Physicists have been able to calculate the mass of the heaviest known particle with unprecedented accuracy.
Scientists at CERN have been able to accurately measure the mass of an elementary particle called the t-quark. It is the heaviest of all elementary particles known to science. The findings bring scientists even closer to a better understanding of how the universe works, reports ScienceAlert.
To have an idea about certain elementary particles, physicists collide beams of protons in the Large Hadron Collider. As a result of this process, the t-quark also appears.
According to a CERN report, new data from a recent experiment showed that the mass of the t-quark is 172.76 gigaelectronvolts (GeV). And this result is 0.12 GeV more accurate than previous calculations.
Although this result in itself is a big step forward for particle physics, CERN believes that even more accurate results can be achieved during future experiments.
The t-quark gets its mass from a bond with the elusive Higgs boson, scientists say. This coupling is the strongest known in the Standard Model of elementary particles. It is worth recalling that the t-quark, after its appearance at the Large Hadron Collider, almost always decays into a W-boson and a b-quark.
Physicists as a result of the experiment found that the W-boson has a larger mass than predicted by the Standard Model of particle physics. If these data are confirmed, then this will mean that the entire Standard Model is erroneous, as well as our understanding of the Universe. Therefore, it is so important to know the most accurate mass of the t-quark, because with the help of this data, scientists can get more accurate information about both the Higgs boson and the W-boson.
Scientists have begun searching for the yet unknown fifth force of nature at the Large Hadron Collider. If it exists, it will lead to the creation of a completely new physics and a new understanding of the structure of the Universe.
We remind you that scientists managed to set a new record at the Large Hadron Collider. They have succeeded in accelerating proton beams to higher energies than ever before.
