Quarks

Physicists at the Brookhaven National Laboratory have smashed gold ions together to produce a quark-gluon plasma like that which existed in the first instant after the Big Bang that created the universe, and in doing so have produced what Guinness World Records says is the highest man-made temperature ever, 7.2 trillion degrees. That is about 250,000 times hotter than the temperature at the core of the sun. Quarks are the elementary particles from which all other particles, including protons, neutrons and electrons, are made.

Take some milk, add a little acid and give the mixture time to do its thing - who would have thought homemade cheese could be this simple? What with all the equipment and specialized ingredients I'd read about, cheese making sounded as if it were better suited to a chemistry lab than to my tiny kitchen. That is, until I tried quark. I know. Hear the word "quark" and you may conjure up images of dancing physics particles or "Star Trek" characters. Or of wending your way through "Finnegans Wake.

Scientists plumbing the innermost workings of the atom have tentative but disquieting evidence that could challenge accepted theories about the structure of matter on the smallest scale.

Physicists at the Brookhaven National Laboratory have smashed gold ions together to produce a quark-gluon plasma like that which existed in the first instant after the Big Bang that created the universe, and in doing so have produced what Guinness World Records says is the highest man-made temperature ever, 7.2 trillion degrees. That is about 250,000 times hotter than the temperature at the core of the sun. Quarks are the elementary particles from which all other particles, including protons, neutrons and electrons, are made.

Scientists at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory announced Tuesday that they have detected strong evidence of an elusive particle at the heart of all matter in the universe, providing the best proof yet of the hidden structure of the material world. "We aren't looking at the face of God, but we are deciphering his handwriting," said Thomas Muller, a UCLA physicist who was a member of the team that detected the presence of the top quark, as the subatomic particle is known.

Aided by tremendously powerful new computers, physicists around the world are making an ambitious attempt to come to terms with the quark, which may rank as the most pervasive yet elusive entity in the universe. In groups of three, quarks are believed to make up protons and neutrons, the basic particles at the core of all atoms, from tiny hydrogen to giant uranium nuclei.

Ever since physicists at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory announced in April that they had detected "strong evidence" for the final particle in the subatomic puzzle, physics watchers have been waiting for the other shoe to drop. This week, the sound of shoes dropping will be heard worldwide with the expected announcement that 900 collaborators in two simultaneous experiments have found the long-sought "top quark."

It's not every day that physicists discover nature singing an entirely unknown tune, but that's what physicists in the U.S. and Japan appeared to have detected in two sets of quite different experiments on opposite sides of the world. They believe they have discovered a five-quark particle, or "pentaquark." If it holds up to further experiment scrutiny, it would be the first time that such a strange form of matter has been seen.

Physicists have found evidence of an unusual new kind of subatomic particle that may help them explain how the universe is stuck together. After a three-decade search, the world's first "exotic meson" has been detected in a particle accelerator at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, N.Y. Physicists announced the detection in today's issue of Physics Review Letters. "This is a very satisfying confirmation for us," said Brookhaven physicist Suh-Urk Chung.

A friend accused Niels Bohr, the late Danish quantum physicist, of being superstitious because he had a horseshoe above his office door. The physicist said he wasn't superstitious, but the horseshoe seemed to work just the same. Are our lives affected by the stars? Can the measurement of a particle affect another particle light years away? The late Carroll Righter, astrologer, said yes to the first question. Physicist Bohr said yes to the second. Who's to say a nation's destiny isn't written in the stars?

With a gentle tang similar to yogurt and a texture something like a cross between sour cream and soft ricotta, quark cheese can be used in a variety of recipes, whether you're thinking sweet or savory: • Use it as you would yogurt, stirring in some granola and fresh fruit for an easy, on-the-go breakfast. • Spread it over toast or bagels or in between sandwich layers for a little extra tang and richness. • Dollop it over potatoes or rich pasta dishes, even ragus.

