New research boosts dark matter detection with superradiance

The MARATHON experiment has achieved the most precise measurement to date of the neutron-to-proton structure function ratio, providing new insights into the momentum distribution of quarks within nucleons. Utilizing advanced techniques and rare tritium targets, the experiment also delivered the first measurement of the EMC effect in tritium and helium-3 mirror nuclei. These results are expected to refine models of nucleon structure and quantum chromodynamics, offering significant implications for nuclear and particle physics. Future investigations at Jefferson Lab aim to further advance understanding of nucleon dynamics and subatomic interactions.

Researchers have completed a major milestone in the construction of the Gamma-Ray Energy Tracking Array (GRETA), a cutting-edge detector designed to probe the mysteries of atomic nuclei. Built through a collaboration led by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, with support from Argonne, Oak Ridge, and Michigan State University, GRETA represents the next leap forward in nuclear physics. Innovation News Network https://lnkd.in/gCDdzKJY #nuclearphysics #physics #science #research #innovation

Researchers have completed a major milestone in the construction of the Gamma-Ray Energy Tracking Array (GRETA), a cutting-edge detector designed to probe the mysteries of atomic nuclei. Built through a collaboration led by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, with support from Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Michigan State University, GRETA represents the next leap forward in nuclear physics. For decades, understanding how atomic nuclei behave has fuelled technological advances ranging from MRI scans that detect disease to nuclear power that lights millions of homes. Yet, scientists acknowledge that our picture of the nucleus – the dense heart of the atom – remains incomplete. GRETA is set to change that by providing an unprecedented view into the forces that hold matter together. Read the whole article here, at the Innovation News Network website: https://lnkd.in/eeeA8uCE #science #physics #news #nuclearphysics

Cold Fusion Standard Theory: Beyond the Conventional Standard Model of Physics https://lnkd.in/gk892eq2 This paper proposes a Cold Fusion Standard Theory based on Deep Dirac Level (DDL) electrons and femto-hydrogen molecules, formulated from experimental evidence of anomalous heat generation, nuclear transmutation, and radiation emission observed in cold fusion (CF) studies. The conventional Standard Model relies on hypothetical constructs such as quarks and the Higgs boson, whose physical reality has never been experimentally verified. These assumptions have led to contradictions and cannot account for empirical results in low-energy nuclear reactions. Reproducible nuclear transmutations and excess heat have been reported by Iwamura et al. (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries), Kitamura et al. (Kobe University), Mizuno (Hokkaido University), and by NASA Glenn, ENEA, and BARC. Typical reactions such as Cs→Pr, Sr→Mo, and Ba→Sm exhibit a consistent rule of ΔA = +4 and ΔZ = +4, which can be naturally explained as the fusion of femto-deuterium molecules (fD₂, consisting of four protons) followed by stabilization processes. These findings indicate that large-scale projects such as the International Linear Collider (ILC), designed only to extend the Standard Model, are scientifically unproductive. Instead, research resources should be redirected toward establishing the Cold Fusion Standard Theory and advancing its scientific and industrial applications.

In a milestone that blends physics, engineering, and innovation, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a mobile muon detector. This cutting-edge system is designed to probe dense materials, improve nuclear fuel monitoring, and tackle one of the toughest challenges in quantum computing. Muons, subatomic particles similar to electrons but heavier, pass through matter at nearly the speed of light. Their ability to penetrate dense materials makes them invaluable for imaging applications. However, their fleeting lifespan – just a few microseconds compared to neutrons’ ten minutes – has historically limited their practical use. ORNL’s new muon detector overcomes these challenges, creating new opportunities for science and technology. Rad the whole story here, at the Innovation News Network website: https://lnkd.in/eixaHpyS #science #news #innovation #particlephysics

Physicists have discovered a new “magic number” for protons, specifically 14, in the nucleus of silicon-22. This discovery, made through precise mass measurements of the unstable nucleus, suggests that nuclei with 14 protons are unusually tightly bound and could rewrite the understanding of nuclear structure. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/dzRWQkc2

