Mysterious Antimatter Particles Seen Falling Down For The First Time

For the first time, scientists have observed antimatter particles -- the mysterious twins of the visible matter all around us -- falling downwards due to the effect of gravity, Europe's physics lab CERN announced on Wednesday.

The experiment was hailed as a "huge milestone", though most physicists anticipated the result, and it had been predicted by Einstein's 1915 theory of relativity.

It definitively rules out that gravity repels antimatter upwards -- a finding that would have upended our fundamental understanding of the universe.

Around 13.8 billion years ago, the Big Bang is believed to have produced an equal amount of matter -- what everything you can see is made out of -- and antimatter, its equal yet opposite counterpart.

However, there is virtually no antimatter in the universe, which prompted one of the greatest mysteries of physics: what happened to all the antimatter?

"Half the universe is missing," said Jeffrey Hangst, a member of CERN's ALPHA collaboration in Geneva which conducted the new experiment. 

"In principle, we could build a universe -- everything that we know about -- with only antimatter, and it would work in exactly the same way," he told AFP.

Physicists believe that matter and antimatter did meet and almost entirely destroyed each other after the Big Bang. 

Yet matter now makes up nearly five percent of the universe -- the rest is even less understood dark matter and dark energy -- while antimatter vanished.

Newton's apple flying up?

One of the key outstanding questions about antimatter was whether gravity caused it to fall in the same way as normal matter. 

While most physicists believed that it did, a few had speculated otherwise.

A falling apple famously inspired Isaac Newton's work on gravity -- but if that apple was made of antimatter, would it have shot up into the sky?

And if gravity did in fact repel antimatter, it could have meant that impossibilities such as a perpetual motion machine were possible.

"So why not drop some and see what happens?" Hangst said.

He compared the experiment to Galileo's famous -- though likely apocryphal -- 16th-century demonstration that two balls of different mass dropped from the Leaning Tower of Pisa would fall at the same rate.

But this experiment -- the result of 30 years of work on antimatter at CERN -- was "a little bit more involved" than Galileo's, Hangst said.

One problem was that antimatter barely exists outside of rare, short-lived particles in outer space. 

However, in 1996, CERN scientists produced the first atoms of antimatter -- antihydrogen.

Another challenge was that, because matter and antimatter have an opposite electrical charge, the moment they meet they destroy each other in a violent flash of energy scientists call annihilation.

A magnetic trap

To study gravity's effect on antimatter, the ALPHA team constructed a 25-centimetre-long (10-inch) bottle placed on its end, with magnets at the top and bottom. 

Late last year, scientists placed around 100 very cold antihydrogen atoms into this "magnetic trap" called ALPHA-g.

As they turned down the strength of both magnets, the antihydrogen particles -- which were bouncing around at 100 meters a second -- were able to escape out either end of the bottle.

The scientists then simply counted how much antimatter was annihilated at each end of the bottle. 

Around 80 percent of the antihydrogen went out of the bottom, which is a similar rate to how regular bouncing hydrogen atoms would behave if they were in the bottle. 

This result, published in the journal Nature, shows that gravity causes antimatter to fall downwards, as predicted by Einstein's 1915 theory of relativity.

In more than a dozen experiments, the CERN scientists varied the strength of the magnets, observing gravity's effect on antimatter at different rates.

While the experiment rules out that gravity makes antihydrogen go upwards, Hangst emphasised it did not prove that antimatter behaves in exactly the same way as normal matter.

"That's our next task," he said.

Marco Gersabeck, a physicist who works at CERN but was not involved in the ALPHA research, said it was "a huge milestone".

But it marks "only the start of an era" of more precise measurements of gravity's effect on antimatter, he told AFP.

Other attempts to better understand antimatter include using CERN's Large Hadron Collider to investigate strange particles called beauty quarks.

And there is an experiment onboard the International Space Station trying to catch antimatter in cosmic rays.

But for now, exactly why the universe is awash with matter but devoid of antimatter "remains a mystery," said physicist Harry Cliff.

Since both should have annihilated each other completely in the early universe, "the fact that we exist suggests there is something we don't understand" going on, he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Canada Parliament Speaker Quits Amid Row Over Praising Nazi-Linked Veteran

The speaker of Canada's House of Commons lower chamber on Tuesday said he would quit, a few days after he publicly praised a former Nazi soldier in Parliament in an incident that Russia said helped justify its war on Ukraine.

Anthony Rota told legislators he had made a mistake by inviting ex-soldier Yaroslav Hunka, 98, to attend a session in the House honoring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy last Friday. Rota publicly recognised Hunka, calling him a hero.

