Science
The Large Hadron Collider managed to recreate the Big Bang in miniature by breaking lead atoms into even smaller pieces.
The resulting reaction created a temperature millions of times higher than at the center of the Sun, and in the first billionths of a second during the actual Big Bang this temperature did not exist.
As expected, this experiment caused the formation of atomic particles, such as protons and neutrons, which, when melted, created a state of matter that was not previously present on Earth.
Scientists are currently researching these particles in hopes of finding what holds the atoms together, and therefore gives them mass. The “collisions” were triggered by lead ions (atoms with electrons were removed), which were moving at incredible speed in opposite directions in the CERN underground tunnel (European nuclear research organization), located near Geneva.
Experiments have previously been carried out with very heavy particles; they have collided with protons that are 200 times lighter than lead ions, and they traveled at a speed close to the speed of light.
“We are very pleased with the results. We were able to recreate the Big Bang and achieve the highest temperature and density that experiments have not yet achieved,” says Dr. David Evans (David). Evans), a specialist at the University of Birmingham.
“The whole process took place in a safe, controlled environment that generated incredibly hot, high-density cars that were over ten trillion degrees, which is a million times hotter than the temperature at the center of the Sun.” “At these temperatures, even protons and neutrons (which make up atomic nuclei) melt to form a “thick soup” of quarks and gluons known as quark-gluon plasma,” he added.
By analyzing this plasma, physicists hope to learn more about Strong Force, one of nature's four fundamental forces.
It is worth noting that this latest CERN experiment was quite successful despite warnings from a group called Heavy Ion Alert that the experiment could trigger a chain reaction that will lead to catastrophic consequences, as a result of which the Earth will be destroyed. CERN experts were able to prove that the warnings were unfounded.