University of Kansas Receives DOE Funding to Build New-Generation Detectors for CERN's Large Hadron Collider

A particle detector development project led by the University of Kansas has recently received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DOE EPSCoR). The project, funded at $1 million, will be used to design and build two High-Luminosity Zero Degree Calorimeters (HL-ZDC) for the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment (CMS) at CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The four-year project is co-led by Michael Murray, professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Kansas, and Christophe Royon, distinguished professor at the University of Kansas. Murray also serves as the project lead for the CMS High-Luminosity Zero Degree Calorimeter upgrade...

2026-08-06

BESIII Experiment First Confirms the Existence of Glueballs

On August 6, Beijing time, the international collaboration of the Beijing Spectrometer III experiment (BESIII) at the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider announced at the International Conference on High Energy Physics (ICHEP 2026) held in Brazil, in the form of a special plenary report: after 15 years of sustained research, the BESIII experiment has established a complete chain of evidence proving the existence of glueballs, unraveling the mystery that has puzzled the academic community for nearly half a century. This discovery not only provides a decisive validation of the theory of quantum chromodynamics, but also demonstrates the existence of a completely new form of matter—matter composed purely of force. Atomic nuclei are composed of protons and neutrons, which in turn are composed of quarks. Gluons mediate the strong interaction between quarks...

2026-08-06

University of Toronto joins Canadian Nuclear Laboratories academic partnership program

The University of Toronto (U of T) has joined Canadian Nuclear Laboratories' (CNL) academic partnership program, becoming the tenth participating institution in the initiative. This effort aims to strengthen Canada's nuclear talent pipeline and support related research. A signing ceremony was held at the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus, marking the formal establishment of the partnership between the University of Toronto, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL). The academic partnership program will provide participating institutions with access to national laboratory infrastructure, technology, and expertise, with collaboration areas spanning clean energy, health care, environmental remediation, and national security, among others. This...

2026-08-06

Two Core Indicators of Beijing Huairou High Energy Photon Source Meet Design Requirements

Key progress has been made in the construction of the High Energy Photon Source (HEPS) in Beijing Huairou Science City. The latest tests show that the facility's brightness and storage ring beam orbit stability have both met design requirements, bringing it one step closer to full operation. These two indicators directly determine whether the light source can provide stable, high-quality X-ray beams for scientific users, and are also core parameters in facility performance evaluation. Since the accelerator met acceptance indicators on September 29, 2025, the project team has continuously calibrated equipment and optimized beam conditions during trial operation. After approximately nine months of improvements, the facility's key performance has been significantly enhanced. The storage ring can be understood as a circular track for high-energy electrons, with a total circumference of approximately 1,360 meters. 177...

2026-08-05

Unveiling Extreme Heat: Z Boson Probes New Mechanisms of the "Hottest Matter in the Universe"

Using Z boson probes at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), scientists have revealed new details about how the hottest matter in the universe—the quark-gluon plasma (QGP)—absorbs energy, challenging existing theoretical models. This research provides important clues for understanding the state of the early universe shortly after the Big Bang. To gain deeper insights into the QGP, physicists cleverly employ Z bosons as messengers. Since Z bosons do not interact with the QGP, they can traverse the plasma almost unaffected, precisely recording information about the initial state. By analyzing the momentum differences between μons produced from Z boson decays and their recoiling jets, scientists were able to determine the energy lost by quarks as they traverse the QGP...

2026-08-04

New Progress in Ion Dynamics Regulation in Nanofluidic Memristors by the Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Water-based nanofluidic ionic devices offer unique advantages in frontier fields such as brain-computer interfaces and biocompatible computing. Recently, the research team from the State Key Laboratory of Heavy Ion Science and Technology at the Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Lanzhou University, Hebei University of Geosciences, and other partners, successfully achieved stable ionic memristive effects in single-ion-track nanochannels. Through precise regulation, they realized programmable transitions between memristive and synaptic functions, providing a new technological pathway for the development of next-generation low-power neuromorphic computing hardware. The related results were published in the journal *Small* on July 22. Relying on the Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou (HIRFL), the researchers...

2026-08-04

Researchers at the Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, reveal the dual-directional role of shell effects in multinucleon transfer reactions

Recently, the research team from the State Key Laboratory of Heavy Ion Science and Technology at the Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with collaborators, revealed the dual-directional mechanism of shell effects in multinucleon transfer reactions and proposed optimized reaction systems. This study provides new insights for the efficient synthesis of neutron-rich nuclides in the laboratory. The results were published in Physics Letters B. The synthesis and study of neutron-rich nuclides near the neutron magic number 126 are of special scientific significance, as the properties of these nuclides are directly related to how heavy elements such as gold and platinum in the universe are formed. However, efficiently producing these nuclides has long been an experimental challenge. Traditional fusion-evaporation...

