'Gravity’s hidden flaw': This experiment may find the extra dimension shaping our universe

Produced by: Manoj Kumar

Ghost Particles

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), set to go live in 2028, will study elusive neutrinos and antineutrinos, shedding light on why matter dominated antimatter in the early universe.

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Neutrino Evolution

DUNE will track the transformation of muon neutrinos into electron and tau neutrinos during their 800-mile journey from Illinois to a detector buried 1.5 kilometers underground in South Dakota.

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Extra Dimensions

Large Extra Dimensions (LEDs) may explain why gravity is weaker than other forces. DUNE’s sensitivity could detect their effects through altered neutrino oscillations, according to a study published in the Journal of High Energy Physics.

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Tiny Scales

LEDs, if they exist, are theorized to be around one millionth of a meter—vastly larger than subatomic femtometers—and could offer answers to unsolved mysteries in the Standard Model of particle physics.

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Big Goals

DUNE’s mission could help decode the first moments after the Big Bang by understanding neutrino behavior, which might reveal why the universe favored matter over antimatter.

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Subterranean Science

Built at Fermilab in Illinois, DUNE will join other underground experiments like LIGO and the Large Hadron Collider, leveraging Earth’s depths to minimize interference from cosmic rays.

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Simulated Sensitivity

Using computer simulations, researchers led by Mehedi Masud at Chung-Ang University found that DUNE could confirm the existence of LEDs by detecting minute alterations in neutrino behavior.

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Gravity’s Puzzle

LEDs could provide insights into why gravity is vastly weaker than electromagnetic, strong nuclear, and weak nuclear forces—a key question in theoretical physics.

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Future Discoveries

DUNE isn’t just about solving existing questions. Once operational, it could uncover entirely new mysteries, transforming the way we understand the universe’s dimensions and forces.

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