Unsolved
Physics
Problems
Chakrit Pongkitivanichkul
Khon Kaen University
โครงการอบรมฟิสิกส์อนุภาคพื้ นฐาน
25 มีนาคม 2564
UNKNOWN
KNOWN
UNKNOWN to humankind
KNOWN
to some of us
KNOWN
UNKNOWN to humankind
KNOWN
to some of us
KNOWN
W
ha
td
oe
sb
ei
ng
“s
olve
d”
m
ea
n?
Greek Philosophers
An early attempt to understand nature
Objects rise and fall to their natural places
Natural motion vs Forced motion
Objects in a void (vacuum) move
in the natural direction
Objects in unnatural motion
will return to their natural
courses when the force is
removed
Philosophy vs Science
There were so many thinkers in the past whose came
very close to our current understanding
Deduction from logic and observation sounds
reasonable
But this is not good enough for science!!!
The birth of modern scientific theory
What made Newton’s idea different
was the invention of calculus!
Theoretical questions can be
answered by measurement
Experiments and measurement leads
to informative evidence → confirm
theory and give predictions
Scientific theory is universal and
testable
Scientific theory
Theory with no way to test it → ❌ not a scientific theory
Theory from logic and observations but no quantitative
measurement and prediction → ❌ better but still not a scientific
theory
Theory with solid mathematical model which gives prediction that
can be tested by experiments and measurements → ✅ Scientific
theory
A solid mathematical model which gives prediction that can be
tested by experiments and measurements but no good
interpretation → ✅ Still scientific theory
Solved vs Unsolved
If the scientific theory gives predictions that agree with all
measurements at the moment → solved problem
New evidence that does not agree with known scientific theory →
unsolved problem
We cannot prove scientific theory right
We can only prove scientific theory wrong
Le
t’s
go
to
th
ef
ro
nt
ie
r
Nature at a small scale
Light is a wave → interference, diffraction, reflection
Nature at a small scale
Light can also be particle sometimes Light comes in “quanta” or
photon with energy h𝜈
10
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Black Body
Radiation
Nature at a small scale
Particles can also be wave
Nature at a small scale
Which path does electron take?
Left path?
Right path?
Nature at a small scale
Which path does electron take?
Left path? ❌
Right path? ❌
Nature at a small scale
Which path does electron take?
Left path? ❌
Right path? ❌
No path? ❌
Both paths?
Nature at a small scale
Electron takes both paths (quantum state) → superposition principle
The state collapses when measured → uncertainty principle
The theory is open for interpretation before measurement
As long as the theory gives predictions and testable → scientific theory!!
There is no experiment yet that contradicts with quantum theory
Long distance force
Action at a distance is strange
What exactly communicates between two objects
q q
Electromagnetic Field
We use “field” to describe force
Field = an entity that has value everywhere and can change in time
Is electromagnetic field even real?
Is electromagnetic field even real?
Equations for wave → speed of light
Oscillation of field → light
Yes!! → The electromagnetic field is real
What about gravitational field?
Classical Mechanics is based on the definition of an inertial frame
Free from gravitational force? ❌
Einstein’s happiest thought
Free fall = inertial frame
What about gravitational field?
Free fall = local inertial frame
General Relativity
Inertial frame = flat space → curve space = locally flat space
General Relativity
Spacetime is not a coordinate → It is a field (fabric of the universe)
GR tests
Is this idea testable?
GR tests
Is this idea testable?
What is the universe made of?
Everything is made of atom → electrons, neutrons, protons → quarks
But a particle is not a good concept!!
Energy ⇄ Matter
Einstein’s Theory of Relativity (Special Relativity)
The number of particles is not conserved
High Energy Physics needs a new concept...
Quantum Field Theory
Quantum Field Theory
Energy
Standard Model of Particle Physics
Standard Model Tests
Wait for this afternoon!!!
Le
t’s
go
be
yo
nd
th
ef
ro
nt
ie
r
Dark Matter
Dark Matter
What is dark matter particle?
Where is the dark
matter?
Only gravitational effect
has been observed
No standard model
particle is a good fit
Not yet solved!
Einstein’s biggest blunder
We chose to believe that our
universe is always static
But the gravity is pulling stuff
together
⋀
Einstein introduce the “push” →
Cosmological constant
The universe is expanding → Big Bang
We can measure the speed and distance of galaxies
There is no need for a force (⋀) that pushing out
Universe is accelerating
Cosmological constant coming back!
Where does this come from? Quantum field theory?
Vacuum is not empty
vacuum energy from quantum field =
100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,00
0,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000 ✖ cosmological constant
Not yet solved!
Unification dream?
Different phenomena described by different theories tend to
unified under the same theory
Electromagnetic force (mediated by light)
Unification dream?
Electromagnetic + Weak nuclear interaction
(Quantum Electrodynamics + weak interaction)
Electroweak theory
Grand Unified Theory?
Can electroweak combine with strong nuclear force?
Not yet solved!
Can proton decays?
Neutron is heavier than proton
If a new force exists then proton can decay
Can proton decays?
Experiments put the lifetime
Not yet solved!
Neutrino oscillation
Producing electron neutrino →
changing type as it travels
Electron neutrino is composed
of 3 different neutrinos which
travels with different speed
Neutrino oscillation
Neutrinos have no mass in the standard model
Massive spin ½ particle has 2 components
Standard model has only left-handed neutrinos
New component of neutrino must be there
Not yet solved!
There are many more
Naturalness problem, black hole information paradox, muon g-2
anomaly, lepton flavour anomaly, ...
Our Research Topics:
Theoretical Physics, High Energy Physics, Particle Physics, Cosmology, Hadron Physics
We need more hands -- please don’t hesitate to contact us
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