PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

A new particle has been discovered -- chances are, it is the Higgs boson

2012-07-04
(Press-News.org) The long and complicated journey to detect the Higgs boson, which started with one small step about 25 years ago, might finally have reached its goal. This was reported by LHC particle accelerator scientists today at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics, CERN, near Geneva.

The Higgs boson is the final building block that has been missing from the "Standard Model," which describes the structure of matter in the universe. The Higgs boson combines two forces of nature and shows that they are, in fact, different aspects of a more fundamental force. The particle is also responsible for the existence of mass in the elementary particles.

Weizmann Institute scientists have been prominent participants in this research from its onset. Prof. Giora Mikenberg was for many years head of the research group that searched for the Higgs boson in CERN's OPAL experiment. He was then leader of the ATLAS Muon Project – one of the two experiments that eventually revealed the particle. Prof. Ehud Duchovni heads the Weizmann Institute team that examines other key questions at CERN. Prof. Eilam Gross is currently the ATLAS Higgs physics group convener. In the Weizmann team three scientific "generations" are represented: Mikenberg was Duchovni's supervisor, who was, in turn, Gross's supervisor.

Gross: "This is the biggest day of my life. I have been searching for the Higgs since I was a student in the 1980's. Even after 25 years, it still came as a surprise. No matter what you call it – we are no longer searching for the Higgs but measuring its properties. Though I believed it would be found, I never dreamed it would happen while I was holding a senior position in the global research team."

Most of us experience the world as a diverse and complex place. But the physicists among us are not content with visible reality. They are striving to get to the bottom of that reality and to see whether it is, as they think, based on the absolute simplicity displayed by the early universe. They expect to observe a range of particles that are different "ensembles" of a handful of elementary particles. The scientists are hoping to see a unification of the four fundamental forces of nature that act on these particles (the weak force responsible for radioactivity, electromagnetic force, the strong force responsible for the existence of protons and neutrons, and gravitation).

The first step in the journey to unify the forces was completed with the almost certain discovery of the Higgs particle: The union of two elementary forces – the electromagnetic and weak force, to become the electroweak force.

One aspect of the Higgs boson, named after the Scottish physicist Peter Higgs, manifests itself in the giving of mass to the weak force carriers – the "W" and "Z" particles. (The electromagnetic force carrier, the photon, remains massless.)

The Largest Machine in the World

In the effort to discover the Higgs boson, unify the fundamental forces and understand the origin of mass in the universe, scientists built the world's largest machine: a particle accelerator nestled in a 27-km-long circular tunnel, 100 meters beneath the border between France and Switzerland, in the European particle physics laboratory, CERN, near Geneva.

This accelerator, called LHC (Large Hadron Collider), accelerates beams of protons up to 99.999998% the speed of light. According to the theory of relativity, this increases their mass by 7,500 times that of their normal resting mass. The accelerator aims the beams straight at each other, causing collisions that release so much energy, the protons themselves explode. For much less than the blink of an eye, conditions similar to those that existed in the universe in the first fraction of a second after the Big Bang are present in the accelerator.

As a result, particles of matter are turned into energy, in accordance with Albert Einstein's famous equation describing the conversion of matter into energy: E=mc2. The energy then propagates through space and the system cools. (Something similar happened in the early evolution of the universe.) Consequently, energy turns back into particles of matter and the process is repeated until particles that can exist in reality as we know it are formed.

The collisions produce energetic particles, some of which exist for extremely short periods of time. The only way to discern their existence is to identify the footprints they leave behind. For this purpose, a variety of particle detectors were developed, each optimized for capturing particular types of particles.

Statistics

The likelihood of creating the Higgs boson in a single collision is similar to that of randomly extracting a specific living cell from the leaf of a plant, out of all the plants growing on Earth. To cope with this task, Weizmann Institute scientists, headed by Prof. Mikenberg, developed unique particle detectors, which were manufactured at the Institute, and in Japan and China. These detectors have been adapted to detect muon particles. In some of the very rare collisions that produce Higgs particles, the footprint of the Higgs particle – that which is recorded in the detectors – is four energetic muons. Thus, the detection of such muons provides circumstantial evidence for the existence of the Higgs particle.

