SEARCH · Searcharxiv

Results for “physics.pop-ph”

Search indexed arXiv papers on artificial intelligence, large language models, computer vision and robotics. Read source abstracts and follow links to arXiv.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

arXiv2013

Higgs Boson -- on Your Own

One of the highlights of 2012 in physics is related to two papers, published by the ATLAS and the CMS Collaborations, that announced the discovery of at least one new particle in pp collisions at CERN LHC. At least one of the properties of this new particle is found to be similar to that of the Higgs boson, the last and most difficult to find building block from the Standard Model of particle physics. Physics teachers are frequently approached by their media-educated students, who inquire about the properties of the Higgs boson, but physics teachers are rarely trained to teach this elusive aspect of particle physics in elementary, middle or junior high schools. In this paper I describe a card-game, that can be considered as a hands-on and easily accessible tool that allows interested teachers, students and also motivated lay-persons to play with the properties of the newly found Higgs-like particle. This new particle was detected through its decays to directly observable, final state particles. Many of these final state particles are represented in a deck of cards, that represent elementary particles, originally invented to popularize the physics of quark matter in the so-called Quark Matter Card Games. The Higgs decay properties can be utilized, playfully, in a Higgs boson search card game. The rules of this game illustrate also the need for some luck, to complement knowledge and memory, useful skills that this game also helps to develop. The paper is organized as a handout or booklet, that directly describes how to play the Higgs boson on Your Own card game.

physics.pop-ph↗

arXiv2013

Memory of Quark Matter Card Game

Scientists at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC, BNL) recently discovered, that the hottest known form of matter is not a gas, but acts like a fluid. Furthermore, this fluid of quarks expands and flows much more perfectly than water or any other well known fluid. This aspect of the RHIC discovery can be introduced even to primary levels of physics education, noting that the usual solid to liquid to gas sequence of phase transitions now are known to be followed by a transition to a nearly perfect fluid, a liquid of quarks, at the largest temperatures made by humans. The educational games described herein were invented by middle school students, members of a Science Club in Hungary. The games were invented for their entertainment, the educational applications in teaching high energy particle and nuclear physics to laypersons are quite unexpected but most welcomed. This manuscript describes games with a deck of cards called Quark Matter cards, where each card represents an elementary particle. The games include an important contribution by Angela Melocoton, an administrator of the Guests, Users and Visitors (GUV) Center at BNL. It describes in simple terms, how to play the Memory of Quark Matter style card games.

physics.pop-ph↗

arXiv2013

Conspiratorial cosmology - the case against the Universe

Based on the cosmological results of the Planck Mission, we show that all parameters describing our Universe within the ΛCDM model can be constructed from a small set of numbers known from conspiracy theory. Our finding is confirmed by recent data from high energy particle physics. This clearly demonstrates that our Universe is a plot initiated by an unknown interest group or lodge. We analyse possible scenarios for this conspiracy, and conclude that the belief in the existence of our Universe is an illusion, as previously assumed by ancient philosophers, 20th century science fiction authors and contemporary film makers.

physics.pop-ph↗

arXiv2013

"Winter is coming"

Those that do not sow care little about such mundane things as equinoxes or planting seasons, or even crop rotation for that matter. Wherever and whenever the reavers reave, the mood is always foul and the nights are never warm or pleasant. For the rest of the good folks of Westeros, however, a decent grasp of the long-term weather forecast is a necessity. Many a maester have tried to play the Game of Weather Patterns and foretell when to plant those last turnip seeds, hoping for a few more years of balmy respite. Tried and failed. For other than the somewhat vague (if not outright meaningless) omens of "Winter is Coming", their meteorological efforts have been worse than useless. To right that appalling wrong, here we attempt to explain the apparently erratic seasonal changes in the world of G.R.R.M. A natural explanation for such phenomena is the unique behavior of a circumbinary planet. Thus, by speculating that the planet under scrutiny is orbiting a pair of stars, we utilize the power of numerical three-body dynamics to predict that, unfortunately, it is not possible to predict either the length, or the severity of any coming winter. We conclude that, alas, the Maesters were right -- one can only throw their hands in the air in frustration and, defeated by non-analytic solutions, mumble "Coming winter? May be long and nasty (~850 days, T<268K) or may be short and sweet (~600 days, T~273K). Who knows..."

