Unexpected Findings in “Little” Big Bang Experiment Leaves Physicists Baffled

Particle Collision Neutrino Concept

Scientists conducted ultra-hot experiments at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, recreating temperatures not seen since the Big Bang. The unexpected results stunned physicists.

A temperature not seen since the first microsecond of the birth of the universe has been recreated by scientists, and they discovered that the event did not unfold quite the way they expected. The interaction of energy, matter, and the strong nuclear force in the ultra-hot experiments conducted at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) was thought to be well understood. However, a detailed investigation has revealed that physicists are missing something in their model of how the universe works. A recent paper detailing the findings appears in the journal Physical Review Letters

“It’s the things you weren’t expecting that are really trying to tell you something in science,” says Steven Manly, associate professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Rochester and co-author of the paper. “The basic nature of the interactions within the hot, dense medium, or at least the manifestation of it, changes depending on the angle at which it’s viewed. We don’t know why. We’ve been handed some new pieces to the puzzle and we’re just trying to figure out how this new picture fits together.”

“They said, ‘This can’t be. You’re violating boost invariance.’ But we’ve gone over our results for more than a year, and it checks out.” — Steven Manly

Manly and his collaborators on the PHOBOS experiment at RHIC in Brookhaven, New York wanted to probe the nature of the strong nuclear force that helps bind atoms together. They smashed two atoms of gold together at velocities near the speed of light in an attempt to create what’s called a “quark-gluon plasma.” This is a very brief state where the temperature is tens of thousands of times higher than the cores of the hottest stars.

Particles in this hot-soup plasma stream out, but not without bumping into other particles in the soup. It’s a bit like trying to race out of a crowded room—the more people in your way, the more difficult to escape. The strength of the interactions between particles in the soup is determined by the strong force, so carefully watching particles stream out could reveal much about how the strong force operates at such high temperatures.

To simplify their observations, the researchers collided the circular gold atoms slightly off-center so that the area of impact would not be round, but shaped rather like a football—pointed at each end. This would force any streaming particles that headed out one of the tips of the football to pass through more of the hot soup than a particle exiting the side would. Differences in the number of particles escaping out the tip versus the side of the hot matter could reveal something of the nature of that hot matter, and maybe something about the strong force itself.

But a surprise was in store. Right where the gold atoms had collided, particles did indeed take longer to stream out the tips of the football than the sides, but farther from the exact point of collision, that difference evaporated. That defied a treasured theory called boost invariance.

“It may be that we have an actual clue here that something fundamental is different—something we just don’t understand.” — Steven Manly

“When we first presented this at a conference in Stony Brook, the audience couldn’t believe it,” says Manly. “They said, ‘This can’t be. You’re violating boost invariance.’ But we’ve gone over our results for more than a year, and it checks out.”

Aside from revealing that scientists are missing a piece of the physics puzzle, the findings mean that understanding these collisions fully will be much more difficult than expected. No longer can physicists measure only the sweet spot where the atoms initially collided—they now must measure the entire length of the plasma, effectively making what was a two-dimensional problem into a three-dimensional one. As Manly says, this “dramatically increases the computing complexity” of any model researchers try to devise.

Modeling and understanding such collisions are extremely important because the way that the plasma cools—condensing like steam turning into water against a shower door—might shed some light on the mechanism that gives matter its very mass. Where mass itself comes from has been one of physicists chief conundrums for decades. Manly hopes that if we can understand exactly why the quark-gluon plasma behaves as it does, we might gain an insight into some of the rudiments of the world we live in.

“Understanding all the dynamics of the collision is really critical for actually trying to get the information we want,” says Manly. “It may be that we have an actual clue here that something fundamental is different—something we just don’t understand.” Smiling, he adds, “Yet.”

48 Comments on "Unexpected Findings in “Little” Big Bang Experiment Leaves Physicists Baffled"

  1. Charalambos Strongylos | December 15, 2022 at 12:35 pm | Reply

    What B.B.? The Lemaitre’s? From the Bible? Go next chapter, after Genesis!

  2. One of your physicist has said a particle can hold the energy of a galaxy. I strongly urge you scientists who reach for the stars not to blow this world up in doing so. The bigger the machine the bigger the bang.
    WARNING DO NOT BREAK ALIEN PARTICLES OR MATERIALS!
    NEW FIELD IS EMERGING;FLUID ION DRIVE TECHNOLOGY.
    This technology is only limited by those who have no vision for the benefits of this new emerging field in fluid ion drive technology.

  3. Very cool! There is no missing piece to our physics, its an overcomplication. The idea of “fields” needs to be adjusted to understand it’s the atoms themselves that move at the speed of light in kinetic energy transfer. That light energy and gravity are all the same thing, mass in reciprocal motion.

