Let’s talk about neutrinos
Two dark matter experiments have found signs of neutrinos colliding with atomic nuclei in detectors. This discovery foreshadows future obstacles for the detectors. emily conover Reported in “‘Fog’ invades dark matter experiments” (SN: August 24, 2024, p. 12).
These detectors scan for the interaction of dark matter with the nucleus of a xenon atom. leader robert walty I wondered how that would work. Could it be that dark matter only interacts with normal matter through gravity?
So far, scientists have detected dark matter only through its gravitational interactions with normal matter. But this mysterious substance may interact through other forces. Conover Say. For example, dark matter could interact through the weak nuclear force. “This kind of interaction is what these detectors are looking for,” she says.
walty They also questioned how neutrinos, which are much smaller than protons, can hit the entire nucleus of an atom.
“Subatomic particles are not like billiard balls of different sizes bouncing around. Instead, they act like waves.” Conover Say. If a particle has a longer wavelength than the nucleus, the particle interacts with the entire nucleus rather than individual protons or neutrons. When a neutrino hits a nucleus, the interaction actually occurs through another particle called a Z particle, which the neutrino exchanges with the nucleus. If the wavelength of the Z boson is large enough, the entire nucleus recoils as one.
Pollination and plastics
The electrostatically charged wings of moths and butterflies can suck pollen from nearby flowers, even if the insect does not land on the flower. anna gibbs Reported in “Pollination by static electricity” (SN: August 24, 2024, p. 13).
leader michael skinner The researchers asked whether this static electricity could attract microplastics and prevent pollination.
Unfortunately, the answer is probably yes, say ecologists sam england of the Natural History Museum in Berlin. Microplastics tend to have a static charge, so they’re likely to be attracted to pollinators with an opposite charge, he says. These substances are “known to interfere with a variety of biological processes in plants” and may also interfere with pollination. england Say. However, this has not yet been tested, so the magnitude of these potential effects is unknown.
spacecraft portrait
NASA’s Perseverance rover has discovered the first hint of possible ancient life on Mars. lisa grossman Reported in “Mars rover discovers major surprise” (SN: August 24, 2024, p. 6).
Readers asked how the rover, nicknamed Percy, managed to take the photos of itself featured in the story.
Percy’s “selfie” is actually a team effort. The rover’s Watson camera is primarily designed for close-ups of rocks, capturing only a small portion of the scene. There, Earth’s engineers instructed Percy to take dozens of photos of himself from different angles. Image processing engineers then use software to clean up the shots and assemble them into a complete image.