The speaker's position rapidly became untenable after it emerged that Hunka, who received two standing ovations from lawmakers, had served in one of Adolf Hitler's Waffen SS units during World War Two. Russia called the incident outrageous.

"That public recognition has caused pain to individuals and communities, including the Jewish community in Canada and around the world ... I accept full responsibility for my actions," said Rota, a member of the ruling Liberal party, adding his resignation would take effect on Wednesday. Until then a deputy speaker will be in charge.

The episode played into the narrative promoted by Russian President Vladimir Putin that he sent his army into Ukraine last year to "demilitarise and denazify" the country, a charge Kyiv and Western allies say is baseless.

The furor helped tarnish the visit by Zelenskiy, who thanked Canada for the billions of dollars in aid and weapons it has provided since Russia invaded in February 2022.

Foreign Minister Melanie Joly earlier said Rota should resign while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called on him to ponder his future.

Although opposition parties blamed what they called failings by Trudeau's Liberal government for the affair, Rota said he took sole responsibility for what had happened. Hunka lives in Rota's parliamentary constituency.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"More Arms Smuggled From Within India Than Pak": Punjab Chief Minister

In a shocking statement, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the state sees more weapons being smuggled from other states, like Madhya Pradesh, than it does from across the border- a reference to Pakistan. 

The remark, made at a meeting of the Northern Zonal Council chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday, comes at a time when central agencies have shared extensive details of how terrorists and Khalistani elements have been pushing weapons into the state via drones and other means, with the backing of the Pakistani establishment. 

To counter the threat of drones, the chief minister said that a centre of excellence for drones should be set up in Punjab. He said that, being a border state, drones pose a mammoth challenge for the Punjab Police, as is reflected in the year-on-year increase in their sightings and recoveries. He said that drones are mainly being for espionage and cross-border smuggling of weapons and drugs. 

This led Mr Mann to flag the issue of the smuggling of weapons from within the country. Pointing out that this is posing a "great threat" to law and order in the state, he said that it is unfortunate that the number of weapons smuggled from within the country (especially from states like Madhya Pradesh) is much more than is smuggled from across the border.

Advocating for the setting up of a regional centre of National Security Guards (NSG) in Pathankot at the earliest, the chief minister said that Punjab is always prone to terror attacks from across the border. He said that the NSG hub, which was announced by the Union government, must be set up at the earliest to help safeguard the country's borders. 

The chief minister also underscored the need for revision of the clause of having to pay for paramilitary forces to maintain law and order when needed. He said that this clause of 'paramilitary forces on rent' should be abolished as far as Punjab is concerned, adding that the centre must be magnanimous in allocation as companies.

Mr Mann also spoke on the requirement of a genuine federal structure in the country and said that the need for more financial arid political power to states has been felt across the spectrum of political opinion. 

He said that there is a wide consensus, cutting across party lines, that the state governments need to be given much greater operational freedom in choosing and financing their developmental priorities. "Everybody knows that the state governments are in a much better position to understand, address and solve the problems of their people, at the cutting edge" the chief minister said.

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Disease X: What Do We Know? Not Much, And That Is The Problem

A UK health expert's warning that a new pathogen could cause a pandemic as deadly as the Spanish Flu - which killed 50 million people - has sent alarm bells ringing in a world that is yet to completely emerge from what it hoped was a once-in-a-lifetime event -- Covid-19

Esteemed Company

Disease X is on the list of "priority diseases" on the WHO website, a roll call that also includes the Ebola virus disease, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Nipah and Zika. These are all diseases that have a high fatality rate. The list was first published in 2017. 

What Is Disease X 

According to the WHO website, Disease X "represents the knowledge that a serious international epidemic could be caused by a pathogen currently unknown to cause human disease". The pathogen could be a virus, a bacterium or a fungus. 

In essence then, it serves as a warning that the next pandemic could be lurking around the corner and it is very difficult to predict what could cause it. It also helps direct research and investment towards emerging diseases and is meant to aid in the quick development of vaccines.

"Targeting priority pathogens and virus families for research and development of countermeasures is essential for a fast and effective epidemic and pandemic response. Without significant R&D investments prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, it would not have been possible to have safe and effective vaccines developed in record time," a release quoted Dr Michael Ryan, Executive Director of WHO's Health Emergencies Programme, as saying.

What The Expert Said

In an interview to the Daily Mail, Kate Bingham, who served as the chair of the UK's Vaccine Taskforce from May to December 2020, said the new virus could have a similar impact to the devastating Spanish Flu of 1919-1920.

