Why is the universe made up of matter and not anti-matter? The answer to this most fundamental of questions is not yet understood: at the time of the Big Bang, matter and antimatter should have been made in equal quantities, with mutual annihilation ensuring that nothing was left behind but energy in the form of light, radio waves, X-rays and so on. A small and subtle asymmetry in the laws of physics, however, led to the matter-dominated Universe that we know today. That same asymmetry should lead to a tiny distortion in the shape of a subatomic particle called the neutron. By studying the neutron, therefore, and probing deep into the heart of its structure with unprecedented accuracy, we are able to constrain and to shape our foremost theories of physics beyond the current Standard Model, thereby advancing our knowledge of the very origin of matter. Explore these pages to find out more about this most unusual of experiments: how it works, what it's measuring, who we are and -- most importantly, if you're interested in following a career in fundamental physics -- how you can join us...
Latest result: |d| < 3.0 E-26 e.cm. Read the press release |
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