physics.pop-ph↗

arXiv2013

Some Considerations on Neutrinos and on the Measurement of their Velocity

In this report are recalled in a simple form some of the main concepts about neutrinos, starting from their discovery and classifying them in the Standard Model of the Microcosm. Then are presented the main natural sources of neutrinos, emphasizing the enormous number of neutrinos in the Universe. Some information on neutrinos produced by nuclear reactors and by particle accelerators are then considered. In the second part is discussed the neutrino beam sent from CERN to Gran Sasso and the measurement of their velocity performed by the OPERA experiment, underlying some errors made, their corrections, and the final results, which represent precision measurements.

physics.pop-ph↗

arXiv2013

Hesiod's calendar and the star Spica

In Hesiod's calendar, circa 8th century BCE, the harvest times of cereals were indicated by the heliacal rising of Pleiades (harvest) and by that of Orion (thresh). We tried to verify which risings and settings of the brightest stars could have been used as indicators in the previous millennia, taking into account the precession and the dependence of the heliacal dates on the latitude. In the second half of the 9th millennium BCE there was essentially one bright star that could have been used both for the harvest (heliacal setting of the star) and for the thresh (heliacal rising of the star): Spica, i.e. ear (in Latin) of cereals. According to archaeologists, the domestication of barley and wheat occurred in Near East at the end of the 9th millennium BCE. Given the importance of the bright stars and asterisms for ancient farming activities, we have therefore proposed that the identification of the star alpha Virginis with an ear should date back to the beginning of Neolithic, possibly well before the identification of the constellation (Virgo) with a maiden.

physics.pop-ph↗

arXiv2014

The Higgs Particle: what is it, and why did it lead to a Nobel Prize in Physics?

Back in 1964, the theoretical physicists Francois Englert and Robert Brout, as well as Peter Higgs, suggested an explanation for the fact that most elementary particles - such as the electron - have a mass. This scenario predicted a new particle, which has been observed experimentally only just now at CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research). This discovery led to the Physics Nobel Prize 2013. Here we sketch in simple terms the concept of the Higgs mechanism, and its importance in particle physics.

physics.pop-ph↗

arXiv2013

Fluids in motion: Contemporary artScience- inspiration and realization

I examine contemporary work in fluids in motion to demonstrate strong connections between art, science and technology. In one burgeoning domain, falling liquid drops impacting solid substrates or pools it is valuable to compare how artists and scientists describe their goals and their use of high speed digital photography to capture and measure events. I also examine the use of devices beyond paint brushes to create pictures and views, including installations and projections from computer simulations. In particular, Ned Kahn whose installations in the public domain show various fluids in motion - water, sand, fog, fire as turbulent boundary layers, vortex rings, whirlpools, waterfalls, etc. Finally, I examine aspects of the role of digital technology and its utilization by artists, museums and galleries for innovative displays.

physics.pop-ph↗

arXiv2013

A Thousand Problems in Cosmology. Chapter 4: Black holes

The fourth chapter of the collection of problems in cosmology, devoted to black holes. Consists of basic introduction, sections on Schwarzschild and Kerr black holes, a section on particles' motion and collisions in general black hole space-times, and the astrophysical part. This version contains only formulations of 137 problems. The full collection, with solutions included, is available in the form of a wiki-based resource at www.universeinproblems.com. The cosmological community is welcome to contribute to its development.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2013

A note on the electrostatic energy of two point charges

The electrostatic field energy due to two fixed pointlike charges shows some peculiar features concerning the distribution in space of the field energy density of the system. Here we discuss the evaluation of the field energy and the mathematical details that lead to those peculiar and non-intuitive physical features.

physics.pop-ph↗

arXiv2013

Near Earth Asteroids:The Celestial Chariots

In this paper we put forward a proposal to use Near Earth Objects as radiation shield for deep space exploration. In principle these objects can provide also a spacious habitat for the astronauts and their supplies on their journeys. We undertake also a detailed assessment of this proposal for a mission from Earth to Mars.

physics.pop-ph↗

arXiv2013

The Paraná Ra'anga expedition

Paraná Ra'anga (the image of Paraná, in Guaraní) is the name of a cultural and scientific expedition that traveled the rivers: Río de la Plata, Paraná and Paraguay, from Buenos Aires to Asunción, during March 2010. The project brought together some forty scientists and artists from three countries in a slow and enriching cruise, putting in active contact actors from different backgrounds and disciplines -which usually run separately- in the framework of an unusual space-time experience. The project recovers the historical tradition of the trip as an instrument of knowledge and collaboration between the arts and sciences, necessary to build new ways of seeing and understanding the river and its banks. This article reports on the motivations of this project and its projection.

