Eons of time quietly slipped away, until this very day when this magnetic monopole, in its ceaseless flight, silently passed through the superfluid Helium-3 chamber of one of the magnetic monopole detectors built by Li Qingsong.
Like a wandering playboy, it passed through a garden of flowers without a petal touching its clothes, causing almost no real impact on these superfluid Helium-3 atoms, merely causing a slight fluctuation in their magnetic fields.
Afterward, it re-entered the universe without looking back, continuing its long cosmic journey, possibly never stopping until the end of the universe.
The events that occurred in this ordinary star system were merely a tiny fragment of its almost endless life, not even worth remembering.
But this tiny disturbance was recorded by Li Qingsong, and it became a key support for Li Qingsong's breakthrough in technological barriers.
Gazing at the starry sky, Li Qingsong seemed to be searching for the figure of the magnetic monopole that had already gone far away, and he did not withdraw his gaze for a long time.
"Finally, the magnetic monopole has been truly detected, and there is finally solid enough evidence to prove the true existence of the magnetic monopole..."
In this instant alone, what Li Qingsong gained on a scientific level was almost more than all the scientific research in the past combined.
Because this is a huge discovery and a huge breakthrough at the level of basic physics. Basic, as the name suggests, it is the support for all subsequent scientific research and scientific applications.
No matter what kind of vocabulary is used to describe the significance of this discovery, it is not an exaggeration.
First of all, Li Qingsong scientifically verified for the first time that the strong nuclear force must be unified with the electroweak force.
This is scientific evidence, not the sociological evidence that Li Qingsong previously confirmed the unification of the strong nuclear force based on the reality that strong nuclear civilizations exist in the universe.
Because magnetic monopoles were born in the very early stage of the Big Bang, around 10^-36 seconds. At that time, the strong nuclear force must not have been unified with the electroweak force, but only later differentiated into two forces.
In scientific terms, it would be described as SU(5) → SU(3) × SU(2) × U(1).
It was this process that led to the birth of magnetic monopoles. Therefore, Li Qingsong can directly assume that the strong nuclear force must have been unified with the electroweak force in the early days of the universe's birth.
This is considered direct evidence.
It is direct rather than indirect. Its proof effect far exceeds indirect evidence.
In addition to proving that the strong nuclear force can be unified, it also proves another theory.
The theory of cosmic inflation.
Li Qingsong's scientific system believes that the universe has been expanding and has numerous observational evidence, such as redshift.
But these are only observational evidence, and the discovery of magnetic monopoles can prove the theory of cosmic inflation from a scientific level.
The reason is very simple. According to existing theories, the number of magnetic monopoles should have been extremely large in the early days of the Big Bang. But why are there so few now?
Obviously, there can only be one reason: cosmic inflation.
The universe is constantly expanding, diluting the density of magnetic monopoles, which is why they have become so scarce today.
It's like a drop of water merging into the ocean.
Therefore, by measuring the density of magnetic monopoles, Li Qingsong can deduce many things and study various changes in the universe throughout its evolution.
Even when future technology is more advanced and the measurement of magnetic monopoles is more accurate, Li Qingsong may even be able to use magnetic monopoles as a means to detect and interpret the changes in those extremely distant galaxies, further increasing his understanding of the evolution of the universe.
Now, what Li Qingsong needs to do is very clear.
Through existing data, further study the various characteristics of magnetic monopoles to supplement the existing theoretical framework. At the same time, continue to operate these magnetic monopole detectors in order to observe more magnetic monopoles and obtain more information about magnetic monopoles.
This observation alone, although significant, is obviously not enough.
But this is a long-term matter. After all, magnetic monopoles are too rare, and Li Qingsong cannot expect to observe too many in a short period of time.
At this stage, there is another equally important thing that can be done first.
That is proton decay detection.
Proton decay detection, magnetic monopoles, and neutrino mass can be regarded as three supports for the Grand Unified Theory. The status of the three is equally important and indispensable.
Magnetic monopoles can prove the symmetry breaking in the early universe and reveal topological defects.
Proton decay detection can prove the unification of quarks and leptons at the unified energy scale.
Neutrino mass can prove that the lepton number is not conserved.
Without any one of these, the Grand Unified Theory would not be perfect enough and could not be regarded as truly unified.
The discovery of magnetic monopoles is also related to the research on the origin of neutrino mass to a certain extent, but it is more related to proton decay.
Because the existing theoretical framework can already supplement a considerable part after the magnetic monopole is discovered. And based on this supplemented part of the theory, Li Qingsong's research on proton decay has also quickly achieved theoretical breakthroughs.
Now, Li Qingsong knows that he probably figured out why he built so many proton decay detectors, but still couldn't detect the proton decay phenomenon.
The latest theoretical research shows that the lifetime of protons is indeed not infinite, and its lifetime is about 10^37 years.
Calculated by this lifetime, the many detectors he built should have detected the corresponding phenomenon long ago.
But... although he had previously predicted the approximate range of the proton lifetime, he made a mistake on one thing.
The way protons decay.
Based on the true existence of magnetic monopoles, and based on the current characteristics of magnetic monopoles, after correcting the theoretical framework, Li Qingsong found that the path of proton decay does not produce photons as he had previously predicted, but another completely new particle.
A photon-like particle with zero rest mass and the speed of light.
This particle also has extremely strong penetrating power, and because proton decay events are extremely rare, the resulting particles are also extremely rare. Even in a proton decay detector that can detect neutrinos, his probability of detecting it is extremely low.
After all, the number of neutrinos entering a detector per second is more than tens of trillions, and such a huge number only produces about dozens of collision events per day compared to that.
And how little is this kind of particle?
Relying on a proton decay detector to detect the collision events of this particle, I am afraid that he will not be able to wait until the end of time.
So, how to detect proton decay?
Li Qingsong was in trouble.
