Physicists know that their elegant theoretical description of forces and particles — the standard model of particle physics — ...
For the past half century or so, a theory known by the understated name of the Standard Model has dominated the field of particle physics. This theory provides us with a detailed description of the 17 ...
An unexpected behavior in a particle decay seems to disagree with the predictions of the Standard Model, despite its high ...
In this video, we explore the Standard Model of particle physics, detailing the quantum field theories that describe fundamental particles and forces in the universe. Topics covered include: - ...
It’s often said in science that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Recent measurements of the mass of the elementary particle known as the W boson provide a useful case study as to ...
From the outside, the high-speed collisions of atomic nuclei inside particle accelerators like CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) may seem like they have very little in common with more mundane ...
As a physicist working at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at Cern, one of the most frequent questions I am asked is “When are you going to find something?”. Resisting the temptation to sarcastically ...
As a physicist working at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at Cern, one of the most frequent questions I am asked is “When are you going to find something?” Resisting the temptation to sarcastically ...
The standard model of particle physics is often illustrated as a simple grid showing the 17 basic particles (shown above). But an alternative way of visualising it reveals the complex rules that ...
Breaking the rules is exciting, especially if they have held for a long time. This is true not just in life but also in particle physics. Here the rule I'm thinking of is called “lepton flavor ...
If you ask a physicist like me to explain how the world works, my lazy answer might be: “It follows the Standard Model.” The Standard Model explains the fundamental physics of how the universe works.
The magnum opus of particle physics is far from complete, requiring physicists to devise many alternatives—some weirder than others. Reading time 5 minutes For all practical purposes, the Standard ...