1. Extend the resolving power of our Giant Microscope
Some images from the wonderful Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
Particle Adventure
Quantum Mechanics:
l = Planck's constant x velocity of light
= 197 MeV-Fermi
one Fermi = 10-15 meters ~ the radius of a proton
So if the total momentum in a collision is 2 TeV = 2 x 106
MeV, distance "probed" ~ 10-4 Fermi
2. Explore the properties of matter as we believe they
existed
in the early universe
Fermilab collisions study
matter in the temperature/density regime
of 10-15 seconds after the “Big Bang”
1030K
1025K
1020K
1015K
1010K
105K
1 K
TEMPERATURE
1018GeV
1015GeV
1012GeV
109GeV
106GeV
1 TeV
1 GeV
1 MeV
1 KeV
1 eV
1 meV
ENERGY (in the Center of Mass)
10-42 sec
10-36 sec
10-30 sec
10-24 sec
10-18 sec
10-12 sec
10-6 sec
1 sec
106 sec
1012 sec
1018 sec
TIME
BIG BANG
3. Remember E=mc2? There may exist new, as
yet undiscovered, very massive particles. The way to create them in a collision and
measure their properties is to have enough energy to convert to mass.
Examples of two massive particles discovered at Fermilab.
The b-quark Energy equivalent of its mass = 4 GeV. To
create a pair of b-quarks (b, anti-b) requires 8 GeV of Energy. When an 800 GeV beam
is extracted from the Tevatron and hits a proton in a target there is nearly 39 GeV
available in the collision. So b quarks were created and detected.
The t-quark Energy equivalent of
its mass = 174 GeV. To create a pair of t-quarks requires 348 GeV of energy.
In order to have enough energy in the collision it was required to make head-on collisions
between protons and anti-protons traveling in opposite directions. With each beam at
900 GeV, there was 1800 GeV available and top quarks could be created, discovered, and
their properties measured.
