Physicists confirm existence of "demon" particle
A “demon” particle that has been haunting physicists for nearly 70 years has been found in an experiment by American researchers.
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A “demon” particle that has been haunting physicists for nearly 70 years has been found in an experiment by American researchers.
It is a transparent, massless, and neutral particle, with the capacity to manifest regardless of temperature, making it useful for superconductors.
In 1956, theoretical physicist David Pines predicted that electrons in a solid can do something strange. While they normally have a mass and an electric charge, Pines asserted that they can combine to form a composite particle that is massless, neutral, and does not interact with light. He called this particle a “demon.” Since then, it has been speculated to play an important role in the behaviors of a wide variety of metals. Unfortunately, the same properties that make it interesting have allowed it to elude detection since its prediction.
Demon particles were predicted to be massless, allowing them to conduct electricity at any temperature - and the elusive particles have been identified in a certain metal.
While studying a material that could help unlock the secrets of superconductors, scientists have accidentally discovered a “demon” particle that was first theorized almost 70 years ago, but had never been experimentally confirmed.