Scientists the Big Bang and The Big Bang
Scientists, the Big Bang and The Big Bang Theory David Toback This could be you Texas A&M University Pizza and Prof, Honors Talk February 2013 October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar 1
A little about me… • Grew up on the south side of Chicago • Went to school at MIT and then University of Chicago • Came to A&M in 2000 • Professor of Physics and Astronomy • I specialize in Experimental Particle physics (Fermilab, LHC, search for Supersymmetry, Dark Matter) • I’ve been teaching ASTR/PHYS 109 (Big Bang, Black Holes, No Math) for a number of years now February 2013 David Toback, Texas A&M University Pizza and Prof 2
Outline for Today • Answer questions you probably wanted to ask, but were afraid to • Answer other questions you might find interesting • Tell you a little about ideas behind the Dark Matter research I do • Tell you about my course “Big Bang and Black Holes” February 2013 David Toback, Texas A&M University Pizza and Prof 3
Most of what people know about physicists comes from Big Bang Theory Is that really what it’s like? February 2013 David Toback, Texas A&M University Pizza and Prof 4
Is this really what physicists are like? February 2013 David Toback, Texas A&M University Pizza and Prof 5
Start with some facts… Need to understand there are different TYPES of physicists February 2013 Lives with his mommy David Toback, Texas A&M University Pizza and Prof 6
People like Sheldon really exist? Simple answer Yes Luckily not too many February 2013 David Toback, Texas A&M University Pizza and Prof Actually, they imitate us pretty well… My officemate in grad school is the science advisor The science is 7 also very good
Luckily, other parts are also true February 2013 Senior Advisor for Chemical Engineering David Toback, Texas A&M University Pizza and Prof 8
Switch Topics • More about good things physics has produced • What people with a Physics degree do after school • Fun research in physics • Want to learn more without getting a physics degree? February 2013 David Toback, Texas A&M University Pizza and Prof 9
• • • What are the cool things physics research have produced? Radar Lasers The Internet Medical imaging (MRI) Optical fibers Power: Nuclear, Solar, Hydro, Fusion(? ) • Semiconductors (chips for computers, DVD players, video games etc…) • Superconductors • Lots more… February 2013 David Toback, Texas A&M University Pizza and Prof 10
Most people assume that if you have a physics degree you can only be a high school teacher or a Professor People who say that don’t know what they 11 were talking about!
Is the money any good compared to other majors I might choose? A: Yup!!! http: //physicsworld. com/blog/2009/07/big_bucks_for_physicists. html February 2013 David Toback, Texas A&M University Pizza and Prof 12
What are physicists researching these days? • Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology – Relativity, Origin of the Universe, Galaxy formation, Dark Energy • Condensed Matter & Materials Physics • Atomic/Laser Physics • Nuclear physics – What’s inside the nucleus? • Particle physics – What’s inside a proton? Dark Matter, Higgs, LHC • String theory/Theory of Everything – What are particles made of? February 2013 David Toback, Texas A&M University Pizza and Prof 13
Interested in Undergraduate Research? • Physics department has a long history of award winning undergraduate research in many areas: – Applied Physics – Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology My office – Atomic Physics – Condensed Matter Physics – Materials Physics – Nuclear Physics – Particle Physics – Quantum Optics – String Theory…David Toback, Texas A&M University February 2013 Pizza and Prof 14
Switching again… • What are some of the things *I* study for a living? • Cosmology and Particle Physics – Dark Matter – Evolution of the Universe – Particle Physics and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) Can we discover Dark Matter with giant accelerators like the LHC as a way of learning about our Universe? February 2013 David Toback, Texas A&M University Pizza and Prof 15
Dark Matter What is some of the evidence for Dark matter? September 2012 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar 16
As the Solar System Turns http: //faculty. physics. tamu. edu/toback/Talks/Video/Lab 4_SS 1_video. swf Simple predictions from gravity David Toback, Texas A&M University 17
Is that what our galaxy, the Milky Way, looks like? Do the stars orbit like the planets in our solar system? Outer stars go around much more slowly? David Toback, Texas A&M University 18
Lots of Dark Matter out there! No clue what this stuff is… What’s the Matter in the Universe? David Toback, Texas A&M University 19
The Known Particles – No known particles have the properties of Dark Matter – Other credible reasons to believe there are new fundamental particles to be discovered – Maybe Dark Matter is a New Particle! David Toback, Texas A&M University 20
Make a Hypothesis based on Astronomy, Cosmology and Particle Physics Hypothesis: The Dark Matter in the Universe is made up of LOTS of particles that we haven’t r ! yet! e g g discovered n a ig B b g s Early Universe t Best Guess: Got in the Bicreated e g e like everything else ersand is still here today! n e h T v i n U High energy collisions between particles in the early Universe If they created Dark Matter, Dark maybe we can. David also. Toback, in an A&M University October 2011 experiment!Research. Texas Topics Seminar. New Matter = 21 Particle?
