CPEPphysics.org

This image shows a typical atomic nucleus. Each nucleus contains three quarks which are held together by the strong force created by gluons.

This diagram shows the fusion reaction of the nuclei of two isotopes of hydrogen (deuterium and tritium) generating a helium nucleus (alpha particle) and a neutron. In this reaction the total mass of the products is lower than that of the interacting particles, and energy is released according to the mass-energy equivalence principle (E = mc^2). This reaction is the most promising for use in future fusion power reactors here on Earth.

This waveform (GW150914) is that of the first observation of gravitational waves on 2015-09-14. It was also the first observation of a binary black hole merger and demonstrates the existence of binary stellar-mass black hole systems.

Contemporary Physics Education Project (CPEP) History of the Universe map