Magnetic Shield To Challenge Standard Model Of Physics

A new magnetic shield made from layers of nickel-iron alloy will soon allow scientists to measure particles that go beyond the Standard Model of Physics. Developed by German scientists, the magnetic shield was reported to be 10 times more effective than the previous version, thanks to its low but consistent magnetic field.

"That will let scientists measure particles with such a high level of precision that they could detect previously unknown physics behavior, and set the groundwork for finding new particles," Engadget reported.

Tobias Lins, a doctoral student who, with a team of other researchers from the Technische Universität München in Germany, worked on the shield, said the shield will allow scientists to make high-precision measurements and identify new particles that are otherwise unknown yet. "Precision experiments are able to probe nature up to energy scales which might not be accessible by current and next generation collider experiments," Lins explained to Phys.org.

"The existence of exotic new particles can slightly alter the properties of already known particles. A tiny deviation from the expected properties may indicate that an as-yet-undiscovered fundamental particle inhabits the particle zoo," added Phys.org in a report.

Nickel is an integral component of stainless steel and is used as an alloy with other metals. The metal is mostly mined in Canada, Australia and Russia where there are abundant deposits of it. Amur Minerals Corporation (London AIM:AMC) is one of the major nickel miners in Russia that operates one of the top 20 nickel projects in the world. Its Kun-Manie project in the Russian Far East contains 67 million tonnes of nickel. The company's production license has just been approved by Russian authorities on Friday.

According to the Nickel Institute, iron and nickel alloys are used in "electronics and specialist engineering." There are 3,000 nickel-containing alloys that are applied in everyday use. Ninety percent of nickel produced worldwide are used in alloys.

The metal is also used as a catalyst to spark chemical reactions effectively. It is also a key component of lithium-ion batteries.

Demand for nickel is growing at a rapid pace, thanks to rising industrialisation in developing countries in Asia. India and China are also major consumers of the metal. Data from the Institute revealed that nickel consumption has grown to 4 percent annually, while nickel-containing stainless steel consumption has swelled by 6 percent.

"The fastest growth today is seen in the newly and rapidly industrializing countries, especially in Asia. Nickel-containing materials are needed to modernize infrastructure, for industry and to meet the material aspirations of their populations," Nickel Institute noted.

To contact the writer, email: vittoriohernandez@yahoo.com