    Truth is the proton has not been broken down, and we have never reduced the volume of a vessel to zero mass(perfect vaccuum) we have never isolated light or energy outside the medium of atoms, they are attributes of the atoms themselves, the inference of particles was a mistake, the charge to mass ratio is more about velocity of the rarefied gas than anything which then you can compute the force translated to the atomic fluid through the cathode and anode through magnetostriction(pounds the fluid/gas in the vessel like a drum) there is no particle exchange its all kinetic pressure. The inverse square of light and gravity is 3D geometry, equal and opposite. Heat from the core pulls us down, a fine vibration disguised as all Brownian motion perpendicular to the surface. The induced motion of the compass needle can be upscale to usuable electricity, can you see how that’s possible?

    The problems with QM and relativity are numerous and well known insisting we persist in this line of reasoning when it was clearly exhausted 40 years ago is only hindering us. We know it’s wrong we know they are incompatible we need to come together and start over, stop what we are doing fill a conference hall and put foot to ass

    • Something fundamental is different—something we just don’t understand. The key is balance. The gravitation that comes from the topological vortex and anti-vortex field pairs is the beginning of all things, and is the most raw power for maintaining and connecting the world. They are the source of mass, momentum and energy. All interactions are inseparable from the superposition or deflection of topological vortex. Without a clear distinction between microparticle and elementary particle, mankind will never get out of the quagmire of pseudoscience. If you are interested, you can browse https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/468107219.

  4. Good temporary thought window through ordinary logic 😀

  5. I can’t believe they’re trying to solve a three dimensional problem as if it’s two dimensional.

  6. OnceConqueredTime | December 15, 2022 at 4:52 pm | Reply

    Causal by fluctuations in space-time at minuit scale due to super massive gravity well solar system inhabits within. Would effect physics on a miniscule level yet not on larger scale due to vast size of object. Would be indistinguishable to observes from “normal” state and assumed impossible due to limited knowledge on singularities.

  7. If you open your mind to the truth, you will then know the truth. You will then learn, that “something” being described, is the truth. You’ve seen what happens to the world when people forget about the truth, now is the time to remember him. Share it with the world, shout it to the universe. To deny your unwavering creator is the ultimate ignorance and failure of man.

  8. NO WONDER…
    ONCE AGAIN THE GODLESS FORGOT THE CREATOR GOD OF THE UNIVERSE.
    (Bragging to be wise, they have become fools…the Bible/ Romans chap 1 verse 22)

  9. Boost Variance or Boost Mobile 📲

  10. The Big Bang Never Happened. By: Eric J Lerner. Read it.

  11. Melissa Whitaker | December 15, 2022 at 9:38 pm | Reply

    I love the language of science…
    SO SO SEXY!!..

  12. I'm inventzilla | December 15, 2022 at 9:54 pm | Reply

    Can somebody tell me what boost invariance is?

  13. Absolutely cool. Unexpected results could be new science, new mistakes or some combination.

  14. He’s saying he wants a better computer.

  15. FYI, this seems to be a reprint of an article/press release written over 20 years ago. See, for example:
    https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/11/021113071031.htm
    The description is pretty vague, but if I had to guess, I would say they are referring to this article from 2002:
    https://arxiv.org/abs/nucl-ex/0205021
    However, as you can imagine, there has been a lot of progress in the 20 years since this article was published.

  16. There aren’t half some dipsticks who comment on these articles.

  17. Regardless….Science once again the victor.

  18. To try and create what God created is truly foolish and potentialy dangerous.

  19. Christian Simile | December 16, 2022 at 4:48 am | Reply

    Extremely interesting I have decided at my late age 63 to start reading and I am listening to everyone who is commented and the actual Steve manly experiments and the math being done my hope is that you guys can somehow calculate a type of propulsion system that we can use with zero impact on our planet but like the one comment that I read please don’t blow the world up LOL extremely good stuff fascinating and for some reason I am drawn to this like a moth to a flame and I’m going to study and read more and more and more because I am retired now and I want to get up to speed with this this sounds so interesting it seems like there can be much to learn and hopefully with a positive impact on the planet not a negative one

  20. If you attempted to explain multiplication to a 2 year old you would find your audience lacking the CAPABILITY to understand. Imagine for a moment there is a ceiling to the capability of homo sapiens understanding. Problem solved. No matter what you think, you’re wrong. You cannot understand.

  21. A lot of excitement over made up nonsense. None of you know what is going on, but will never admit it because you need paychecks. Your ability to buy Monster drinks is not more important than helping your fellow humans. Drop the act and start acting like adults.

