Physicist working in the LHC laboratory: CERN scientists created the culprit of serious scientific and global problems 15MAX

So it is not surprising that S. Goldfarb, who is often gifted, also talks about the importance of basic science, which at first glance is incredibly far from people, at the Login conference, which will take place in Vilnius. September 24-25.

However, it is expected that a guest working in Switzerland will probably not come to Vilnius from Canada; Due to the epidemiological situation not yet very stable, its delivery is expected to take place remotely.

Meanwhile, the benefits to humanity of the 27-kilometer ring accelerator, the solution to the importance of the Universe, which means the discovery of the Higgs boson for ordinary people, the discovery of CERN, which owns the LHC accelerator, has threatened science around the world, and Goldfarb agreed to anticipate other science-related stuff 15 minutes and for people for whom thoughts about fundamental physics may not be very mundane.

– As I understand it, the ATLAS sensor team contributes to the search for dark matter. And although scientists are not normally expected to do so, it is very human to have an opinion and a bias. Therefore, I would very much like to ask your personal opinion what is that dark matter? Some really existing, very difficult to find, and weakly interacting particle that will ever be discovered, or just some error in astronomical, physical, or mathematical calculations?

– The large hadron accelerator is a 27 kilometer ring with superconducting magnets, through which two beams of protons are emitted in opposite directions, meeting (the rays fly directly into each other) at four accelerator locations. ATLAS is one of four sensors designed around the location of a beam collision to record the outcome of those collisions. This is the general purpose of the sensor and you will have noticed quite accurately that one of the fundamental questions we hope to answer is the composition of dark matter.

For my personal opinion and 5 Swiss francs, you can buy a cup of coffee in Geneva. In other words, my personal opinion is useless. However, our fellow astronomers have made amazing observations that clearly show that dark matter exists, even by mapping it. Vera Rubin is one of the many female scientists to be awarded the Nobel Prize. She measured the speed distribution of stars in galaxies and concluded that we only see 15 percent. masses in each galaxy. She called the missing mass dark matter, a term previously used by Fritz Zwicky and other scientists.

I value my opinion very modestly. But dark matter is probably one particle or a few different particles that we haven’t been able to discover directly so far. But one day we will make it through and our grandchildren will call us fools for not being able to discover for so long and make fun of the name “dark matter.” This is the most wonderful part of science. Personally, I don’t think this is a consequence of a computational error because we see that it affects the rotation of the stars and skews their light. I’m sure this is something that has mass. Although he would be just as happy if we found out he was wrong.

– I guess the most annoying question you hear from journalists is “what is the application of fundamental physics and its latest discoveries”, such as the benefits of the Higgs boson or other elementary particles. But it seems to me that this is the most important issue. So can scientists working at the LHC Accelerator Group see at least a hint of something we can read about in science fiction books today (or something that even fiction writers lack to invent fantasy)?

– This great question has been asked by my favorite journalist of all time, Leslie Stahl, who runs the 60-minute program: “ It has been four years since the discovery of the Higgs boson, and what have we gotten from it? These are the questions your profession should ask. . The only problem is that you and Mrs. Stahl are not asking that person a question. I should ask my pro-great-grandchildren.

The research we do is essential. We are trying to understand the very basis of our Universe. What are the elements that make up the Universe and what rules govern the interactions of those elements? We have come a long way to answer these questions, but we probably have to go much further.

At one point, it seemed that the discovery of an electron didn’t make any sense. And now our lives are completely dependent on electrical grids. It has only been a century since the science of particle physics began to take shape, but our research has already provided the world with PET (positron emission tomography), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging equipment), proton therapy, touch screens, the World Wide Web. I challenge you to name at least one technology that has no roots in our field of science.

For the last eight years since the discovery of the Higgs boson, we have focused on measuring the properties of this particle. We have already measured their interactions with W and Z bosons, apical and deep quarks, leptons. Just a few weeks ago, the ATLAS and CMS sensors provided evidence that Higgs bosons also interact directly with muons. We can safely say that the interaction with all these particles is exactly the same as that predicted in 1964. It was probably the most impressive forecast I have ever seen in my entire life, clearly demonstrating that our species is capable of creating not only disasters but also works. very impressive. It gives me hope.

I have already written three paragraphs and haven’t really answered the question so far. We don’t see anything that goes beyond our previous predictions. I think it is a positive thing as it shows incredible progress in understanding the environment around us. I would contrast this perception with this Newtonian apple, only it is much more complicated and compulsive. There is a field absolutely everywhere in the Universe. It appeared microseconds after the Big Bang. The mass of a fundamental particle (a particle that has no structure, components, or volume) is a measure of how that particle interacts with that field. It is unhealthy for health. If someone asks me, it would be more difficult than science fiction.