9°c A few clouds
19°c Sunny
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
'God particle' confirmation tantalizingly close: physicists
One possibility to rule out in verifying Higgs boson
CERN A proton-proton collision, featuring four high-energy electrons (green lines and red towers). (CP)
WASHINGTON -- Physicists in Italy said Wednesday they are achingly close to concluding that what they found last year was the Higgs boson, the elusive "God particle." They need to eliminate one last remote possibility that it's something else.
The long-theorized subatomic particle would explain why matter has mass and it has been called a missing cornerstone of physics.
With new analyses, scientists are 99.6 per cent certain they found the crucial Higgs boson. But they want to be 99.9 per cent positive, said Pauline Gagnon, a physicist with the European Center for Nuclear Research.
Last July, scientists with the world's largest atom smasher, the $10-billion Large Hadron Collider on the Swiss-French border, announced finding a particle they described as Higgs-like, but wouldn't say it was conclusively the particle. Now thousands of checks show them even closer.
"It looks more and more like a Higgs boson," said Gagnon after an update presented Wednesday at a conference in the Italian Alps.
Gagnon compared finding the Higgs to identifying a specific person. This looks, talks, and sings like a Higgs, but scientists want to make sure it dances like the Higgs before they shout "Eureka."
She said there is only one last thing the particle they found could also be: a graviton. That's another subatomic particle associated with gravitational fields, not mass.
By checking the spin of the particle, scientists will be able to tell if it is a Higgs boson, which is far more likely, or a graviton. If it has no internal spin, it's the Higgs boson; if it has a lot of spin, it's a graviton.
Wednesday's presentation was by one team of researchers and another team will present more findings next week.
Physicist Sean Carroll of the California Institute of Technology, who isn't involved in the research, said scientists are just being careful, covering all bases.
Without the Higgs boson to explain why electrons and matter have mass, Carroll said, "there would be no atoms, there would be no chemistry, there would be no life, so that's kind of important."
-- The Associated Press
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition March 7, 2013 A12
More World
- Back to Top
- Return to World
More World
(1 of 35 articles for today)
Scientists urge federal officials not to remove grey wolf protections across Lower 48 states
11:12 PM 0TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. - Groups of scientists are urging federal officials not to remove protections for grey wolves across the ...
Poll
Most Popular World
- Search for survivors of Oklahoma tornado nearly complete, as homeowners confront devastation
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- The pope and the devil: Francis' obsession with Satan leads to suspicion he performed exorcism
- Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris evacuated after suicide inside the landmark church
- Tornado leads CBS to pull season-ending episode of 'Mike & Molly'
- Umbrella-gate stirs outrage
- Jury sent to begin deliberating whether to give Jodi Arias life in prison or death sentence
- US zoo looking into conception mystery after birth of anteater; no male in pen
- After exchange, Israel warns against Golan attacks, says Syria will 'bear consequences'
- Phone cracked? Cool
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- Search for survivors of Oklahoma tornado nearly complete, as homeowners confront devastation
- Phone cracked? Cool
- US woman credits 'mother's instincts' in chase of 4-year-old daughter's abductor
- Umbrella-gate stirs outrage
- US zoo looking into conception mystery after birth of anteater; no male in pen
- Remote Alaska volcano continues to erupt, with lava fountains, ash plumes
- Jurors find Jodi Arias eligible for death penalty after murder conviction in boyfriend killing
- Boston Marathon runners who couldn't finish because of blasts can return in 2014
- The pope and the devil: Francis' obsession with Satan leads to suspicion he performed exorcism
- Amanda Berry, 1 of 3 women freed after held captive in Ohio home, arrives at sister's home
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- Friendship with bomb suspect, complex chain of events leads to 3 being charged
- Police vow to solve shooting that wounded 19 people during Mother's Day parade in New Orleans
- Missing Pa. woman, last seen dropping off kids for school in 2002, surfaces in Fla.
- Cleveland police: Ohio captive suffered 5 miscarriages after being beaten and starved
- As Boston mourns, suspected brothers' radicalism comes into focus
- Jodi Arias convicted of first-degree murder, says she prefers death penalty
- Neighbours: Man in custody comforted missing girl's mom, helped search for missing US women
- High school baseball team lifts car to free 16-year-old girl
- Ray Manzarek, keyboardist and founding member of rock group The Doors, dies at 74 from cancer
- Argentina's 'dirty war' dictator dies
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- Search for survivors of Oklahoma tornado nearly complete, as homeowners confront devastation
- Jury sent to begin deliberating whether to give Jodi Arias life in prison or death sentence
- Arias hearing a 'witch hunt,' lawyers say
- Yahoo goes for Tumblr, pays $1.1B
- Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris evacuated after suicide inside the landmark church
- Phone cracked? Cool
- Ray Manzarek, keyboardist and founding member of rock group The Doors, dies at 74 from cancer
- Lawyer: Saudi man travelling with pressure cooker didn't know device used in Boston bombings
- Hatchet-wielding hitchhiker who intervened in California attack arrested in NJ homicide
- Remote Alaska volcano continues to erupt, with lava fountains, ash plumes
- Argentina's 'dirty war' dictator dies
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- Shady characters: Cookie Monster, Elmo accused of aggressive behaviour in Times Square
- Man charged after overnight feast in closed Kentucky supermarket
- U.S. envoy punted; Russia alleges spying
- 'Coronation Street' actor William Roache charged in UK over alleged rapes in 1967
- Coroner: 5-year-old boy shoots 2-year-old sister in US with rifle he got as a gift
- Hitler ate well, his food taster recalls
- Black bear wanders into LA-area suburbia, chases swimmers from pool, strands kids in class
- Female guards, rapidly growing in numbers, at heart of U.S. prison scandal
- Phone cracked? Cool
- Bill to alter rules of succession before Kate gives birth nears completion as Lords approve
- US tourists swim for nearly 14 hours after boat sinks near St. Lucia
- IBM makes movie about a little boy - a very little boy - by pushing molecules around
- Friendship with bomb suspect, complex chain of events leads to 3 being charged
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.