The NSF grant supports Cal Poly's research travel and experiments, enabling students to join global experts in exploring nuclear decay - specifically, the process of radioactive decay by which unstable atomic nuclei release energy. This research aims to clarify why the universe is dominated by matter and solve mysteries that have eluded scientists for decades.
"If you can find something that breaks the laws of physics, then that's discovery," said Gutierrez. "We're currently looking for a type of nuclear decay that is currently forbidden by the laws of physics. It's not supposed to happen. If it does, it tells you a lot about the way the world works."
The study builds on work under the Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) program, now called CUPID (CUORE Upgrade with Particle Identification). Researchers aim to detect neutrinoless double-beta decay, a hypothetical process that could prove neutrinos are their own antiparticles - an idea critical to understanding the matter-antimatter imbalance in the universe.
Gutierrez explained, "Under the laws of physics, there should have been equal amounts of matter and antimatter, and they should have all annihilated, gone away, and we shouldn't exist. Yet this little sliver of matter that got left over is us. Why do we even exist? Why is that sliver there at all?"
The research involves tellurium dioxide crystals, which may exhibit neutrinoless double-beta decay. A third of the nuclei in these crystals are the right isotope, and detectors monitor their decay by measuring energy released during the process. Success could confirm that neutrinos are indeed their own antiparticles, offering insight into the foundations of matter.
The Gran Sasso lab provides a unique environment for such experiments, shielded from cosmic rays and natural radiation by a kilometer of rock and encased in ancient Roman lead. The facility operates at an extraordinary temperature of 10 milliKelvin (-441.74 F), the coldest of its kind, enabling precise observation of particle behavior.
Cal Poly students, including physics major Reagen Garcia, are integral to the research. Garcia manages remote monitoring shifts and has contributed to detector testing at Yale University's Wright Laboratory, a CUPID collaborator. "The grant will help students take part in these shifts," Garcia said. "It will also help send students to Italy or other universities that are part of the collaboration."
Reflecting on her summer work at Yale, Garcia noted, "It was exciting to be part of such detailed, specific aspects of experimental design. This past summer at Yale was the most exciting and rewarding research experience I have had the opportunity to be part of."
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