Precision Nuclear Probes for New Physics
15 July 2022 • Physics 15, 108 Tests of standard models of particle physics using nuclear isotopes are becoming increasingly precise but they have a way to go before they can confirm the existence of new particles. Diana Prado Lopes Aude Craik/Harvard University On the right, ytterbium ions are trapped in a vacuum chamber and examined with a laser, which produces blue light. This test allowed the MIT group to determine the energy levels of each isotope. Diana Prado Lopes Aude Craik/Harvard University On the right, ytterbium ions are trapped in a vacuum chamber and examined with a laser, which produces blue light. This test allowed the MIT group to determine the energy levels of each isotope. × Traditionally, to find new fundamental particles, physicists have used pulverizers, smashed high-energy particles, and surveyed the wreckage. But in recent years, the search for low-energy nuclear has emerged as a more refined path to particle discovery. Two new studies hint at thei