In Our Time The Proton
Apr 26, 2018
Join Frank Close, a Professor Emeritus of Physics at Oxford, Simon Jolly from UCL, and Helen Heath from the University of Bristol as they delve into the fascinating world of protons. Discover how protons, formed from three quarks, play a vital role in the universe by creating atoms and supporting life. The trio discusses proton therapy's potential in cancer treatment and the enigmatic balance of electrical charges in nature. They also explore the intriguing mysteries of antimatter and the philosophical questions posed by quantum mechanics.
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Proton Therapy Advantages
- Proton therapy targets tumors precisely by exploiting protons' Bragg peak energy deposition.
- Protons deposit most energy at the end of their path, sparing healthy tissue beyond tumors.
Why Accelerate Protons in Colliders
- Protons are easier to accelerate to high energies than electrons due to their larger mass reducing energy loss.
- Proton collisions inside accelerators enable collisions at varying energies by smashing their internal quarks.
Matter-Antimatter Imbalance Puzzle
- After the Big Bang, equal amounts of matter and antimatter (protons and antiprotons) existed.
- Today, matter dominates mysteriously as antimatter largely vanished, a major unsolved physics question.