Jump to content

Curious about how you've seen research work out


random_soldier1337

Recommended Posts

Something I've seen in nuclear materials research is that all of them are basically, I have a material, I am going to shoot energetic particles at it, I am going to record the numbers, take some before and after pictures and talk about what I saw. It does make sense that you would research like this considering most materials in nuclear environments do suffer bombardment from energetic nuclei and subatomic particles. The consistency in the formula of this research process, however, is something I did not expect. Is this how it works for every field when you get into something very specific and become an expert on it like in a PhD? For example, would experimental study of ionization in plasmas in space have you always looking at spectroscopic data from one cosmic body or another and accounting for what there is from your spectroscopic data and what all forces may have acted in that region and to what extent to give you what you have got?

Now that I put all my thoughts down, the answer seems like yes mostly. So I guess I'm probably looking for confirmation, unless there is something I didn't take note of.

Edited by random_soldier1337
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, random_soldier1337 said:

Now that I put all my thoughts down, the answer seems like yes mostly.

Are you implying that the contents of all your thoughts are this seven liner? Please tell me that's not true.

As someone self-declared to belong to the military, do the words "slow neutrons" ring a bell to you?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, joigus said:

Are you implying that the contents of all your thoughts are this seven liner? Please tell me that's not true.

As someone self-declared to belong to the military, do the words "slow neutrons" ring a bell to you?

I don't really see where you are trying to go with all this. What's you point?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My earlier post probably didn't get across what I was trying to say. What I am basically asking is, are most specialized areas of science at the research level focused on one very specific detail? Is that why the focus is on the same task with minor modifications so that you can figure out how the object reacts/phenomena occurs in all possible situations? And given that there are so many variables we know of nowadays is this why you can find a lot more literature, more than a textbooks worth, on one very particular object/phenomena?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, random_soldier1337 said:

Something I've seen in nuclear materials research is that all of them are basically, I have a material, I am going to shoot energetic particles at it, I am going to record the numbers, take some before and after pictures and talk about what I saw. It does make sense that you would research like this considering most materials in nuclear environments do suffer bombardment from energetic nuclei and subatomic particles. The consistency in the formula of this research process, however, is something I did not expect. Is this how it works for every field when you get into something very specific and become an expert on it like in a PhD? (...)

Now that I put all my thoughts down, the answer seems like yes mostly. So I guess I'm probably looking for confirmation, unless there is something I didn't take note of.

Wilson even received Nobel Prize in physics for invention of Cloud Chamber.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_chamber

Particles with low kinetic energy leave short traces. The more kinetic energy has particle the longer trace.

If we place inside external source of electric and/or magnetic fields e.g. magnet/electromagnet traces are bend accordingly to charge of particle.

Positively charged particle behaves symmetrically to negatively charged particle. Neutral particle does not change its path due to external electric field influence.

If particle is unstable after making a few circles, decays to new set of particles which leave, or not (neutrinos/antineutrinos), another traces.

Cloud Chambers later evolved to Bubble Chambers, and Spark Chambers and others.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/19/2020 at 8:45 PM, random_soldier1337 said:

Wait, I'm not sure I follow. Do you mean to say bubble and spark chambers came about as a result of understanding the physics behind particle detection and then varying one aspect or another to improve upon detection chambers?

He means low-energy experiments have been used to study the properties of elementary particles from the very beginning of the subject.

Meanwhile, in Saint Petersburg...

Attempts to study deviations from the standard model with simple spectrometers

https://www.natureindex.com/institution-outputs/russia/peter-the-great-st-petersburg-polytechnic-university-spbpu/5139070b34d6b65e6a001c3a?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nindx-Sep20RH&utm_content=SPU&fbclid=IwAR0vPuvAw1jImwSoe-Hk07f5e6xyCe9qDK_xQLm-pmizjpq6nOKk14uMXLU#highlight

Just in case it is significant.

High-energy experiments are important, and they probably will always be. But they're not the only game in town.

Edit: The reason why high-energy experiments are so important in studying small things lies in Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. Probing small distances generally requires using very high energies.

Edited by joigus
Addition
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.