Scientists working at CERN have detected evidence of an exceptionally rare particle decay using data from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The result concerns a transformation that occurs only about once for every 10 billion times the particle is produced, according to researcher Felipe Lopes of the University of Campinas (Unicamp).
The LHC sits in a 27-kilometre underground tunnel on the border between Switzerland and France. At the CERN research centre, protons are accelerated and brought into collision so scientists can study the particles produced. The observed process lasted for an extremely small fraction of a second and was measured at a scale not previously seen for this particle.
The research examines the “zeptoverse,” a scale around 100 billion times smaller than an atom. The term “zepto” refers to one part in a sextillion, in this case of a metre.
Nearly 1,200 scientists signed the study, including 40 Brazilians. Brazilian researchers Erika Policarpo, Irina Nasteva, Felipe Lopes and Sandra Amato discussed the findings. Nasteva, of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, said the analysis provides precise evidence supporting the theory that currently best describes the universe.
The findings draw on data collected at the accelerator since 2011. Researchers say studying tiny particles can help explain how the universe began and how it has evolved. Amato also noted that CERN research has led to practical technologies, including the development of the World Wide Web and PET scan equipment.
Sources: G1.