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Minuscule Particles Could Hold Key to Invisible Universes

Posted on: Saturday, 28 January 2006, 09:00 CST

By Ian Johnston, Science Correspondent

EVIDENCE that the universe has extra dimensions may soon be uncovered following the discovery of ghost-like particles that could serve as probes into the unknown.

Researchers at Northeastern and California universities in the US said early results from a detector at the South Pole, called Amanda, had found about a dozen high-energy neutrinos, thought to be the key to proving that invisible universes exist.

They are among the most abundant particles in the universe; untold billions pass through our bodies every second and, because they only barely interact with the physical world we know, some can pass all the way through the Earth.

But they can have an effect: spectacular showers of particles are thought to be caused by neutrinos in the atmosphere creating mini black holes that evaporate almost as soon as they are formed.

Dr Luis Anchordoqui, associate research scientist in the physics department at Northeastern University, said: "To find clues to support string theory and other bold, new theories, we need to study how matter interacts at extreme energies.

"Human-made particle accelerators on Earth cannot yet generate these energies, but nature can in the form of the highest-energy neutrinos."

String theory and ideas that there are extra dimensions have emerged in an attempt 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, which are found in binding atomic nuclei, and weak forces, which are seen in radioactivity.

It is, however, incompatible with Albert Einstein's general relativity, the leading description of the fourth force, gravity.

Professor Jonathan Feng said: "Extra dimensions may cause neutrinos to create microscopic black holes, which evaporate and create spectacular particle showers in the atmosphere and the Antarctic ice cap.

"The neutrinos accelerated in the cosmos to energies unattainable on Earth can detect the 'footprint' of new physics. The 'body' responsible for the footprint can then emerge through complementary experiments at the new generation of human-made colliders. It is an exciting era in high-energy physics."

Source: Scotsman, The

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