* Astronomy

New experiment could reveal make-up of the Universe
Scientists at the University of Liverpool are constructing highly sensitive detectors as part of an international project to understand the elements that make up the Universe.
The detectors will become part of the Advanced Gamma Tracking Array (AGATA) experiment, currently based in Italy, which aims to create a 'fingerprint' of the inside of the atomic nucleus to understand the structure of all matter in the Universe, including human beings and the stars.
The experiment will help scientists analyse particle interactions that produce gamma rays, which are also commonly used for their penetrating properties in medical diagnostics and treatments such as PET scans and radiation therapy.  Scientists will use these interactions - and the energy required to make them - to probe rare 'exotic' nuclei.  These are formed by nuclear reactions, which occur in the heart of stars as well as the large accelerator facilities used to study them on earth.

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