physics.pop-ph↗

arXiv2013

How to Demonstrate the Voltage on a charged object in Physics Laboratory

Common Objects like a comb or a pen get charged when rubbed against something like human hair or garment clothing. Charged objects exhibit noticeable attractive or repulsive force lifting small pieces of paper or pushing/pulling a suspended light object charged with the same/opposite(uncharged) polarity respectively. This indicates the strong electrical nature of charged objects. Flashes due to spark between oppositely charged objects can be seen in total darkness. Implying a large potential difference between these charged objects which is not possible at lower voltages. This article describes a method to measure the voltage on commonly charged objects with respect to earth using simple instrumentation based on capacitors and CMOS voltmeter. Once the potential difference is known the average charge on the object can be calculated as well. The article also suggests a simple femto-farad capacitance meter for electrostatics work.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2013

Geometrie und Astronomie im Stadtplan des hethitischen Sarissa

The Hittite city Sarissa was founded in the 16th century BC and has been systematically constructed. The city gates and the bigger public buildings were arranged at about 45° relative to the cardinal directions. However, one of the temples features a remarkable deviation from this general orientation. The following analysis shows that both, the general orientation of the public buildings and the deviation of one of the temples are related to astronomical observations, particularly to the course of the sun, and maybe also to some special points of the course of the Venus.

physics.hist-ph↗

arXiv2013

Prehistoric sanctuaries in Daunia

Daunia is a region in northern Apulia with many interesting archaeological sites, particularly of the Neolithic and Bronze Age. Beginning from the fifth millennium BC, the farmers living in the wide plain of Daunia dug hypogea and holes in sites that could be considered prehistoric sanctuaries. The characteristics of the rows of holes indicate a ritual use, and the archaeologists tend to exclude other applications, such as post holes and cultivations. The rows have possibly an astronomical orientation, and in the sanctuary discovered near Ordona, some stars of the Centaurus-Crux group (may be alpha Centauri itself) could have been used as targets. In past centuries, astronomers and scholars have remarked this spectacular region of the sky, and its possible relevance for the ancient civilizations was pointed out for example by G.V. Schiaparelli in 1903. In his work on the astronomy in the Old Testament, he mentioned in particular the observations of the astronomer W.S. Jacob and of other scholars. It would be probably worth to make simulations in order to reproduce the 'Jacob effect', that is the diffused light (a sort of faint twilight) produced by such very rich stellar region of the sky.

physics.hist-ph↗

arXiv2013

Zeitreisen: Gravitation trifft Quantenphysik (Time Travel: Gravity Meets Quantum Physics)

An introduction is given to discussions on the possiblity of fabricating spacetime geometries allowing time-travel scenarios with the help of matter possessing typically quantum features. Those scenarios are considered in the framework of quantum field theory and general relativity. Results established in the literature excluding the possibility of time-travel are presented.

physics.pop-ph↗

arXiv2013

Majorana, Pauling and the quantum theory of the chemical bond

We discuss in detail very little known results obtained by Majorana as early as 1931, regarding the quantum theory of the chemical bond in homopolar molecules, based on the key concept of exchange interaction. After a brief historical overview of the quantum homopolar valence theory, we address the intriguing issues of the formation of the helium molecular ion, He2+, and of the accurate description of the hydrogen molecule, H2. For the first case, the group theory-inspired approach used by Majorana is contrasted with that more known followed by Pauling (and published few months after that of Majorana), while for the second case we focus on his proposal concerning the possible existence of ionic structures in homopolar compounds, just as in the hydrogen molecule. The novelty and relevance of Majorana's results in the modern research on molecular and chemical physics is emphasized as well.

physics.hist-ph↗

arXiv2013

Estimation of solar zenith passage on the Earth's surface by a simple harmonic motion

The kinematics of the Solar zenith passage on the Earth was shown as a simple harmonic motion. This analytical model used the uniform circular motion to describe the Earth's rotation relative to its axis and relative to the Sun, also this model considered the sunlight beams parallel and constant the obliquity of the ecliptic. We made a contrast between some data taken from of the software Stellarium 0.12.1 and the model, we obtained an uncertainty $Δt=1d$; this result allow to project the model as an astronomical context conducive to develop the kinematics of simple harmonic motion.

physics.pop-ph↗