Particle Physics How might Giant Particle Accelerators Help us Answer The Dark Matter Question? Tevatron at Large Hadron Collider (LHC) Fermilab David Toback, Texas A&Mat University CERN October 2011 22 Research Topics Seminar
Can we Make and Discover Dark Matter? • High energy collisions between particles in the Early Universe • Recreate the conditions like they were RIGHT AFTER the Big Bang • If we can produce Dark Matter in a collision then we can STUDY it David Toback, Texas A&M University 23
ti cl e High Energy Collisions New particles Tevatron ≈10 ps after the Big Bang LHC ≈1 ps after the Big Bang e Detector l c i t r a P r e t t a M k Proton Anti-Proton r a D ar k M at t er Pa r Ok… Its more complicated than this since Dark Matter Particles don’t easily interact with detectors… Nor do we usually produce David Toback, Texas A&M University them directly 24 Research Topics Seminar October 2011
Example Detector 10 Meters Tall! 30 Meters Long! Surround the collision point with a detector and look at the stuff pops out after a collision as it interacts with the various Powerful multi-purpose detector components Really Big with LOTS of cool electronics and other toys! David Toback, Texas A&M University 25
Where in the world is the LHC? France Geneva Switzerlan d Jura Mountains Actually… It’s down here 100 yards Underground! David Toback, Texas A&M University 2011 The. October accelerator Research Topics Seminar 26
Another view of the LHC 27 km in Circumference! Lake Leman One of the largest and the most complex scientific CMS instrument ever conceived & Geneva Airport Two huge detectors built by humankind Collides high energy protons p p ATLAS October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar 27
What does it DO? Accelerates protons to REALLY high energies, then bashes them together 28
High Energy Collisions So… The LHC makes really high energy collisions that might produce Dark Matter so we can discover it LHC is creating the conditions like they were RIGHT AFTER the Big Bang Can study Cosmology, Particle Physics and Astronomy with one experiment! David Toback, Texas A&M University 29
Other Exciting Possibilities • May be able to discover Supersymmetry • Have we discovered the Higgs Boson? – One of the many Higgs bosons? • Explain why there is more matter than anti-matter in the Universe • Hint for Extra Dimensions or String Theory? David Toback, Texas A&M University 30
Want to know more about the exciting physics without taking the advanced courses? • Physics department now offers a course entitled “Big Bang, Black Holes, No Math” – Covers Stephen Hawking’s “Brief History of Time” – Cross listed as ASTR/PHYS 109/119 • Tier 2 Science Distribution Class • Associate lab class – Answers many of the questions you want to know about • Origin and Evolution of the Universe • How do stars form? • What is Dark Matter? Dark Energy? • What are Black Holes? • General Relativity & Quantum Mechanics • Particle Physics http: //faculty. physics. tamu. edu/toback/109/ David Toback, Texas A&M University • February Etc…. 2013 31 Pizza and Prof
Conclusions • It’s an incredibly exciting time to be a scientist! • Astronomy, Cosmology and Particle Physics are all coming together! • Starting to understand the Big Bang and Dark Matter! • If our understanding is correct, a major discovery may be just around the corner February 2013 David Toback, Texas A&M University Pizza and Prof 32
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Standing on the Shoulders of Giants Edwin Hubble March 2011 Albert Einstein David Toback, Texas A&M University Davidson Scholars 34
The Big Bang What is the scientific evidence that a Big Bang occurred 13. 7 billion years ago? March 2011 Inquiring Minds Want to Know David Toback, Texas A&M University Davidson Scholars 35
What did Hubble See? Hubble observed lots of galaxies with the world’s best telescope He noticed that All the far away ones are moving away from us VERY quickly March 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M University Davidson Scholars 36
So What? All the galaxies will come from a single point in space ~13. 7 What billion happened in the past? years ago Run the clock backward in time Name this time The Big Bang A moment of Creation March 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M University Davidson Scholars 37
The Big Bang occurred, then what? How did we get from the bang to the Universe we have today? March 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M University Davidson Scholars 38
A Brief History of Time • Zero • • The Big Bang produces lots of particles One millionth of one • Quarks combine to form second after the Bang protons and neutrons A few minutes • Protons and Neutrons combine to form the nucleus of an atom A few hundred • Nuclei and electrons thousand years combine to form atoms 100 million to 1 billion • Atoms combine to form years Stars and Galaxies 9 billion years • The Earth and our solar system forms ~13. 7 billion years • You listen to me talk March 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M University Davidson Scholars 39
Conclusions • It’s an incredibly exciting time to be a scientist! • Astronomy, Cosmology and Particle Physics are all coming together! • Starting to understand the Big Bang and Dark Matter! • If our understanding is correct, a major discovery may be just around the corner at the LHC! Wanna join us? We need your help! March 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M University Davidson Scholars 40
February 2013 David Toback, Texas A&M University Pizza and Prof 41
As the Galaxy Turns http: //faculty. physics. tamu. edu/toback/Talks/Video/Lab 4_GX 1_video_slow. swf David Toback, Texas A&M University 42
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