The scientists analyzed data from a thousand trillion proton collisions; in these Higgs bosons are created along with many other similar particles. Evidence to suggest the existence of the Higgs arises through searches for anomalies in the collected data (in comparison with the expected data if such a particle does not exist). This search focuses on the estimated mass of the particle: 126 trillion electron volts (Gev). When the scientists do manage to find such anomalies, they must then rule out the possibility that it is due to statistical fluctuation.

The calculations carried out by scientists in recent weeks, in which Prof. Gross played a central role, have revealed, with a high degree of statistical significance, a new particle with a mass similar to the expected mass of the Higgs. The wording is purposely cautious, leaving room for the possibility that a new particle other than the Higgs can be found within this mass range. The probability that this is, indeed, a new particle, is quite low. (But if it were, in truth, a different particle, say some physicists, things will start to get "really interesting.")

CERN

CERN scientists invented and developed the computer language and basic concepts that later served as the basis for the establishment of the Internet. In fact, the first server of the "World Wide Web" was activated in CERN to facilitate communication between scientists from around the globe participating in experiments carried out locally. The organization also served as a model for the establishment of the European Union, and its influence on Europe's technology and economy is reminiscent of the American space program.

The LHC particle accelerator is based on superconducting electromagnets working at very low temperatures: less than two degrees above absolute zero (minus 271° Celsius). It generates about one billion particle collisions per second: If they were people, it would be as if each person on the planet meets every one of the six billion inhabitants of the world every six seconds. Calculating and analyzing data from these collisions is like trying to understand what all the inhabitants of the world are saying, while each is holding 20 telephone conversations at once.

This experimental system includes the world's largest superconducting electromagnets, built in conjunction with Israeli companies. The entire structure includes 10,000 radiation detectors spaced just one millimeter apart, has a volume of 25,000 cubic meters and features half a million electronic channels. Most of the muon radiation detectors were built from components produced in Israel. A unique laser system tracks the exact location of the detectors with an accuracy of 25 microns (half the thickness of a human hair).

INFORMATION:

Prof. Ehud Duchovni's research is supported by the Friends of Weizmann Institute in memory of Richard Kronstein; the Nella and Leon Benoziyo Center for High Energy Physics; and the Yeda-Sela Center for Basic Research. Prof. Duchovni is the incumbent of the Professor Wolfgang Gentner Professorial Chair of Nuclear Physics.

Prof. Eilam Gross's research is supported by the Friends of Weizmann Institute in memory of Richard Kronstein.

Prof. Giora Mikenberg's research is supported by the Nella and Leon Benoziyo Center for High Energy Physics, which he heads. Prof. Mikenberg is the incumbent of the Lady Davis Professorial Chair of Experimental Physics.

The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, is one of the world's top-ranking multidisciplinary research institutions. Noted for its wide-ranging exploration of the natural and exact sciences, the Institute is home to 2,700 scientists, students, technicians and supporting staff. Institute research efforts include the search for new ways of fighting disease and hunger, examining leading questions in mathematics and computer science, probing the physics of matter and the universe, creating novel materials and developing new strategies for protecting the environment.

Weizmann Institute news releases are posted on the World Wide Web at http://wis-wander.weizmann.ac.il/, and are also available at http://www.eurekalert.org/

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

HeadsUp Communications LLC Partners With Metaphysical Consulting

2012-07-04
As of July 2, 2012, HeadsUp Communications LLC has finalized its partnership with Brendan Tripp and Metaphysical Consulting to support the Chicago-based HeadsUp Communications LLC Event Headquarters. HeadsUp Communications LLC, the Atlanta based consultant negotiations firm, prides itself on being innovative in both its approach to negotiation as well as its marketing of the firm. As such, the company has partnered with social networking and digital guru Brendan Tripp, CEO of Metaphysical Consulting. Metaphysical Consulting is a technology marketing, online branding, and ...

