On the Coast – Families Issue 96 I October/November 2019 | Page 39

What’s going on? by David Fletcher O n 12th July an interesting story made its way into the media worldwide. Scientists at the ‘Icecube’ announced they had detected a neutrino particle and furthermore they knew where in the Universe it had originated. [1] The Icecube Laboratory in 2012 Maryanne Sayers Baby Sleep & Routine Consultant Let’s break this news apart - What is a neutrino? Known for his Exclusion Principle in chemistry & quantum mechanics, it was Wolfgang Pauli who first predicted the existence of neutrinos, when it was noticed there was some unexplained energy missing in beta radiation. Following the prediction in 1930, it took 26 years before scientists in North Carolina actually detected neutrinos in 1956. Although numerous, neutrinos have no electrical charge, so they rarely interact with ‘normal’ atoms. [2] Where do neutrinos come from? There are more than 100 trillion (don’t try & count them!) neutrinos passing through you right now. Produced in these vast quantities by the fusion process in our Sun, the overwhelming majority of them pass straight through the Earth. [3] What is the Icecube? Nearly 50 organizations collaborate to run the experimental laboratory, built in 2010, known as the Icecube Neutrino Observatory. With detectors located 1500m beneath the ice sheet of Antarctica, the Icecube looks for the tell-tale signs of cosmic particles hitting the Earth. [1] Credit: Martin Wolf, IceCube/NSF www.icecube.wisc.edu/gallery/press/view/1336 Babies and Toddlers Individual Consultations Satellite turned their instruments to a small patch of sky and observed a remarkable phenomenon known as a Supermassive Spinning Black Hole. [1] Why is this interesting? Gamma radiation, the same ‘stuff’ used in medical treatment along with x-rays, is the highest energy radiation there is. Gamma Ray Bursts are intermittent events in the Universe that are not well understood by Astro-Physicists. Identifying a neutrino from a gamma ray source is another step forward for our cosmological theories. Not only was this the first neutrino to have its source identified from outside the Solar System, but scientists estimate the Black Hole causing the particles to shoot across space in our direction is 4 billion light years away. By studying these high energy events, scientists hope to discover further information which may unlock the mysteries of Dark Matter & Dark Energy. What a remarkable age in which we live! [4] [1] Interested in reading more about the Icecube? See https://icecube.wisc.edu/ Mothers Group sessions CPR / First Aid in-home sessions Online Program Find me o 0417 068 545 [email protected] www.dreamstartbaby.com.au INDOOR LASER-TAG CENTRE Family Friendly Entertainment Birthday parties REFERENCES The Detection On 22nd September 2017 the Icecube detected a neutrino with a particularly high amount of energy. After calculating the trajectory of this incoming particle, an alert went out to astronomers all over the world. Telescopes in Hawaii, Chile, Japan and even NASAs orbiting Gamma Ray  ttps://icecube.wisc.edu/news/view/586 h (website visited 18-08-2018), University of Wisconsin-Madison [1] Martin & Shaw 2012, Particle Physics, John Wiley & Sons Ltd [2]  Seeds & Backman 2011, Foundations of Astronomy, Cengage Learning [3]  Mian et al. 1987, International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics Vol13 Issue12, Elsevier Inc. [4]  David Fletcher is a 45 year old undergraduate of Physics at Macquarie University Laserblast offers 4 great Party Packages to suit your needs CALL US TO MAKE A BOOKING Also available for Families, Groups & Vacation Cares, Large or Small. Rain, Hail or Shine. 4392 5278 www.laserblast.com.au Unit 6, 132 Chelmsford Rd, Charmhaven OCTOBER/NOVEMBER – ISSUE 96 39