A mysterious entity has been detected within the confines of CERN’s particle accelerator.
Within the Super Proton Synchrotron at CERN, physicists have successfully captured and calculated the characteristics of a “ghost-like” structure—an invisible entity that can alter the paths of particles, presenting challenges in the realm of particle physics research.
This entity resides in a realm known as phase space which is used to describe different states of a moving system. It requires four distinct states to describe, therefore, the physicists conceive of this structure as existing in four dimensions.
Caused by a resonance phenomenon, pinpointing and understanding this structure represents a significant advancement in the complex world of magnetic particle accelerators.
Particles deviating from their intended path due to these resonances become a source of concern, as Giuliano Franchetti of GSI, Germany, details. Such deviations lead to beam impairment which impedes the achievement of desired beam properties.
Resonances can arise from synchronized interactions between two systems, much like how the resonance between planetary orbits can occur or how a tuning fork may vibrate in response to another.
In particle accelerators, magnets are employed to steer and propel particles, but resonances caused by imperfections in these magnets may lead to intricate magnetic structures that affect particle behavior adversely.
Mapping such systems can be complex, as they generally exhibit more than the mere two degrees of freedom (the basic two coordinates on a flat plane) traditional descriptions employ. Hence, a bold leap into four-dimensional phase space mapping is needed to characterize such phenomena.
As conveyed by the scientists, attempting to visualize such a structure can be quite challenging, potentially “eluding our geometric intuition”. Read more here…
