A fifth force of nature?  Scientists have detected an oscillation in a subatomic corpuscle

A fifth force of nature? Scientists have detected an oscillation in a subatomic corpuscle

Scientists have a lead Discovery Reported in particle physics. They made the most accurate measurement of the magnetic moment of a muon, a fundamental particle bound to an electron but 200 times heavier. The achievement, which resulted from the international collaboration of the Muon g-2 experiment at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Chicago, opens doors to the possibility of a hitherto unknown fifth force of nature.

An unexpected “wobble” in the behavior of the muon’s magnetic field, which does not match current Standard Model predictions, may indicate new subatomic phenomena or the presence of unknown particles. This discovery has also fueled the need for new theoretical ideas, which could radically change our understanding of the forces that govern the universe.

  • Scientists have recorded the most accurate measurement yet of the magnetic moment of the muon, a fundamental particle.
  • Scientists have been studying the “wobble,” or premature motion of muons in magnetic fields, for years.
  • By accurately measuring this characteristic oscillation, scientists hope to gain insight into new subatomic phenomena.

Unveiling the mystery of the muon

Muons are like electrons, but about 207 times heavier. They belong to the lepton group – a group of fundamental particles that are not made up of smaller particles. A muon is formed when particles in Earth’s atmosphere collide with cosmic rays, such as high-energy protons and atomic nuclei. These particles exist briefly, for about 2.2 microseconds, before they decay into an electron and two types of neutrinos (elementary particles that are not electrically charged). However, their high speed allows the muons to travel long distances before they decay. Particles constantly bombard the Earth’s surface and can penetrate for miles.

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Scientists have been studying the “wobble,” or premature motion of muons in magnetic fields, for years. The rate of this oscillation, known as the magnetic moment, is affected by the muon’s interactions with as-yet-undiscovered particles. Scientists hope to gain insight into new subatomic phenomena by precisely measuring this characteristic oscillation and possibly discovering new particles.

Search for new physics

previously Experiments at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in the US showed a deviation from the theoretical predictions of the Standard Model of particle physics. The Muon g-2 experiment at Fermilab was intended to confirm and refine these earlier measurements. The most recent results from this experiment confirmed the previous discrepancy, with an uncertainty of 0.2 ppm. This precision is more than double previous results and opens up new possibilities for investigating the fundamental interactions that govern the universe.

However, these experimental results do not match the predictions of the current Standard Model, which takes into account four fundamental forces – the electromagnetic force, the strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force and gravity. This anomaly indicates the possibility of a fifth force of nature or unknown particles.

Implications and future directions

Fermilab’s findings build on previous work by Fermilab and the Large Hadron Collider, which also suggested a fifth force. While these results are interesting and may change the paradigm, uncertainties remain. doctor. Mitch Patel of Imperial College London He told the Guardian that the theoretical prediction of the muon’s oscillating frequency has become more fuzzy, which could affect the interpretation of the results.

Despite these uncertainties, accurate measurement of the muon’s magnetic moment opens up exciting possibilities for investigating new interactions in the universe and possibly discovering a fifth force of nature. As the Muon g-2 experiment continues to improve its measurements, with an expected final result uncertainty of 0.14 ppm, scientists around the world are watching.

The quest to better understand the building blocks of our universe continues, and this pioneering achievement brings us one step closer to discovering new physics and understanding the forces that shape our universe.

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