CERN Physicists Discover Two New Particles

Sci-News.com ^ | Oct 1, 2018 | News Staff / Source

[ETL]

The newly-discovered particles, named Σ_b(6097)⁺ and Σ_b(6097)^-, are predicted by the quark model, and belong to the same family of particles as the protons that the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) accelerates and collides: baryons, which are made up of three quarks.

But the type of quarks they contain are different: whereas protons contain two up quarks and one down quark, the new particles are bottom baryons composed of one bottom quark and two up quarks or one bottom quark and two down quarks respectively.

The LHCb researchers found these particles using the classic particle-hunting technique of looking for an excess of events...over a smooth background of events in data from particle collisions.

In this case, they looked for such "bumps" in the mass distribution of a two-particle system consisting of a neutral baryon called Λ_b⁰ and a charged quark-antiquark particle called the π meson.

“We found two bumps corresponding to the Σ_b(6097)⁺ and Σ_b(6097)^- particles, with the whopping significances of 12.7 and 12.6 standard deviations respectively; five standard deviations is the usual threshold to claim the discovery of a new particle,” they said.

“The 6097 in the names refers to the approximate masses of the new particles in MeV, about six times more massive than the proton.”

Named Z_c^-(4100), the third particle is a possible candidate for a different type of quark beast, one made not of the usual two or three quarks but of four quarks (strictly speaking, two quarks and two antiquarks), two of which are heavy charm quarks.

Such exotic mesons, sometimes described as tetraquarks, as well as five-quark particles called pentaquarks, have long been predicted to exist.

“Searching for structures in the decays of heavier B mesons, we detected evidence for Z_c^-(4100) with a significance of more than three standard deviations, short of the threshold for discovery,...”

[ETL]

The LHCb magnet.
Image credit: CERN.

[bgill]

Sheldon is all giddy over the discovery.

[budj]

Discovered hell, I was never lost.

[M Kehoe]

Farking Ferengies, they will steal half your liver and one kidney.

If the price is right.

5.56mm

[JimRed]

There’s nothing NEW about them- they’ve been there all along.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

"the new particles are bottom baryons"

Image below:

[ETL]

CERN Physicists Discover Two VERY OLD Particles

[Larry Lucido]

I think I’m a quark low.

[WMarshal]

What is it with lefty academics and their worship of Marxists? “Bottom Baryon” was Barry Obama’s nickname in college.

[ETL]

[LouieFisk]

"There’s nothing NEW about them- they’ve been there all along."
--

Yup.
Now if they could find some new quirks, that'd be interesting

[ETL]

Lol!

aka, “Bathhouse Barry”.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks ETL.

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[ETL]

[Boogieman]

"The newly-discovered particles, named Σb(6097)+ and Σb(6097)-"

They really need to put someone with a marketing degree or something in charge of coming up with some snazzier names.

Who used to do it? You know, who came up with electron, neutron, proton? Those were classic. Doesn't seem like the new guy is even trying...

[wally_bert]

One variant of Quark was lost in the 70s.

[ASOC]

So- now I can get a 100 MPG carb for my auto? And a flying car?

Otherwise, this means nothing.

[ETL]

Well, here's your "flying car" .....

[ETL]

[Redcitizen]

Atom smashing is all its quarked up to be.