What we do at Nevis
Nevis Labs is a physics research facility operated by Columbia University's Physics Department. We have projects that research topics in particle physics, astrophysics, and biophysics. Here's some of our current research:
- Using the world's most powerful particle accelerator to understand the origin of mass of particles in the universe.
- Working with neutrinos, a particle that barely interacts with matter, as a stepping stone to understanding the origins of matter in the universe.
- Looking at high-energy cosmic rays in the atmosphere to learn about the most powerful particle accelerators in the universe, such as black holes.
- Colliding one atomic nucleus with another to create a state of matter not seen since the beginning of the universe.
- Searching for dark matter, the as-yet-unseen "stuff" that comprises 85% of the matter in the universe.
- Recreating the first chemical reactions in the universe, which permitted the formation of stars and the basic components of organic matter.
- Measuring the polarization of light from the cosmic microwave background, to search for gravity waves left over from the birth of the universe.
- Understanding the effects of precisely controlled amounts of radiation on individual cells, with the goal of improving the health and safety of human beings, the only known intelligent life in the universe. (We had to stick "in the universe" in there somehow!)
For more details, since the Nevis particle physics page, and the astrophysics and RARAF web sites.
