EXTRA DIMENSION

第1話 Hinted

February 2020, CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.

“Great success”

An operator’s voice was echoed in the crescent-shape monitoring room. At this moment LHC, the Large Hadron Collider, started its operations. A lot of physicists all over the world had been looking forward to this moment.

LHC is the largest mechanical device for accelerating protons by 99 percent of the light speed and searching for the very tiny scale physical phenomenon, moreover approaching to the origin of Universe. LHC is located in the huge underground circular tunnel near Geneva, Switzerland.

The length of the tunnel is approximately 27 kilometers.

“Cheers, Cheers”

Here and there, champagne glasses were tossed, many delegations from various state governments, academic societies and famous physicists were shaking hands or hugging each other to share this brilliant moment.

However, only one short and chubby person who was not suitable for such place was standing by himself without any smile. Kohei Masuyama, a young Japanese physicist who was dispatched from the Research Institute of Particle Physics of Tokyo University, sighed and muttered to himself.

“At last the Pandora’s Box has been opened.”

“Hi, Kohei, What are you doing here?”

A young blond lady was approaching with a glass and joined with him. Kate Harbron, who was a theoretical physicist of Cambridge University, participated in the Joint Research Group of UK and Japan.

“Ah, Kate, I have one little anxiety.”

Kate traced his eyes and found one group of people. They were gathering in the corner of the room and whispering something with avoiding other people’s eyes.

“American? I hate them.”

Kate cursed.

“No, no, it’s a little different. My anxiety is their research theme.”

The United States dispatched the biggest number of researchers to CERN to regain their leadership in the particle physics. Recently China and India were competing for the Nobel Prize in this area and the USA had been behind and a little irritating. As the result their research theme had become aggressive and dangerous.

“Their research theme? Do you really believe such ridiculous theory? They won’t succeed even 100 years later.”

Kate laughed down his word.

“I hope so.”

Kohei is rather pessimistic against always optimistic Kate.

“Yes, yes, don’t worry about that. Let’s drink. We can never have such delicious champagne. Hi, Cheers.”

Kate cheerfully tossed up her glass.

3 months later.

“Calculation Failure” was indicated on the monitor screen.

“Damn, failed again.”

Kate cursed.

“Don’t be so irritating. We can’t get the result so soon.”

Kohei laughed with looking into the screen.

Their theme is “Exploring the Higgs Boson’s features”.

2012, a big discovery was done at CERN. That was Higgs Boson which is said to give a matter “Mass”. Without Higgs Boson all matters would lose mass and could not be existing, including our bodies. Therefore physicists called it “Particle of God”. It is very difficult to explore Higgs Boson, because it has no substantial shape but only exciting energy like a ghost.

“Something could be discovered within 2-3 years.”

“Hah? It’s too late. American keep working for 24 hours by shifts.”

Kate shouted and sighed.

“OK, OK, calm down. Well, I would rather go hiking. It’s very fine outside.”

“Hiking? Are you kidding?”

Kate heated up moreover.

“No, no. I just think if we go out, then we could find something. As you know, that Newton discovered the Gravity Theory, hinted by falling down Apple.”

Hearing the name of Newton, Kate finally agreed with him.

They change their shoes and bring some sandwiches for lunch. The outside is very wonderful in early summer. Dazzling sunshine, blue sky, comfortable breeze, and they can see snow covered mountains of Alps in the far distance. They can soon reach a hiking course which is very close to CERN. They get the course to the Sild See.

“Kohei, tell me, why did you choose this life work, physics?”

“Well, I didn’t have any serious reason. In Japan usually nobody thinks so much of their future until entering the university. In high school everybody is very busy with preparation for entrance examination. Their interest is only how difficult university they can enter. Actually, my dream in my childhood is to become a train driver.”

“Train driver?”

Kate asked back.

“Yes, I liked a fast train, especially SHINKANSEN, the bullet train. That speed is more than 300 kilometers an hour. Great, isn’t it?”

“Yes, yes, I see. But it is far slower than that of LHC. It is 300 thousand kilometers per second.”

“Oh, it is completely different. If I move with such speed, I will be dashed into particles.”

“Aha, I am just joking.”

Both burst out laughing together. They have already climbed up 100 meters and a beautiful scenery is spread out in front of them. Kohei was continuing his story.

“A big turning point had come on the second year of university. At that time Dr. Hokubu was awarded for the Nobel Prize in Physics.”

“Dr. Hokubu? Is that Symmetry Breaking?”

“That right. Of course I still had no knowledge about the meaning of Symmetry Breaking. But one Japanese had discovered something very important. It made me pushing into this world.”

“Symmetry Breaking”

According to the Quantum Physics, the most sophisticated area of modern physics, matters can be arisen even from nothing or the true vacuum by “Pair Production”. Generally people believe there is nothing in the true vacuum. But the Theory explains that it is possible to create simultaneously matters and anti-matters through the Energy-Matter Exchange. In the true vacuum there is very tiny fluctuation of energy, which can produce matters and anti-matters. “Anti-matter” is a kind of “Matter” only whose energy charge is minus. It is the very popular thing introduced in the USA movie “Angels and Demons” as the material of anti-matter bomb. Such anti-matters can actually be created at CERN. It is not the Science Fiction now.

When so called “Big Bann” had occurred, completely same number of matters and anti-matters were created all at once, but soon later only anti-matters were assumed to be disappeared by the symmetry breaking. It is the most general understanding of quantum physics at present, but nobody knows precisely what had really happened by Big Bann.

“How about your case? Kate.”

Kohei turned to ask.

“My case? It was in my high school age. When I looked into a microscope, I found many micro scale worlds around us, which we could never see in our daily life. I would like to look more. That is the reason why I decided to enter this world.”

“That’s great. I would like to tell this story to Japanese high school students.”

They went around the corner and climbed up the last steep. Suddenly the view was opened and the beautiful sight of the Sild See was coming into their sights.

“Waoh! Beautiful.”

Kate shouted.

The Sild See is a very small lake surrounded by mountains of Alps which stored spring water from upper glaciers. Its surface is very smooth like a mirror without even one ripple. Surroundings are covered by meadows and many cows are grazing.

“Let’s have a lunch.”

They took seats and opened a lunch box. There was no hiker other than two of them. Only hearing sound is the humming of bees.

“They had never seen such beautiful scenery, hadn’t they?”

“They? American again?”

“Right. They are always in the laboratory and occupying the experiment equipment.”

Kate cursed again.

“Leave them. We are just going our way.”

Kohei answered, but with holding a faint anxiety.

Though it was not bad thing to study hard, their theme was too aggressive namely “Artificial Black Hole.” Before starting the experiment, the LHC was expected to produce an artificial Black Hole. If it is achieved, it could be worth for 10 Nobel Prizes. It is understandable for American to immerse themselves in such study. But it would be dangerous much the same.

This is the very point that Kohei has been anxious about before. If his calculation is correct, then the emerging of artificial Black Hole could lead us to the irreversible catastrophe. Kohei became completely quiet and contemplated the surface of the lake.

At the moment, one waterfowl surrounding above the lake suddenly flied down steeply and dived into the surface. A big splash was up and a waterfowl was completely disappeared with leaving many wavelets behind.

”That’s it.”

Kohei shouted with something hinted. Kohei stood up and hurried down the slope, leaving Kate behind.

“Kohei, wait a moment, Kohei. What are you doing?”