The first ever edition of The Digest
My name is Tim, but you already knew that. Welcome to my publication. I am so glad you’re here.
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Each newsletter will consist of the week’s most important stories. Every story is going to expand your mind, teach you something valuable, add to your curiosity and help you improve your finances, relationships, health and understanding.
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The Katrin Experiment
Our understanding of the laws of nature is largely based on The Standard Model of particle physics. Developed in the 1960’s, the standard model has answered some of the most complex and intriguing questions about our existence and our place in nature.
But the standard model has some gaping holes in it.
For instance, the standard model can’t explain the existence of dark matter and dark energy. Furthermore, the standard model can’t explain “why we are here.”
After the big bang, matter and anti matter were created in equal amounts. But because they are oppositely charged, matter and antimatter annihilate each other. The standard model shows that the matter and antimatter in the universe “should have” converted right back into energy. But yet, the universe is full of matter.
Why? The standard model is flawed.
Yet the problem with the standard model is how “successful” it has been. The standard model continues to prove valid in experiments over and over again. So we know the standard model is accurate, but we know it is inaccurate. What’s happening here?
These questions ultimately lead us to the grand daddy of all questions. What is the origin of the universe?
The Katrin Experiment is the latest attempt to try and understand these inaccuracies behind the standard model. Let’s get more specific.
The KArlsruhe TRItium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment, which is presently being assembled at Tritium Laboratory Karlsruhe on the KIT Campus North site, will investigate the most important open issue in neutrino physics:
What is the absolute mass scale of neutrinos?
Neutrinos probably are the most fascinating species of elementary particles. The "ghost particle of the Universe" is a key to open issues in science on many scales, linking the microcosm of elementary particles to the largest structures in the Universe.
Neutrinos are the lightest particles in the Universe. Their tiny mass is a clear indication for physics beyond the standard model of elementary particle physics. On the largest scales, neutrinos act as "cosmic architects" and take part in shaping the visible structures in the Universe, as they influence the formation and the distribution of galaxies.
But Why Are Neutrinos So Important?
A neutrino’s mass is a tiny fraction of an electron’s. Why is it so light? That’s mysterious. The standard model initially predicted that neutrinos have no mass at all. But measurements indicate that the particles must have mass, though how much is still a question. Neutrinos barely interact with matter and are incredibly numerous: Billions of neutrinos sail through your thumbnail each second. These particles are so quirky that scientists want to know more.
Ultimately, this experiment (and other’s like it) will bring us a few steps closer to understanding the grand unification theory, which brings us back to the plank era (or the first fraction of a second after the big bang) when all four fundamental forces combined together as one unified force.
If we can figure that out, we can figure out an accurate model of the universe.
Truly incredible.
P.S. - Here’s a video I watch sometimes when I need perspective.