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Shock result in particle experiment could spark physics revolution
Scientists just outside Chicago have found that the mass of a sub-atomic particle is not what it should be.
The measurement is the first conclusive experimental result that is at odds with one of the most important and successful theories of modern physics.
The team has found that the particle, known as a W boson, is more massive than the theories predicted.
[...] The scientists at the Fermilab Collider Detector (CDF) in Illinois have found only a tiny difference in the mass of the W Boson compared with what the theory says it should be - just 0.1%. But if confirmed by other experiments, the implications are enormous. The so-called Standard Model of particle physics has predicted the behaviour and properties of sub-atomic particles with no discrepancies whatsoever for fifty years. Until now.
CDF's other co-spokesperson, Prof Georgio Chiarelli, from INFN Sezione di Pisa, told BBC News that the research team could scarcely believe their eyes when they saw the results.
"No-one was expecting this. We thought maybe we got something wrong." But the researchers have painstakingly gone through their results and tried to look for errors. They found none.
The result, published in the journal Science, could be related to hints from other experiments at Fermilab and the Large Hadron Collider at the Swiss-French border. These, as yet unconfirmed results, also suggest deviations from the Standard Model, possibly as a result of an as yet undiscovered fifth force of nature at play.
Also at Nature and Ars Technica.
Journal Reference:
T. Aaltonen. S. Amerio. D. Amedei, et. al.,High-precision measurement of the W boson mass with the CDF II detector, Science, (DOI: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abk1781)
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 09 2022, @04:39PM (2 children)
There have already been experiments that measure the mass of the W boson, and this disagrees with those. If it only disagreed with the theory it might be a potential breakthrough, but since it disagrees with previous experiments it's probably just a mistake.
The experiment will be repeated and probably the discrepancy will disappear. But it's all part of the process.
(Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Sunday April 10 2022, @04:49PM
To be precise, the measurement is in tension at about 2-3 sigma. That is significant, but such things have been known in the past.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 10 2022, @11:32PM
> since it disagrees with previous experiments it's probably just a mistake
Science has a shady history of agreeing with prior measurements done by an authority, e.g. the charge of the electron [stackexchange.com]. If you think the mountainous piles of Chinese shit that we are presently wading through is free of authoritarian bias... then congratulations comrade, welcome to the Party. Here's your sweeeeeeeeeeet-ass grant money.