2026-08-04

Korea Association for Radiation Application revises RI/SRI examination textbook "Radiation Theory and Practice" 8th edition after 11 years

The Korea Association for Radiation Application (KARA) has released the 8th revised edition of the professional textbook "Core Analysis! Radiation Theory and Practice," designed for candidates preparing for the Radioisotope Operator General License (RI) and Radiation Handling Supervisor License (SRI) examinations. This revision marks a comprehensive update conducted 11 years after the previous revision, reflecting recent RI·SRI license examination trends, revised legislation, and changes in radiation-related technologies and systems, with the content fully restructured. The revised edition was reviewed by multiple radiation field experts, including Lee Jae-gi, a professional committee member of the Korea Association for Radiation Application, enhancing the accuracy and professionalism of the textbook. The te...

2026-08-04

Germany Achieves First Capture of Argon Nuclei at 30% Speed of Light with Electron Cooling

On August 3, researchers at the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Germany successfully decelerated and captured fully ionized argon ions (^36Ar^18+) for the first time using the HITRAP highly charged ion trap facility. These ions, having lost all their electron shells, can be regarded as bare nuclei, with an initial velocity of approximately 30% of the speed of light. The research findings have been published in the journal Physical Review X. The interior of the radiofrequency resonator that slows down the ions is where highly charged ions are typically produced via particle accelerators and formed under strong electric fields and high-energy conditions. Since these ions are generated at extremely high velocities, they must first be stopped, captured, and cooled before precision physics measurements can be conducted. The research team stated that this experiment achieved, for the first time, the entire process from producing highly charged ions to storing them in a special trap for at least 11 seconds.

2026-08-04

Lead isotope analysis of Roman sling bullets points to two supply routes in the Alpine conquest campaign

A lead isotope study of Roman lead sling bullets suggests that the Roman army's conquest of the Alps under Augustus may not have proceeded along a single continuous route, but rather involved different units or different supply systems. The objects studied come mainly from the Crap Ses site in the Surseiva valley of the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, as well as from Brigantium and Tasgetium near Lake Constance further north. Over the past 25 years, archaeologists have discovered marching camps, battlefields, observation posts, small fort remains, as well as swords, shields, hobnails, coins, and nearly 500 lead sling bullets near Crap Ses. Many of these bullets bear inscriptions of the Third Legion...

2026-08-04

2026 Special Training Course on Radiation Safety Practices for Nuclear Technology Utilization Held in Xi'an

To thoroughly implement the Ecological Environment Code and further enhance radiation safety management in the field of nuclear technology utilization, the 2026 Special Training Course on the Application of the Ecological Environment Code and Radiation Safety Practices for Nuclear Technology Utilization, hosted by the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (hereinafter referred to as the Center), was successfully held in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, from July 27 to 30. Nearly one hundred trainees from 67 institutions nationwide, including ecological environment departments, research institutes, medical facilities, and environmental impact assessment (EIA) compilation agencies, gathered together to study the new regulations and discuss practical matters, empowering the industry's high-quality development. This training closely followed the pulse of industry development, focusing on the new situations and challenges...

2026-08-03

Türkiye to participate in International Nuclear Science Olympiad for first time

Türkiye will participate in the International Nuclear Science Olympiad (INSO-2026) as a competing country for the first time. The competition is scheduled to take place from August 2 to 9 in Jeddah, a city on the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. According to Türkiye's Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the high school students representing Türkiye have completed their final preparations in the capital Ankara. The participating students come from Istanbul Private Bahçeşehir Science High School, who were selected through a nationwide competition, standing out from 30 schools to earn the right to represent Türkiye. During the preparation period, students received training in atomic structure, atomic nucleus, radiation, fission, fusion, environmental radioactivity, radiation risks and safety, as well as nuclear energy and...

2026-08-03

New Progress in First-Principles Quantum Computing for Nuclear Structure

Recently, the research team at the Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has made new progress in quantum computing studies of first-principles nuclear structure for multi-fermion systems. The team developed a universal quantum-classical hybrid computing framework capable of calculating Green's functions and spectral functions of nuclear many-body systems. The relevant results were published as a Letter in Physical Review C. First-principles Hamiltonian many-body calculations are a core approach for revealing the laws of strongly correlated quantum systems, widely applied in fields such as quantum chemistry and nuclear physics. However, the Hilbert space of such problems grows exponentially with particle number, posing insurmountable computational resource challenges on classical computers...

2026-08-03

New Progress in Ion Dynamics Regulation in Nanofluidic Memristors by the Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Water-based nanofluidic ionic devices offer unique advantages in frontier fields such as brain-computer interfaces and biocompatible computing. Recently, the research team from the State Key Laboratory of Heavy Ion Science and Technology at the Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Lanzhou University, Hebei University of Geosciences, and other partners, successfully achieved stable ionic memristive effects in single-ion-track nanochannels. Through precise regulation, they realized programmable transitions in memristive and synaptic functions, providing a new technological pathway for the development of next-generation low-power neuromorphic computing hardware. The related results were published in the journal *Small* on July 22. Leveraging the Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou (HIRFL), the researchers...