What if nuclear masses could be explained without any adjustable parameters? For decades, nuclear physics has relied on semi-empirical formulas (such as Weizsäcker’s). They describe nuclear binding energies with remarkable accuracy… but only at the cost of coefficients fitted to experimental data. In other words: these models describe, but they do not explain. 👉 With the Theory of the Wave Universe (TUO), we propose a radically different approach: Each term of the binding energy formula (volume, surface, Coulomb, asymmetry, pairing) is derived directly from fundamental constants and from a vibrational invariant of the vacuum. No empirical parameters. No a posteriori fitting. Predictions become fully falsifiable. 🔬 Results: For stable nuclei such as calcium (⁴⁰–⁴⁸Ca) and nickel (⁵⁸–⁶⁴Ni), deviations from experimental masses are typically below 0.3 MeV per nucleon. For exotic isotopes such as ⁶⁰Ca or ⁷⁸Ni, TUO provides direct predictions, testable by upcoming nuclear physics experiments. Larger deviations for very light or very heavy nuclei point toward expected refinements (compactness, deformation), confirming the robustness of the approach. > But the stakes go far beyond nuclear physics: By describing binding as a vibrational resonance of the vacuum, TUO opens a path to connect microscopic quantum physics (spins, fields, coherence) and macroscopic gravitation. 💡 In short: TUO does not replace the Standard Model—it extends it, just as relativity extended Newton. It offers a more fundamental vision: masses are not fitted, they emerge from a universal dynamics of the vacuum. #Physics #Research #Innovation #TUO #NuclearPhysics #Science

Where the nucleons melt: breaking result at the CERN CMS experiment Researchers from the HUN-REN Wigner Research Centre for Physics also contributed to the latest result of the CERN CMS experiment, which for the first time showed a clear sign of the plasma state of nuclear matter in collisions of low-mass nuclei. The quark–gluon plasma (QGP) is a state of matter that existed just after the Big Bang, when quarks and gluons – the building blocks of protons and neutrons – moved freely in an extremely hot and dense medium. Recreating and studying this state in high-energy collisions helps us understand the earliest moments of our universe. Until now, jet quenching – a key signature of QGP – was only observed in heavy-ion collisions. The new CMS results, based on oxygen–oxygen and neon–neon collisions, show that even such light nuclei can form this extraordinary state of matter. This fills a crucial gap between small and large collision systems, advancing our knowledge of how and when QGP emerges.

ICYMI: Florida Poly professor’s powerful new tool brings higher accuracy to nuclear physics: LAKELAND, Fla., Sept. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A breakthrough in nuclear physics at Florida Polytechnic University has created an advanced machine learning model that predicts nuclear binding energies with unprecedented accuracy, helping scientists better understand the building blocks of matter. Dr. Ian Bentley, professor and chair of the University’s Department of Physics, developed the technique, […] #Featured #Technologies

Empty Space Doesn’t Exist: What happens to the mass defect is one of the most important open questions in physics. Mass defect is a universal phenomenon, present in stellar nucleosynthesis, supernovae, and countless other cosmic-scale events. Answering this question has the potential to redefine everything we currently know—or think we know—about the universe. To investigate, there is a readily available material accessible from every nuclear reactor in the world: spent nuclear fuel. This material contains a wealth of data that can reveal how nuclear energy is actually released, and what truly happens to the “missing mass” in each fission reaction. Microscopic examinations of spent fuel reveal structural and morphological changes that carry the imprint of their cause: Lattice disordering and amorphization Dense dislocation tangles and loops Micro-cracking with radial and branching patterns Irregular pores and ruptured gas bubbles Grain boundary decohesion Surface blistering Sharp elemental segregation along damage tracks Metallic nanocluster formation Localized melt-like textures Isotopic anomalies in micro-regions Ultrasonic or acoustic emissions during operation Taken together, these features suggest strong empirical evidence for a large number of micro-explosive events during the operation and consumption of fuel. These phenomena can be directly interpreted as the signatures of such micro-explosions occurring inside the material. When the missing mass is correlated with these explosive effects, one arrives at the conclusion that the mass defect undergoes rapid volumetric expansion—essentially an explosive transformation. Volumetric expansion implies a change of state, just as a solid, liquid, or conventional explosive transforms into a superheated gas before bursting. By this principle, the missing mass is converted into an ultra-thin form of matter. This leads to a profound conclusion: since the mass defect is a universal phenomenon, the entire cosmos must be permeated by this ultra-thin matter. In that light, truly empty space does not exist, and our understanding of the universe must be fundamentally rewritten. ##newphysicsproject