SLAC topics

Particle physics RSS feed

Working at the forefront of particle physics, SLAC scientists use powerful particle accelerators to create and study nature’s fundamental building blocks and forces, build sensitive detectors to search for new particles and develop theories that explain and guide experiments. SLAC's particle physicists want to understand our universe – from its smallest constituents to its largest structures.

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Physics of the universe
Elementary particle physics

Particles collide in this illustration

News Feature

The approach could advance our understanding of fundamental forces under extreme conditions with applications from astrophysics to fusion research.

QED extreme
News Feature

Monika Schleier-Smith and Kent Irwin explain how their projects in quantum information science could help us better understand black holes and dark matter.

QIS-Schleier-Smith-Irwin
News Feature
VIA Symmetry Magazine

All hands on deck

Some theorists have taken to designing their own experiments to broaden the search for dark matter.

News Feature

Physicists often find thrifty, ingenious ways to reuse equipment and resources.

Move of ICARUS detector from Morris, IL to Fermilab site
Press Release

SLAC scientists find a new way to explain how a black hole’s plasma jets boost particles to the highest energies observed in the universe...

Cosmic particle accelerators
News Feature
VIA Symmetry Magazine

LHC ends second season of data-taking

During the last four years, LHC scientists have filled in gaps in our knowledge and tested the boundaries of the Standard Model.

Photo LHC Second Season
News Feature

An advisory committee is evaluating proposals for first experiments at SLAC’s future FACET-II accelerator facility.

FACET-II First Electrons
News Feature

Our best model of particle physics explains only about 5 percent of the universe.

News Feature

Astrophysicists use a catalog of extended gamma-ray sources spotted by Fermi spacecraft to home in on mysterious properties of deep space.

Fermi extended sources
News Feature
VIA Symmetry Magazine

The 3-ton ruler

A specialized measuring machine at SLAC is helping scientists build precise detectors for the ATLAS experiment.

Measuring machine
News Feature

In a first, researchers measure extremely small and fast changes that occur in plasma when it’s zapped with a laser. Their technique will have...

LCLS Plasma Expansion
News Feature
VIA Symmetry Magazine

Dark matter vibes

New technology could help future SuperCDMS SNOLAB experiment expand the search for light dark matter particles

SuperCDMS Prototype Crystal