improving children's sleep habits through sports and physical activity.

Japan National Team Holds First Training Session in Nashville

Japan's national soccer team arrived in Nashville, Tennessee, on June 8th from Monterrey, Mexico, where it had been conducting a pre-World Cup training camp, and held its first practice session at its base camp for the FIFA World Cup in North America.

Sakurajima Eruption Blankets Kagoshima in Volcanic Ash

A prolonged eruption at Sakurajima on June 7th blanketed parts of Kagoshima City in volcanic ash, turning roads gray and prompting long lines of vehicles seeking car washes after a plume of smoke rose 1,300 meters above the crater.

Japan Lifts Tsunami Advisories After Philippines Quake

A powerful earthquake struck off Mindanao Island in the southern Philippines at 8:38 a.m. (Japan time) on June 8th, generating tsunami waves across parts of the Pacific, causing building collapses and casualties near the epicenter, and prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue tsunami advisories along a wide stretch of Japan's Pacific coastline before lifting all of them at 4:50 p.m.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Sci-Tech NEWS

Diabetes Drug Mounjaro Resold as Weight-Loss Injection Despite Health Risks

Three people in their 20s and 30s living in Osaka Prefecture and other areas were referred to prosecutors on June 2nd for allegedly illegally selling and transferring the type 2 diabetes drug Mounjaro without the required authorization, as concerns grow over the drug's popularity as a weight-loss treatment and the health risks associated with its misuse.

Akita Hot Spring Turns Rice Husks Into Fuel

A hot spring lodging facility in Akita Prefecture has introduced a biomass boiler that uses rice husks and buckwheat hulls as fuel, reducing reliance on expensive kerosene while creating a new use for agricultural waste.

Japan to Replace Up to Five Nuclear Reactors by 2040s

The Japanese government has unveiled a draft target to replace between two and five nuclear reactors by the 2040s, marking the first time numerical goals for nuclear power development have been presented since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster 15 years ago.

Japan's Rare Earths Island

The video explains how a tiny, remote Japanese island called Minami Torishima (Marcus Island) could become one of the most strategically important locations in the world due to enormous deposits of rare earth elements buried in deep-sea mud beneath the Pacific Ocean.

Fukushima Solar Plant Glare Lasts Up to 53 Minutes, Far Exceeding Forecasts

A large solar power facility built on a mountainside in Fukushima City is generating reflected sunlight for far longer than originally projected, with a city survey finding that glare at some locations lasted up to 53 minutes per day—more than ten times the maximum duration predicted by the operator.

Companies Flock to Japan’s Major Space Business Expo

Japan’s largest space business exhibition opened at Tokyo Big Sight on May 27th, showcasing a growing wave of companies from outside the traditional aerospace sector entering the rapidly expanding space industry.

Shizuoka Enters Final Stage of Linear Shinkansen Debate

JR Tokai held its first-ever resident briefing session in Shizuoka City on May 26th regarding construction of the Linear Chuo Shinkansen, outlining measures for water resource management and environmental conservation as the company seeks to gain local support ahead of the start of construction in Shizuoka Prefecture.

Mysterious Crab Dance Returns to Wakayama Shoreline

A seasonal spectacle has begun on the Miwasaki coast in Shingu, Wakayama Prefecture, where tiny male chigogani crabs are emerging from their burrows at low tide and rhythmically waving their claws in a movement resembling a dance.

< 2 3 4 5 >