Does proton decay exist and how do we look for it? That’s what a recently submitted study hopes to address as an international team of researchers investigates a concept of using samples from the Moon to look for evidence of proton decay, which remains a hypothetical type of particle decay that has yet to be discovered. has been observed and continues to elude particle physicists. This study has the potential to help solve one of the long-standing mysteries in all of physics, as it may enable new studies of deep levels and the laws of nature, in general.
here, The universe today discusses this research with Dr. Patrick Stengel, who is a postdoctoral fellow in the Cosmology Group at the INFN Ferrara Division, about the motivation behind the study, the significant results, the importance of proton decay research, the implications for confirming the existence of proton decay and turning it into reality their concept. So what is the motivation behind the study?
Dr. Stengel tells The universe today this research started around 2018 with the lead author, Dr. Sebastian Baum, and other scientists about the use of paleo-detectors, which is a proposed method to examine particles spanning vast periods of geological time frames. This led to discussions with the co-author of the study, Dr. Joshua Spitz—who became interested in paleodetectors after several papers examined their potential to search for dark matter—and one of Dr. used to detect the existence of proton decay. However, the team published a study discussing how finding proton decay on Earth was not possible due to atmospheric neutrinos.
“About a year after completing the atmospheric neutrinos paper, Spitz suggested we look at mineral samples from the Moon,” says Dr. Stengel. The universe today. “Because of the lack of an atmosphere, the neutrino flux caused by cosmic rays on the Moon is very suppressed compared to Earth. The corresponding suppression of cosmic ray-induced neutrino interactions in paleo-detectors allows a search for proton decay to be at least in principle feasible.
For the study, the researchers proposed a hypothetical concept using paleo-detectors that would involve collecting mineral samples from more than 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) below the lunar surface and analyzing them for the presence of proton decay, either on the Moon itself or back to Earth. The researchers note that these lunar paleodetector samples can yield proton lifetimes of up to 1034 years. For context, the age of the universe is approximately 13.7 x 109 years. So what are the most significant results from this study?
Dr. Stengel tells The universe today“For a lunar mineral sample that is both sufficiently radiopure to attenuate radiogenic backgrounds and buried deep enough to be shielded from other cosmic ray backgrounds, we show that the sensitivity of paleo-detectors to proton decay could in principle be competitive with next generation conventional proton decay experiments.”
As mentioned, proton decay remains a hypothetical type of particle decay and was first proposed in 1967 by Soviet physicist and Nobel laureate Dr. Andrei Sakharov. As its name implies, proton decay is hypothesized to occur when protons decay into particles smaller than an atom, also called subatomic particles. As noted by this latest study and various previous studies, proton decay has not yet been detected or observed. However, it is hypothesized to have the potential to better understand our universe and the origin of life with quantum tunneling being proposed as a proton decay process. Therefore, what is the significance of the research on proton decay and what implications might its existence have for science, and especially the field of particle physics, in general?
Dr. Stengel tells The universe today, “Proton decay is a general prediction of particle physics theories beyond the Standard Model (SM). In particular, proton decay may be one of the only low-energy predictions of so-called Grand Unified Theories (GUTs), which attempt to combine all the forces mediating SM interactions into one force at very high energies . Physicists have been designing and building experiments to look for proton decay for more than 50 years.
Dr. Stengel continues, “The detection of proton decay, whether in a mineral detector or a more conventional experiment, would have incredible implications for science in general and particle physics in particular. Such a discovery would be the first confirmation of particle physics beyond the SM. Depending on how well the proton decay signal can be characterized, we may learn something about the underlying theory of nature.
As mentioned, the hypothetical concept proposed by this study using faint detectors to detect proton decay on the Moon would require collecting samples at least 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) below the lunar surface. For context, the deepest humans have ever collected samples from below the lunar surface was just under 300 centimeters (118 inches) with the drill core samples taken by the Apollo 17 astronauts.
On Earth, the deepest man-made borehole is the Kola Superdeep well in northern Russia and is approximately 12.3 kilometers (7.6 miles) in true vertical depth, along with the need to drill several holes and several years to reach. . While the study notes that the proposed concept of using paleo-detectors on the Moon is “clearly futuristic,” what steps are required to turn this concept from futuristic to realistic?
Dr. Stengel tells The universe today, “Because we are careful not to stray too far from our respective areas of expertise regarding particle physics, we chose not to speculate at all about the actual logistics of conducting such an experiment on the Moon. However, we also felt that this concept was timely as various scientific agencies in various countries are considering a return to the Moon and are planning an extensive program of experiments.
Dr. Stengel continues, “As you mention, the mineral samples would have to be extracted from at least about 5 km deep in the lunar crust. Thus, it would have to be a drilling rig delivered and operational on the Moon capable of reaching such depths. While this logistical challenge seems daunting, we emphasize that e.g. NASA envisions payloads large enough to eventually be sent to the Moon as part of the Artemis program.
As noted, this study comes as NASA’s Artemis program plans to return astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time in more than 50 years, with the goal of landing the first woman and first black person on the lunar surface as well. Furthermore, as scientific interest in paleo-detectors continues to grow, the concept proposed in this study may prove to be scientifically useful not only for detecting proton decay, but also for better understanding our place in the universe. Finally, it turns out that only a small sample would be necessary to make this proposed concept valid.
Dr. Stengel tells The universe today, “Due to the exposure of paleo-detectors to proton decay over billion-year time scales, only one kilogram of target material is needed to be competitive with conventional experiments. In combination with scientific motivation and the recent push to return humans to the Moon for scientific endeavors, we think that paleo-detectors may represent the final frontier in proton decay research.
How will paleo-detectors help scientists potentially detect proton decay in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and that’s why we go!
As always, keep doing science and keep looking!
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