  Total time: 25 minutes, plus 1½ to 2 days setting and draining times Servings: This makes a generous cup of quark. 2 cups whole milk 1/2 cup cultured buttermilk 1. In a stainless steel, heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the milk to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and set aside until the milk is cooled. Whisk in the buttermilk. 2. Transfer the mixture to a glass, ceramic or plastic container, and set aside at room temperature until the mixture is thickened, with a consistency similar to yogurt or crème fraîche, about 1 day. 3. Transfer the mixture to a cheesecloth-lined strainer set over a bowl.

Take some milk, add a little acid and give the mixture time to do its thing -- who would have thought homemade cheese could be this simple? What with all the equipment and specialized ingredients I'd read about, cheese making sounded as if it were better suited to a chemistry lab than to my tiny kitchen. That is, until I tried quark. I know. Hear the word "quark" and you may conjure up images of dancing physics particles or "Star Trek" characters. Or of wending your way through "Finnegans Wake.

  Total time: 1 hour Servings: 8 Note: Adapted from a recipe in "Neue Cuisine: The Elegant Tastes of Vienna" by Kurt Gutenbrunner. He calls for a nonstick pan, though a classic crepe pan works well too. The unfilled crepes can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 days. 1 pound (about 3 cups) strawberries, quartered lengthwise 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided 1/3 cup flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup milk 2 eggs 2 tablespoons butter, melted, plus softened butter, for brushing 1 cup heavy cream 3/4 cup quark (mascarpone or crème fraîche can be substituted)

  Total time: 1½ hours Servings: 6 to 8 Note: Adapted from a recipe in "The New German Cookbook" by Jean Anderson and Hedy Würz. 3/4 pound asparagus, trimmed of tough ends 1/4 pound double-smoked slab bacon, cut into ¼-inch cubes (about 1 cup bacon cubes) 3 leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced 2/3 cup quark, or ½ cup ricotta blended with 2 tablespoons sour cream 3/4 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 extra-large eggs 1 cup coarsely shredded Emmentaler cheese 1 (9-inch)

Scientists at a meeting in Grenoble, France, stoked speculation last week that physicists at the world's biggest particle accelerator may soon provide a first look at the elusive Higgs boson — the final piece of evidence needed to prove that the Standard Model of particle physics, which explains the behavior of subatomic particles, is correct. The $10-billion Large Hadron Collider was built near Geneva by the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, to create exotic particles that physicists believe existed in the moments after the Big Bang.

Scientists at a meeting in Grenoble, France, stoked speculation last week that physicists at the world's biggest particle accelerator may soon provide a first look at the elusive Higgs boson — the final piece of evidence needed to prove that the Standard Model of particle physics, which explains the behavior of subatomic particles, is correct. The $10-billion Large Hadron Collider was built near Geneva by the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, to create exotic particles that physicists believe existed in the moments after the Big Bang.

Re "Super Collider is More Than Science," Commentary, Sept. 24: It is difficult for me not to be skeptical in the extreme as to the advisability of continuing with the superconducting super collider (SSC) at this particular time. Nina Byers and Roberto Peccei stated that more than $1.5 billion and a decade of work have been invested in this project. They claim further that "if the SSC is funded, it would cost less than $1 billion per year for the next 10 years"--only $10 billion! The physicists claim also that the SSC would help us to understand this issue of "mass" and "dark matter" and the interaction of "quarks and leptons."

It's not every day that physicists discover nature singing an entirely unknown tune, but that's what physicists in the U.S. and Japan appeared to have detected in two sets of quite different experiments on opposite sides of the world. They believe they have discovered a five-quark particle, or "pentaquark." If it holds up to further experiment scrutiny, it would be the first time that such a strange form of matter has been seen.

Spinning tops haven't changed all that much for a couple of thousand years. A flick of the wrist and these children's toys will balance upright for a couple of minutes until their energy is depleted and they topple over. Now there's a top called Quark, which its manufacturer claims will happily twirl for 15 minutes on a single twist, longer even than those cool tops that spin while levitated in a magnetic field.