2026-08-03

First Experimental Result Published from the High-Intensity Heavy-Ion Accelerator Facility

Recently, the research team from the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with collaborators, successfully produced and identified the rare isotope hafnium-153 using the High-Intensity Heavy-Ion Accelerator Facility (HIAF). This is the first physics result obtained during the commissioning of HIAF, demonstrating that China's new-generation high-intensity heavy-ion research facility is capable of exploring unknown nuclides and expanding the nuclear chart. It marks the official commencement of HIAF's scientific discovery journey. The result was published as a short communication in *Science Bulletin*. Figure: Position of hafnium-153 on the nuclear chart; the blue line indicates the boundary of known nuclides. Image | Hu Houyu, Li Hongfu. Atomic nuclei are composed of protons and neutrons, and different combinations of proton and neutron numbers form the diverse world of nuclides. Exploring unknown nuclides and investigating the boundaries of nuclear existence are important frontiers in nuclear physics. Hafnium-153 is located in the neutron-deficient heavy-mass region and is an important subject for studying the evolution of nuclear structure and the limits of nuclear stability. It had not been reported prior to this experiment. The discovery and precise measurement of this nuclide will help test nuclear theory models and deepen our understanding of nuclear structure regularities.

2026-08-03

Japanese research team experimentally confirms full-gap spin-triplet superconductivity in UBe13

On July 30, 2026, Kobe University and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency announced that a research team led by Professor Hideki Higashibata of the Graduate School of Science at Kobe University, along with Shoko Minami, who was a master's student at the time of the research, in collaboration with Yoshinori Haga, Research Director at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, and researchers from Osaka University, experimentally confirmed for the first time the existence of a spin-triplet superconducting state with full-gap characteristics in the intermetallic compound UBe13. The findings were published in the Journal of the Physical Society of Japan on June 26 and were selected as an Editor's Choice paper. Since its discovery in 1983, UBe13 has been regarded as an important candidate material for spin-triplet superconductivity. Unlike conventional spin-singlet superconductivity...

2026-08-03

JAEA Develops 3D-Printed Disposable Aerosol Particle Size Classification Device

On July 30, 2026, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency announced the development of a palm-sized, 3D-printed disposable device named µSPLIT (micro splitter) that can separate airborne particles by particle size on-site and collect them onto filters for subsequent or direct measurement. The disposable classification and measurement device µSPLIT (left) separates aerosols by particle size through controlled intake flow rate, with particles collected on filters. (Right) The main unit can be directly connected to a radiation detector via a thin film. According to reports, µSPLIT measures approximately 12 cm × 3 cm × 3 cm and is integrally molded from transparent resin using stereolithography 3D printing technology...

2026-08-03

After 25 Years, the Muon Wobble Puzzle Sees Key New Progress in Physics

For 25 years, precise measurements of how muons wobble in a magnetic field have been a major puzzle in particle physics. Early experiments showed a discrepancy between the measured value of the muon's g-factor and theoretical predictions, a difference once seen as a possible hint of unknown particles. Recent new theoretical calculations and experimental analyses have brought a new twist to this puzzle. The muon is a heavier cousin of the electron that precesses like a tiny magnet in a magnetic field. Its extra wobble is quantified by the muon g-2 coefficient. According to quantum theory, known particles and interactions influence this coefficient through fleeting quantum fluctuations, making muon g-2 a key test of the Standard Model...

2026-08-03

Swiss PSI Ultracold Neutron Experiment Finds No Signs of "Mirror World" Oscillation

The Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Switzerland announced on July 28 that its researchers detected approximately 25 billion neutrons in an ultracold neutron experiment and found no signs of neutrons spontaneously transforming into mirror neutrons. The results constrain, with high certainty, the theoretical possibility of neutrons disappearing into the so-called mirror world. The mirror world hypothesis posits that every elementary particle in the real world may have a corresponding mirror particle, such as mirror electrons, mirror protons, and mirror neutrons. Such particles interact extremely weakly with ordinary matter, potentially connecting primarily through gravity or rare oscillations of neutral particles, and have therefore also been considered as dark matter candidates...

2026-08-03

German Science and Humanities Council Supports German Participation in the LEGEND-1000 Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay Experiment

On July 27, 2026, the German Science and Humanities Council expressed its support for German participation in the LEGEND-1000 experiment. The project had previously passed scientific evaluation and was deemed significant for a broad research community in the fields of particle physics and nuclear physics. LEGEND-1000 is the next phase of the large-scale enriched germanium neutrinoless double β decay experiment, planned to be constructed by an international collaborative team at the underground laboratory of the Gran Sasso National Laboratory in Italy. German participating institutions include the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg and the Technical University of Munich, with project leaders being Professor Susanne Mertens and Professor Stefan Schönert, respectively. According to the project...

2026-08-03

DUNE Prototype Detector Undergoes 300 kV Pressure Test at CERN

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), an international collaborative project led by the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory under the U.S. Department of Energy, is conducting pressure tests on the prototype detector ProtoDUNE at CERN's Neutrino Platform to verify the long-term stability of the relevant detection technology under extreme operating conditions. DUNE is designed as a large-scale neutrino research experiment aimed at studying the properties of neutrinos and their role in the evolution of the universe. The experiment will install large liquid argon time projection chamber detectors approximately one mile underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota, USA. Once the detectors are filled with liquid argon and sealed, internal components will be difficult to access for extended periods...

2026-08-03