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Quark

Quarks are one of the two basic constituents of matter in the Standard Model of particle physics. (The others are leptons.) Antiparticles of quarks are called antiquarks. Quarks and antiquarks are the only fundamental particles that interact through all four of the fundamental forces. An important property of quarks is called confinement, which states that individual quarks are not seen because they are always confined inside subatomic particles called hadrons (e.g., protons and neutrons); an exception is the top quark, which decays so quickly that it does not hadronize, and can therefore be observed more directly via its decay products. Confinement began as an experimental observation, and is expected to follow from the modern theory of strong interactions, called quantum chromodynamics.

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Matter & Energy News

October 28, 2025

A UCLA-led team has achieved the sharpest-ever view of a distant star’s disk using a groundbreaking photonic lantern device on a single telescope—no multi-telescope array required. This technology splits incoming starlight into multiple ...
Researchers propose that hydrogen gas from the early Universe emitted detectable radio waves influenced by dark matter. Studying these signals, especially from the Moon’s radio-quiet environment, could reveal how dark matter clumped together ...
A team of researchers has designed a theoretical model for a topological quantum battery capable of long-distance energy transfer and immunity to dissipation. By exploiting topological properties in photonic waveguides, they showed that energy loss ...
Scientists have developed a chromium-molybdenum-silicon alloy that withstands extreme heat while remaining ductile and oxidation-resistant. It could replace nickel-based superalloys, which are limited to about 1,100°C. The new material might make ...
Researchers have found that 2D materials can self-form microscopic cavities that trap light and electrons, altering their quantum behavior. With a miniaturized terahertz spectroscope, the team observed standing light-matter waves without needing ...
A new light-driven cancer therapy uses LEDs and tin nanoflakes to kill tumors safely and affordably. Developed by teams in Texas and Portugal, it eliminates up to 92% of skin cancer cells without ...
Researchers from NTNU and EPFL have unveiled a compact, low-cost laser that outperforms current models in speed, control, and precision. Built using microchip technology, it can be mass-produced for use in everything from Lidar navigation to gas ...
A collaboration between the University of Michigan and AFRL has resulted in 3D-printed metamaterials that can block vibrations using complex geometries. Inspired by nature and theoretical physics, these “kagome tubes” demonstrate how geometry ...
Researchers discovered how to stabilize a high-performance sodium compound, giving sodium-based solid-state batteries the power and stability they’ve long lacked. The new material conducts ions far ...
A team of engineers at North Carolina State University has designed a polymer “Chinese lantern” that can rapidly snap into multiple stable 3D shapes—including a lantern, a spinning top, and more—by compression or twisting. By adding a ...
Scientists have developed an ultra-thin, paper-like LED that emits a warm, sunlike glow, promising to revolutionize how we light up our homes, devices, and workplaces. By engineering a balance of red, yellow-green, and blue quantum dots, the ...
Scientists at EPFL have reimagined 3D printing by turning simple hydrogels into tough metals and ceramics. Their process allows multiple infusions of metal salts that form dense, high-strength structures without the porosity of earlier methods. ...

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