  22. It’s not a big bang. It’s a giant welling that’s on going.

  23. Malcolm Crawford | December 16, 2022 at 8:06 am | Reply

    It is difficult to imagine that the Big Bang happened by random chance when the most intelligent human minds cannot explain its processes and what should have unfolded, let alone how and whence its seminal elements arose.

  24. Clearing throat.
    So you know the temperature of something that is hypocritical and speculative. Yeah thats a great one. 🤣🤣🤣

  25. The “force” that maintains all the universes’ mass is found in the Bible: Colossians 1:17: He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

  26. We Physicists always venture into preconcieved manipulated jargon. The quest to unravel the universal “machine” is always eons beyond the reach of the parts that comprize that “machine”. We cannot see the forest for the trees. Give thanks for everthing rather than disecting in human folly.

  27. Religion_is_a_SupremeConJob | December 16, 2022 at 10:43 pm | Reply

    Ah yes. Can’t do or say anything without religion rearing its ugly, ignorant and supremely hypocritical head. I’m going with logic and reason because: Science!

  28. This was very interesting and inspiring. Nice to know there are mysteries still to be solved. Thank you for reporting this!

  29. Not knowing where mass actually came from and the Big Bang theory🤣🤣,which never happened,can not be understood by man..Sorry.The Lord created this universe and he’s not telling his secrets..But good luck..

  30. The surprise is always confrontational in “presuppositional” physics. True science allows for unexpected outcomes. When it doesn’t, theoretical physics needs to be retooled. Those that postulated outcomes have to retool.

  31. Only quacks are commenting because this is the only place where people can’t roll their eyes at them.

    Don’t listen to them. And don’t listen to me. Trust credible sources.

  32. Kuldip Singh Mann | December 17, 2022 at 11:10 am | Reply

    Unexpected results probabily due to piercings/puncturing of space where experiment is performed. At such huge temperature gravitons may create interference in the experiment.

  33. I think we need to study energy itself because an energy field was there always.what are its properties.energy can’t stand still.it wants to create something.

  34. To all Scientists, STOP !
    YOU ARE MESSING WITH THE UNKNOWN, human life is fragile. We do not need what you are trying to discover, you are helping criminals, which makess you criminal and guilty.

  35. Mind Body Spirit | December 17, 2022 at 9:53 pm | Reply

    Scientists need to accept GOD is in full control of the Universe at all times. Scientists will never get these Anne cause it’s too dangerous— only God knows and ever will know. The spiritual world doesn’t follow the laws of science— the so called aliens are either good or bad angels— physics doesn’t apply outside our galaxy.

    It’s not a tangible Universe.

  36. Why does every article exploring new findings bring out the same group of crackpot comments? If your pet model is not testable it is not science and has no place in this discussion.

  37. It is not time, when it is, trust me you’ll know.

  38. Oh…so here is where all the crazy conspiracy Bible thumpers hang out…in the science section?? Very interesting. Regardless, as phenomenal as this is it’s too on par for things to not go as planned. Relativity and the big bang are theories, after all, even with tons of evidence. We will never be perfect in prediction and this is exciting as it gives even more direction. Time will tell how our theories evolve!

  39. In the great scheme of things is it better for us as a species to find how something works as opposed to realising it just does!
    If by finding how it works,but can’t alter our destination what service has man done for man!!

  40. Why tf does a science article bring out the most r*t*rded people on the Internet?

  41. Exactly right Louis Blaine. If your belief system is a non-falsifiable one, then take it elsewhere.

  42. Dale Alan Bryant | December 19, 2022 at 12:37 pm | Reply

    What I can’t believe – are, any of the remarks – left, by the ‘Monday Morning Quarterbacks’! That is, those, not, involved in the experiment; those, not, employed by the institution – and, on, and on. Let’s hear your answers!

  43. Dale Alan Bryant | December 19, 2022 at 12:41 pm | Reply

    The ‘Monday Morning Quarterbacks’, statements, are the equivaqlent of ‘road rage’ – from a safe distance. You have the answer? Print it, here!

  44. Maybe it’s not for us to understand at this point in our journey I believe we need to focus on the many problems here on the ground in society.
    Besides I believe they are playing with fire an might accidentally BURN the whole damn thing down by NOT knowing what they are playing with I’m all for advancement, it seems we are skipping steps, You’ve been warned 🧐

  45. Are you trying to prove string theory or conduct an experiment?

  46. Look at all the crackpots with no education or explanation yelling “God did it”. At least make an attempt at critical thinking.

  47. Maybe there are interactions taking place in other higher dimensional spaces that can’t be fully seen or understood from our dimensional perspective?

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