⏰ when
When was the first successful detection of a meson announced?
Quick Answer
In 1947, Cecil Powell and colleagues announced the discovery of the pion, confirming Yukawa’s meson idea.
The Full Story
The first widely accepted detection of a meson came in 1947, when Cecil Powell and his team identified the pion in cosmic-ray experiments. This was a landmark because mesons had been predicted more than a decade earlier by Hideki Yukawa as the particles that mediate the nuclear force. The discovery helped validate the emerging picture of the strong interaction. Powell was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1950 for the work.
Key Facts
1.The pion was identified in 1947
2.Cecil Powell led the discovery
3.The finding supported Yukawa’s 1935 prediction
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"A particle predicted before WWII was finally spotted in cosmic rays after the war."
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