Quantum microscopes to search for new elementary particles and forces
06 December 2024 - 5:30 PM
1300 FRIB Laboratory
Johns Hopkins University & University of Chicago
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Abstract for the public talk: All elementary particles and forces seen in laboratories are described by a mathematical framework known as the Standard Model. However, some cosmological observations show that there also must be new, additional particles and forces. Traditionally, physicists have searched for these using huge accelerators and giant detectors. However, certain types of new particles and forces can be detected in a very different way: the laws of quantum physics dictate that their existence will modify the properties of ordinary matter in subtle but distinctive ways. These tiny effects can be detected with experiments, small enough to fit in a garage, which use methods of ultra-precise quantum measurements to search for particles that cannot be produced even at the Large Hadron Collider. This talk will describe such experiments and the concepts behind them.