Fermilab: Where Physicists Unravel Mysteries of the Universe

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A Gateway to Scientific Discovery

It is the dawn of a new era in particle physics. Physicists have incorporated decades of observations and results into the Standard Model, a framework for our current understanding of matter. Even as they continue to refine it, they are aware that it leaves fundamental questions unanswered. To probe the frontier beyond the Standard Model, particle physicists turn to instruments that break the old barriers of energy, precision and intensity to explore new frontiers in particle physics.

Physicists look for new science by looking for the unexpected. They publish results explaining claims with evidence from Fermilab data so that others can put those results to the test. New understandings lead to new fundamental questions and a new world of discovery.

What is dark matter? What happened to antimatter? What are the neutrinos telling us?

While scientific breakthroughs may seem to occur in eureka moments, in fact, years of research are behind the discovery of the top quark mass, the construction of the Fermilab accelerator complex, or the development of superconducting magnets.

The resources in this project map provide background information for the next discoveries. Follow along as physicists unravel mysteries of particle physics.

The Standard Model is the current framework for our understanding of matter.

Activities Additional Resources

The Standard Model explains much but leaves many unanswered questions.

Activities
  • Higgs Reception - Classroom simulation of the Higgs cartoon
  • Run II Website - Run II data analysis of W and Z as precursor to the search for Higgs
Additional Resources

Physicists build new instruments to address some of these unanswered questions.

Accelerator Activities Detector Activities Additional Resources

Particle physics research relies on indirect evidence to support claims.

Scientists check for statistical uncertainties and systematic uncertainties, whether other experiments are able to verify new discoveries.

Activities

Additional Resources

Follow along as physicists report new results.

News Research Seminars - Streaming Video Background Information Nine Questions