 "Let me put it this way: the 1918-19 flu pandemic killed at least 50 million people worldwide, twice as many as were killed in World War I. Today, we could expect a similar death toll from one of the many viruses that already exist," she said. 

"In a sense, we got lucky with Covid-19, despite the fact that it caused 20 million or more deaths across the world. The point is that the vast majority of people infected with the virus managed to recover... Imagine Disease X is as infectious as measles with the fatality rate of Ebola. Somewhere in the world, it's replicating, and sooner or later, somebody will start feeling sick," Ms Bingham told the Daily Mail.

Strategy

The WHO's R&D Blueprint is a global strategy and preparedness plan that allows the rapid activation of research and development activities during epidemics. It is meant to to fast-track the availability of effective tests, vaccines and medicines that can be used to save lives and avert large-scale crises, according to the WHO website.

For each disease an R&D roadmap is created, followed by target product profiles. The roadmap is then used to guide the response to outbreaks in both urgent action and in developing ways to improve the global response for future epidemics.

Pandemics Increasing?

While the origins of Covid-19 aren't 100% clear, it is believed to be a zoonotic disease which first infected a human in Wuhan, China, through a bat or some other animal. 

As per the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) in the United States, the potential for diseases to spread and escalate into epidemics or pandemics is increasing. The reasons cited for this include globalisation and the increased flow of humans and goods to all parts of the world.

The other reasons include urbanisation and the fact that, in many parts of the world, people are clustered together and living in overcrowded and unhygienic environments in which infectious diseases can thrive. The destruction of forests is also seen as a big danger.

The NCBI cites climate change, increased human-animal contact, and a shortage of health workers as the other reasons. The last of these is important because trained health workers can help identify and contain diseases before they spread, but they are usually lacking in places where such epidemics originate.

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Chandrababu Nadu, With Z Plus Cover, Seeks Refuge From Mosquitoes In Jail

N Chandrababu Naidu has Z plus security in prison but it's no match against the mosquitoes.

In a tweet, on Thursday, Nara Lokesh, Chandrababu Naidu's son, expressed suspicion that Chief Minister Jagan Reddy had imprisoned his father with the intent of killing him.

A few days ago, a prisoner in the Rajahmundry Central Jail in Andhra Pradesh, where Mr Naidu is also lodged in connection with a corruption case, died due to dengue, Nara Lokesh pointed out, raising concern over his father's health.

Mr Lokesh also alleged that the prison authorities have ignored Chandrababu Naidu's complaints about mosquito bites in the jail.

Similarly, the TDP Andhra Pradesh President, Kinjarapu Atchannaidu, today, expressed concern about a severe mosquito infestation in the prison. He emphasized that these concerns have intensified following the death of a prisoner due to dengue.

Atchannaidu revealed that the prison authorities have not complied with court orders to provide necessary amenities to the former Chief Minster.

Earlier, former Finance Minister during the TDP term, Yanamala Rama Krishnudu, disclosed the same mosquito problem to the media.

After visiting N Chandrababu Naidu on September 18 in Central Prison, Rama Krishnudu reported excessive mosquitoes in Chandrababu Naidu's prison room. When they inquired about this, the officials claimed to have provided a mosquito net, bed, and other items.

Rama Krishnudu stated that it is evident there are inadequate facilities in the former Chief Minister's room.

Despite numerous complaints from TDP leaders, the prison authorities have not addressed the issues, causing Chandrababu Naidu difficulties during his confinement, the party claims.

While people across the state are concerned about the former Chief Minister's safety, there have been no attempts from the officials to address these concerns, the party added.

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"Kidnapped, Murdered. What Wrong Did They Do": Parents Of Manipur Teens

The parents of a 17-year-old student killed by armed miscreants in ethnic violence-hit Manipur had been putting a plate of breakfast every morning at his table for over two months, hoping he would return home. They will stop serving food at his table now, the devastated parents told NDTV at their home in the state capital Imphal.

The teen, along with a girl of the same age, had gone missing on July 6. Photos of their bodies slumped on the ground in what appears to be an armed group's camp surfaced on social media yesterday, following which the Manipur government in a statement assured swift action.

"Has my son or the girl, someone's daughter, done anything wrong? Did they harm anyone? They were only commuting when they were kidnapped and brutally murdered later," Phijam Ibungobi, the father of the 17-year-old student, told NDTV, holding a framed photograph of his son.

The photos that surfaced on social media show the two students sitting at the grassy compound of what appears to be a makeshift jungle camp of an armed group. The girl is in a white t-shirt while her friend, holding a backpack and in a checked shirt, looks on. Behind them, two men with guns are clearly visible. In the next photo, their bodies are seen slumped on the ground.

