1) Black hole factories
G. Landsberg
Physical Review Letters (Print issue: May 6, 2002)
If the scale of quantum gravity is near a TeV (teraelectronvolt), the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will be producing one black hole about every second, thus qualifying as a black hole factory. These rapidly evaporating black holes may produce new, undiscovered particles. The author claims that, as an example, the Higgs boson could potentially be found on the LHC’s first day of operation, even with incomplete detectors.
Journal article: http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v88/e181801
2) Soldering superconductors
Prikhna, et al.
arXiv preprint server/To be presented at CIMTEC 2002
High-temperature YBCO (Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide) superconductors find application in electromotors, flywheels and frictionless bearings among other devices. However, existing technologies only allow high-quality parts to be grown to about 40-60 mm. A new soldering technique using a TmBCO (Thulium Barium Copper Oxide) powder to join the gap between two superconducting pieces of YBCO has been shown to preserve and even enhance the superconductivity.
Preprint: http://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0204364
3) Why the setting sun looks flat
Z. Neda, S. Volkan
arXiv preprint server
As the sun or full moon rises or sets, it seems to be flattened rather than round. Some calculations of the effect, due to refraction of light rays through the atmosphere, show that it is greater at low temperatures or high altitudes. Images and movies are available at the accompanying website.
Preprint: http://www.arxiv.org/abs/physics/0204060
Website: http://www.fi.uib.no/~neda/sunset/index.html
4) Atom-molecule coherence in a Bose-Einstein condensate
E. A. Donley, N. R. Claussen, S. T. Thompson, C. E. Wieman
arXiv preprint server
Quantum superposition of atoms and diatomic molecules, chemically different species, have been observed in a Bose-Einstein condensate. Oscillations between atomic and molecular states were excited by sudden changes in an applied magnetic field.
Preprint: http://www.arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0204436
5) Missing neutrinos found
Sudbury Neutrino Observatory
American Physical Society April Meeting
Physicists from the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory have determined “beyond reasonable doubt” that neutrinos have mass, that the three neutrino “flavors” oscillate or change into each other and they have accounted for the all of the neutrinos emitted from the Sun’s core. Electron-type neutrinos are created in the sun’s core during nuclear reactions. As they travel through space, they change into mu and tau neutrinos and by the time they reach the Earth, there are roughly equal numbers of all three flavors. The results put constraints on the possible extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics that will be required to explain observed particle behavior.
Press release:http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/sno/press_release/press_04_02.html
Preprint: http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/sno/results_04_02/NC/
Preprint: http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/sno/results_04_02/DayNight
6) Future of cosmology and particle physics
National Research Council
American Physical Society April Meeting
A report of the National Research Council of the National Academies presents eleven “big questions” facing the boundary of astronomy and physics and makes seven recommendations for addressing them. The questions explore the origin and evolution of the universe, dark matter and energy, and the behavior of matter, light and spacetime in extreme conditions. The report recommends interagency support of projects to answer the questions including large experiments to measure the polarization of the cosmic microwave background, properties of dark matter, neutrino masses, proton lifetime, gravitational waves and cosmic rays.
Press release:
http://www4.nationalacademies.org/news.nsf/isbn/0309074061?OpenDocument
Report: http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10079.html?onpi_newsdoc04212002