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Several pulsar timing array collaborations recently reported evidence of a stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) at nHz frequencies. While the SGWB could originate from the merger of supermassive black holes, it could be a signature of new physics near the 100 MeV scale. Supercooled first-order phase transitions (FOPTs) that end at the 100 MeV scale are intriguing explanations, because they could connect the nHz signal to new physics at the electroweak scale or beyond. Here, however, we provide a clear demonstration that it is not simple to create a nHz signal from a supercooled phase transition, due to two crucial issues that could rule out many proposed supercooled explanations and should be checked. As an example, we use a model based on nonlinearly realized electroweak symmetry that has been cited as evidence for a supercooled explanation.
Dark energy is not limited to outer space, many solid materials around us also contain electrons hidden in dark states.
Until now scientists believed that dark electrons, electrons associated with the quantum state of matter, simply don’t exist in solid materials.
However, a new study from…
Continue reading “Dark electrons discovered in solids in superconductor breakthrough” »
Modern astrophysics has enabled scientists to observe the universe with unprecedented clarity, from exoplanets to entire galaxies.
Despite our galaxy blocking some views, advanced tools like the James Webb Space Telescope and upcoming projects such as the Square Kilometre Array are pushing the boundaries of our cosmic understanding. Visualization techniques help researchers explore the universe in both space and time, revealing phenomena like fast radio bursts. Looking ahead, scientists hope to capture images of distant exoplanets and unravel mysteries such as dark energy and the expansion of the universe.
Observing the universe: from exoplanets to galaxies.
The Dark Energy Camera has captured an image of the dazzling Coma Cluster, named after the hair of Queen Berenice II of Egypt. Not only significant in Greek mythology, this collection of galaxies was also fundamental to the discovery of the existence of dark matter.
In this episode of Cosmology 101, we dive into the concept of an expanding universe. From the first moments of the Big Bang, our cosmos has been stretching in every direction. We explore what this expansion means for us, how we know it’s happening, and the fascinating implications of living in an ever-growing universe.
Join Katie Mack, Perimeter Institute’s Hawking Chair in Cosmology and Science Communication, on an incredible journey through the cosmos in our new series, Cosmology 101.
Continue reading “Expansion of the Universe Explained | Cosmology 101 Episode 1” »
Read the paper published in our journal Symmetry:, which has been viewed many times, authored by Krzysztof Urbanowski (Uniwersytet Zielonogórski)
Estimates of the Higgs and top quark masses, mH≃125.10±0.14 [GeV] and mt≃172.76±0.30[GeV], based on the experimental result place the Standard Model in the region of the metastable vacuum. A consequence of the metastability of the Higgs vacuum is that it should induce the decay of the electroweak vacuum in the early Universe with catastrophic consequences. It may happen that certain universes were lucky enough to survive the time of canonical decay, that is the exponential decay, and live longer. This means that it is reasonable to analyze conditions allowing for that. We analyze the properties of an ensemble of universes with unstable vacua considered as an ensemble of unstable systems from the point of view of the quantum theory of unstable states. We found some symmetry relations for quantities characterizing the metastable state.
For decades, extremal black holes were considered mathematically impossible. A new proof reveals otherwise.
Astronomers have identified the earliest pair of quasars, shining 900 million years post-Big Bang, revealing insights into galaxy mergers and the reionization era of the Universe.
An international team of astronomers, including members from the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU, WPI), has discovered the earliest known pair of quasars using the Subaru Telescope and Gemini North telescope, both situated on Maunakea in Hawai’i. These quasars, powered by actively feeding supermassive black holes, emit intense radiation. This significant discovery will provide insights into the early evolution of the Universe.
About 400 million to 1 billion years after the Big Bang, something, possibly a combination of sources, unleashed enough radiation to strip the electrons from most of the hydrogen atoms, completely altering the nature of the Universe. Quasars are one potential source of the radiation that caused this “reionization” of the Universe. When matter falls into the supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy, the matter heats up and releases radiation in a phenomenon known as a quasar.
Innovative diode laser spectroscopy provides precise monitoring of the color changes in the sweeping laser at each moment, establishing new benchmarks for frequency metrology and practical applications.
Since the laser’s debut in the 1960s, laser spectroscopy has evolved into a crucial technique for investigating the intricate structures and behaviors of atoms and molecules. Advances in laser technology have significantly expanded its potential. Laser spectroscopy primarily consists of two key types: frequency comb-based laser spectroscopy and tunable continuous-wave (CW) laser spectroscopy.
Comb-based laser spectroscopy enables extremely precise frequency measurements, with an accuracy of up to 18 digits. This remarkable precision led to a Nobel Prize in Physics in 2005 and has applications in optical clocks, gravity sensing, and the search for dark matter. Frequency combs also enable high-precision, high-speed broadband spectroscopy because they combine large bandwidth with high spectral resolution.
