Did the scientists at CERN discover proof of completely novel physics?
After running for a decade, there were high expectations that the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the colossal accelerator at CERN, would uncover new particles that could aid in the understanding of the most profound mysteries in physics. Possibilities such as dark matter, miniature black holes, and concealed dimensions were considered. Despite the discovery of the Higgs boson, the project has not revealed any indications of what may exist beyond the standard model of particle physics, which is presently the best-known representation of the subatomic world. The recent paper from LHCb, which is one of the four enormous experiments at LHC, is expected to excite physicists. The paper suggests the possibility of detecting something entirely new after examining trillions of collisions that occurred during the last ten years. This could be the messenger of a new fundamental force in nature. However, the excitement is tempered by extreme caution. The standard model of particle physics has endured all scientific tests since its creation in the 1970s. Therefore, any assertion that it is unable to clarify a new phenomenon necessitates significant evidence to support it.
Strange anomaly
The current understanding of nature on a small scale is explained by the typical model, which consists of fundamental particles called leptons (such as electrons) and quarks (which can combine to form heavier particles like protons and neutrons) and the forces they interact with. One type of quark, called “beauty” quarks, exhibited unexpected decay patterns in 2014 by decaying less frequently into muons (a type of lepton) compared to electrons. This deviation suggests the involvement of new particles never seen before that could tip the balance in favor of electrons. Several other similar anomalies have been observed in related processes, but each one has been too subtle to draw confident conclusions about new physics. The question was whether these anomalies would become stronger with more data or disappear. In 2019, the LHCb experiment repeated the measurement of beauty quark decay with additional data from 2015 and 2016, but it did not provide much clarity.
New results
The latest findings have doubled the previous data set as it includes the samples from 2017 and 2018. To prevent any unintentional biases, the results were analyzed blindly, meaning that the researchers could not see the outcome until all the procedures used in the measurement had been tested and reviewed. Mitesh Patel, one of the leaders of the study and a particle physicist at Imperial University London, expressed his excitement and stated that this was the most exciting thing he had done in his two decades of working in particle physics. When the outcome was revealed, the anomaly persisted, with around 85 muon decays for every 100 electron decay, but with a smaller degree of uncertainty than before. What will excite a lot of physicists is that the uncertainty of the outcome is now over “three sigmas,” scientists The chance that the result is a random occurrence in the data is one in a thousand. In the field of particle physics, anything over three sigmas is considered “evidence,” but it is not yet considered a confirmed “discovery” or “observation,” which would require five sigmas. Theorists have proposed possible explanations for the anomaly, including the existence of new particles that affect quark decay, such as a “Z prime” that provides a new force of nature or a “leptoquark” that can decay to both quarks and leptons and may be part of a larger explanation for the particles observed in nature.
Interpreting the findings
Did the scientists at CERN discover proof of completely novel physics? Well, maybe, perhaps not. Given the large number of measurements carried out at the LHC, it is not surprising to see some results that deviate significantly from the standard model. Moreover, we can never absolutely discount the possibility that there is some bias in our experiment that we have not properly accounted for, even though this outcome has been thoroughly checked. The picture will become clearer with more dataLHCb is upgrading to increase its collision recording rate, and even if the anomaly persists, it will only be fully accepted once an independent experiment confirms it. There is a possibility that the new particles responsible for the anomaly can be directly discovered in the LHC collisions. The Belle II experiment in Japan is also capable of making precise measurements. This could have significant implications for the future of fundamental physics.
If what we see is the harbinger of some new essential particles, then it will finally be the breakthrough physicists have been yearning for decades. Observing a part of the bigger picture beyond the standard model could help solve established mysteries such as the nature of dark matter or the Higgs boson. Additionally, it could aid in unifying fundamental particles and forces or even lead to the discovery of something completely unforeseen. So, should we be excited? Indeed, it is rare to come across an outcome like this, and it has sparked a hunt to uncover the underlying cause of the anomaly. However, we should be cautious and humble, too; extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Determining if we have caught a glimpse of what lies beyond our current comprehension of particle physics will require time and dedicated effort.
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