One way physicists seek clues to unravel the mysteries of the universe is by smashing matter together and inspecting the debris. But these types of destructive experiments, while incredibly informative, have limits. We are two scientists who study nuclear and particle physics using CERN’s Large Hadron Collider near Geneva, Switzerland. […]
particle physics
117 posts
Fermilab’s Muon g-2 experiment is adding to evidence that the standard model is incomplete Ryan Postel/Fermilab The standard model of particle physics is beginning to show cracks. A fundamental particle called the muon has been caught behaving strangely, and new experimental results from Fermilab in Illinois have shown that it […]
In an unusual move, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has quietly begun a new competition for the contract to run the United States’s sole dedicated particle physics laboratory. Announced in January, the rebid comes 1 year after Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), which is managed in part by the […]
For decades, theoretical particle physicists have struggled with vexing calculus problems called Feynman integrals. They are central to every calculation they make—from predicting how magnetic a particle called the muon should be, to estimating the rate at which Higgs bosons should emerge at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Now, theorists […]
Since the Large Hadron Collider turned up nothing in its search for supersymmetry, physicists have turned their attention to the axion, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, a self-described superfan of this hypothetical particle Physics | Columnist 23 November 2022 By Chanda Prescod-Weinstein Shutterstock/NASA images REGULAR readers of this column know that when […]
A tiny discrepancy in the weight of a fundamental particle called the W boson could blow open one of our major theories for understanding everything – if the measurement stands up to scrutiny Physics | Leader 13 April 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock/Andrey VP A SMALL discrepancy has sparked a big “if”. […]
By Alex Wilkins The Tevatron particle accelerator at Fermilab, Illinois, pictured in 1992 GRANGER/Alamy A new measurement of a fundamental particle called the W boson appears to defy the standard model of particle physics, our current understanding of how the basic building blocks of the universe interact. The result, which […]
By Alex Wilkins The Tevatron particle accelerator at Fermilab, Illinois, pictured in 1992 GRANGER/Alamy A new measurement of a fundamental particle called the W boson appears to defy the standard model of particle physics, our current understanding of how the basic building blocks of the universe interact. The result, which […]