‘Ultracold’ trap unveils secrets of matter in the universe

Physics Professor John Doyle traps the tiny particles that make up the universe and then studies them, looking for what they can tell him about the most basic rules of nature. Specifically, Doyle is looking for evidence of discrepancies in the theory known as the Standard Model, the major theory of how the basic particles of nature interact. The Model, Doyle said, was constructed using certain assumptions about how particles behave. As measurements of those particles become more and more precise, scientists like Doyle are better able to test those assumptions. From their work comes a better understanding of how the universe operates. Doyle is one of the world’s foremost experts in trapping cold particles. He has devised a method that is useful in trapping atoms and molecules of almost every kind.