The "God Particle" -Holy Grail of Physics, has it been Found?

Scientists are racing to discover what is considered the “Holy Grail” of particle physics, the Higgs Boson particle. A myriad of top newspapers have been covering the unveiling of the world's largest particle accelerator, the large hadron collider (LHC) which cost the European Union $8 billion to build. The LHC is widely considered the best shot at finding the elusive particle. To find this very last piece of the field’s theoretical puzzle would mean a Noble Prize, and huge advancements in the field of physics.

However, an unsettling rumor is spreading in the realm of physics. The mysterious particle may have already been found!

Rumor has it that the physicists working at the Tevatron (an accelerator smaller than the LHC, located near Chicago) have found something. The Tevatron accelerator has delivered incredible findings in the past, including the discovery of the top quark. The Tevatron is scheduled to shut down in 2009. Unsubstantiated claims have come and gone before. It’s entirely possible that eager scientists are jumping the gun on claims of finding the particle.

However this time around the rumor has a believable ring to it. It claims an experiment at the Tevatron has found a peak twice as high as any previous “bumps” (evidence of the Higgs Boson). The rumor also includes important details of the new particle's mass, which fits within the theoretical bounds of the standard model Higgs. It even includes a description of the decay chain, or what the particle turned into as the experiment progressed, which is consistent with predictions.

According to the rumor, no one associated with the experiment will confirm the new findings until they are ready to publish. The unified view of physics appears to be the most accurate theory ever developed, in any field. The catch is that it needs the Higgs particle in order to make sense.  If the rumor is true, the findings will likely be out by the end of July, and the LHC team will be dealt a harsh blow. If the Higgs turns out to be like the standard model, then there’s not a lot more to be done. To find anything even smaller than the Higgs with our current technology, we would need a machine roughly the circumference of the Milky Way! If the rumor is false, then the race continues.

Posted by Rebecca Sato

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Comments

[Keith]

If we find it, do we have to give it back to Higgs?

[Rebecca]

That's a good question Keith. We'll have to ask Peter Higgs, Professor (Emeritus) of theoretical physics at Edinburgh University if he wants the responsibility. He who controls the higgs boson particle, controls the universe. Anyway, he seems like a decent chap, so I vote, "Yes"!

Check out how adorable he is:
http://lxsa.physik.uni-bonn.de/outreach/wyp/exercises/hands-on-cern/hoc_v21de/page_pict/sm_higgs1.html

[Science & the City]

I bet the rumors would have been categorically denied if there was no truth in them.

[Sunderajan]

There should be not one higgs boson. But as many as number of elementary particles, including all the quarks.

[Chris Proctor]

If this particle is found. how could this information be used to help mankind?