
Susana Crowther (Great Torrington)- ‘Fundamental Particles’, Inkjet print on paper or card
“The world seen through the imagination of a particle physicist is rich and complex. Cosmic rays, containing quarks, leptons and gauge bosons, are raining down and antineutrinos are emerging from the ground. All is attracted to the earth by gravitational interactions, mediated by gravitons.”
You can see more of Susana’s work here!
There’s a nice summary about particle physics and cosmic rays by the University of Rochester. Although the graviton is a useful concept in particle physics, it is still a theoretical particle, we don’t yet have the ability to detect it (if it exists to be detected!). It’s also interesting to note that quarks are always bound together in particles categorised as hadrons (of which protons and neutrons are the most familiar). The gauge bosons that are long-lived and easily detectable, such as in cosmic rays, are the all-familiar photons (of light). Particle physics is indeed a rich and complex subject!