This photo of the two murdered teens in Manipur surfaced on social media on Monday.

The 17-year-old girl had left home to attend NEET classes for admission to pre-medical studies on July 6 morning when curfew was eased for some hours. She was picked up by her friend in a motorcycle. Assuming the situation had improved, both took the main road connecting Churachandpur and Bishnupur districts. The areas between these two districts saw fierce gunfights and killings in May and June.

Their parents filed complaints with two police stations after they did not return home.

The police said CCTV footage of shops along the road they took shows the teens going towards Nambol, 16 km from Imphal. It gets murkier from here as the phones of the two teens were switched off at places that were 18 km apart, police sources said.

"The cybercrime police reported her phone was last switched off at Kwakta and her friend's phone was switched off at Lamdan," the girl's father Hijam Kullajit told NDTV. Large portraits of his daughter are placed on a table behind him.

Kwakta is in Bishnupur district, which is a part of the valley, while Lamdan is in Churachandpur, which comes under hill areas.

"As she didn't return, I called her and she picked up. She seemed frightened and said she was in Nambol. I asked why she was at Nambol and also asked her to tell her location, so her father can pick her up. She murmured Khoupum (20 km from Nambol) and her phone got switched off," the girl's mother Jayashree told NDTV on August 2.

"I want justice. I want the killers to be caught and punished. I know how I passed all these days," the girl's father Hijam Kullajit told NDTV, and broke down.

"I want justice. I want the killers to be caught and punished. I know how I passed all these days," the girl's father Hijam Kullajit told NDTV

The case has sparked massive outrage across the country, with many questioning why it took so long for the police to crack the case.

The investigators are likely to use advanced cyber forensics tools to make the images clearer and determine the identities of the two men visible in the background, people with direct knowledge of the matter said, requesting anonymity.

The government said it will take "swift and decisive action" against all those involved in the kidnapping and killing of the students. It appealed to the public to maintain calm and let the investigators do their job. The government had also referred this case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) a few weeks ago.

Protests by students broke out in Imphal today over the murders, following which the state government disabled mobile internet till October 1.

The hills of Manipur house several camps of some 25 Kuki insurgent groups that have signed the tripartite suspension of operations (SoO) agreement with the centre, state and the military. The Kukis have alleged valley-based militias of attacking them, while the Meiteis have accused the Kuki insurgents of violating the SoO agreement by openly fighting with sophisticated weapons.

Ethnic violence between the hill-majority Kuki tribes and the valley-majority Meiteis began on May 3, following a protest by the Kukis over the Meiteis' demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status. Over 180 have died and thousands have been internally displaced.

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"Don't See Him...": Ex-Australia Star's Massive Statement On R Ashwin

Former Australian batter Aaron Finch thinks that Ravichandran Ashwin will not be able to make it to India's final squad for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.  Speaking to Star Sports, Aaron Finch said that Ashwin has been included in the side in the ongoing ODI three-match series against Australia to guide the players as a mentor. "I think that depends on how they think the surfaces are going to play throughout the country, and by that time, I think the skill in picking a squad for the World Cup is you have to think of the back end. But you can't think too much about it because you have to get there.

I think he might struggle to make it to the final 15, but as somebody who has played so much cricket, I think the rest of the group that is with the Indian team for this current series against Australia, they could learn so much about big game play. Because Ashwin is somebody that stands up in big games, whether it's a test match or a T20 game, he has done it all throughout his career. So I wouldn't be surprised if he's there at the moment as a mentor around the group, but I don't see him making that last 15, unfortunately," he added. 

Aaron Finch also spoke on who the key bowlers will be at the World Cup, he said, "Well, the reason I retired - Bhuvi. He's the one that I always tried to avoid, but neither of us are playing now, so that's I think new ball bowlers who can swing, are a danger to everyone. I think Trent Bolt, Mitchell Starc, and Rabada, these guys, especially Siraj, he's as good as anyone in the world at the moment.”

South Africa's star batter Faf du Plessis also spoke on which bowlers will be key at the World Cup where he also agreed with Finch's selection. 

“Yeah, I'm similar to Finch. I think it depends on the wickets. You know, if the wicket has got something in it, someone like Siraj who just nibbles the ball a little bit both ways, and he's trying the off stump the whole time. Boult, those kinds of guys are going to be extremely successful. Rabada, all those guys, but if there is a little bit of spin, you know, someone like Kuldeep has bowled really well in the last six months. When he gets his tail up and he gets one wicket, you know, the next batter's coming in, he's quite tricky to face his first few balls because he spins the ball both ways,” Plessis said  

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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