Scientists recently collided Xenon nuclei, in order to gain new insights into the properties of the Quark-Gluon Plasma (the QGP). The QGP is a special state consisting of the fundamental particles, the quarks, and the particles that bind the quarks together, the gluons. The result was obtained using the ALICE experiment at the superconducting Large Hadron Collider. […]

Astronomers have nearly doubled the known number of 'fast radio bursts'-- powerful flashes of radio waves from deep space. The team's discoveries include the closest and brightest fast radio bursts ever detected and they have proved that fast radio bursts are coming from the other side of the Universe rather than from our own galactic neighborhood. […]

In string theory, a paradigm shift could be imminent. In June, a team of string theorists published a conjecture which sounded revolutionary: String theory is said to be fundamentally incompatible with our current understanding of 'dark energy'. A new study has now found out that this conjecture seems to be incompatible with the existence of the Higgs particle. […]

Since the big bang, fewer galaxy clusters have formed over time than was actually expected. Physicists from the have now confirmed this phenomenon. For the next years the researchers will analyze their data in even greater detail. This will put them in a position to confirm whether the theories considered valid today need to be reworked. […]

If dark matter consists of a plethora of primordial black holes, then their gravitational lensing -- magnifying and brightening distant objects -- should be detectable. Physicists analyzed 740 known supernovas to find the handful that should have been magnified and brightened by black holes, and found none. This puts a strong upper limit, 40, on the percent of dark matter that can consist of black holes, and suggests that none of it is. […]