A New Discovery by the LHC Hints at Physics Beyond the Standard Model – Futurism

In Brief Scientists at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN recently revealed data about a particle that decays in a way that deviates from the Standard Model of particle physics. This could point to a new kind of physics or could simply be a fluke, but more testing should clear up the uncertainty. An Intriguing Behavior

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is currently the worlds most sophisticated and advanced particle accelerator. And you guessed it its also the largest. The LHC can be found at the European Organization for Nuclear Researchs (CERN) accelerator complex, and its job, in simple terms, is to propel particles into super-fast motion, rotating them along a 27-kilometer (16.7-mile) ring of superconducting magnets, and smash them together. And no, Flash fans it doesnt turn us into metahumans.

In the years since it was first activated in 2008, the LHC has made a number of discoveries that contribute toour understanding of the physics of particles in our world the so-called Standard Model. Most notable of these isthe discovery of the Higgs Boson in 2012. Now, LHC scientists may be on the verge of a new breakthrough as theyre unearthed data from the particle accelerators recent run that deviates from the Standard Model and hints at new physics.

The scientists found that subatomic particles called B0mesons dont decay or fall apart in a manner thats predicted by our current understanding of physics, a property referred to aslepton universality. Deviations such as what we see now are very exciting in the sense that if there are new particles, it means we can eventually use those new building blocks, said CERN physicist Freya Blekmanin an interview with Wired. Either lepton universality is not true, or there is something extra happening, for example, a new extra intermediate particle.

Dont start rewriting the Standard Model just yet, though. More data and observations are needed to definitively conclude anything. While potentially exciting, the discrepancy with the Standard Model occurs at the level of 2.2 to 2.5 sigma, which is not yet sufficient to draw a firm conclusion, according to a report by CERN. This means that theres still a 1 in 100 probability that the findings dont really point to a new physics and are simply the result of chance.

The necessity of continuous observation and more data is expected, of course thats how science works. Likewise, challenging accepted knowledge like what the LHCs data on B0 mesons is doing to the Standard Model is also part and parcel of science. It really isnt surprising, especially since the Standard Model of particle physics includesmissing pieces that need to be filled.

Certain objects, particularly subatomic ones, behave in ways not explained by the Standard Model. This illustratesthe need for other models, like quantum physics. Such will be the way things are until, perhaps, we finally stumble upon a theory that explains everything about how the world works. For now, technologies like the LHC are our best way to fill these gaps in the Standard Model.

See the original post here:
A New Discovery by the LHC Hints at Physics Beyond the Standard Model - Futurism