Author Sands Hetherington joins the July '12 World of Ink Virtual Tour

2012-07-04
The World of Ink Network will be touring author Sands Hetherington's nighttime adventure for kids, Night Buddies and the Pineapple Cheesecake Scare published by Dune Buggy Press all through July and August 2012. About the Book: Night Buddies and the Pineapple Cheesecake Scare is the first in a series featuring John, a young city kid who isn't ready for bed yet, and Crosley, a bright-red crocodile who shows up in his room to rescue him and take him on an adventure. Night Buddies is an astonishing and inventive adventure with unforgettable cast of characters that will ...

High Performance DIN-RAIL Power Supplies for Process Control and Industrial Applications

2012-07-04
Power Sources Unlimited, Inc. announces the ultimate TSP Series DIN Rail power supply. Output power from 90 to 600 watts, ATEX and IECEx certifications, UL508, NEC Class 2, SEMI F47, Class 1, Zone 2 Control equipment for hazardous locations. Options include wall mounting, redundancy module, buffer module for power back up, battery control module and battery packs. Deliveries range from stock to 8-10 weeks and are competitively priced under $65.00 in OEM quantities for the low end DIN Rail power supplies. For higher power DIN Rail power supplies along with options ...

Tempco Boosts Production with New Equipment Acquisitions

2012-07-04
Tempco Manufacturing Company, Inc., has invested heavily in new equipment to improve their processes and boost production. The precision metal forming company has spent nearly $3 million on new equipment in the past two years alone. Based in St. Paul, Minnesota, Tempco Manufacturing produces precision metal stampings, sheet metal fabrications, mechanical assemblies, and more for OEMs and customers in a broad range of industries throughout the world. With modern production facilities encompassing over 83,000 square feet and additional leased space for finished goods, ...

Lori Leigh Designs Earring Chalets Unveiled to Huge Retail Acceptance at JCK Las Vegas June 1-4

2012-07-04
Fashionable Earring Organizers One of the Biggest Breakthrough Products at the Largest Jewelry Trade Show in the United States Whittier, CA Lori Torline,President and creative force behind Lori Leigh Designs Earring Chalets, noted at the conclusion of the JCK Jewelry Industry Trade Expo at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas that her product had sold out completely during this premiere event. "Of course, our team was excited about the unique fashion features and design benefits we had built into the product", said Mrs. Torline. "But until you experience retailers ...

Wixie selected for Google Chromebook education app packs

2012-07-04
Wixie, Tech4Learning's popular student creativity tool, is now available as part of Google's Education App Packs. The newly released Education App Packs are select groups of recommended web apps for different subjects and grade levels. These packs are available in the Google Chrome store and can be installed from the Chromebook management console. Wixie is a cloud-based authoring tool students can use to paint pictures, write stories, and record their voice to explore the curriculum and demonstrate mastery. Projects are automatically stored in the cloud, making it easy ...

Explosion of Interest for Property in Spain's Murcia Region

2012-07-04
Versus May 2011, searches for Murcia property on leading portal, Rightmove Overseas, were up a massive 61% in May 2012. In fact May was the best month for Murcia searches in 2012 attracting 20.6% more searches than the previous month. Why the demand? Local estate agent Mercers says it's because "Murcia is not Spain". Chris Mercer, Director of Mercers headquartered in Mazarron, explains, "Spain may be having a rough ride of it right now but there's always an exception to prove the rule and that exception is Murcia. Prices are rock bottom, at their lowest ...

SBT Seabuckthorn Announces Winners of its 'Many Wonderful Faces of Seabuckthorn' Contest

2012-07-04
The Original Seabuckthorn Company of Peachland, British Columbia, Canada is thrilled to congratulate the winners of its recent contest to showcase the many wonderful faces of SBT Seabuckthorn products. The contest, launched on April 10, 2012, received entries from across the United States & Canada. Grand Prize winner Debbie Madrigal of Bates City, MO will receive $1000 in SBT Seabuckthorn products for her first place entry. SBT Seabuckthorn, manufacturer of a line of healing and anti-aging skincare and nutritional supplements, conceived the contest to give its customers ...

Jimmie Van Zant's "Feels like Freedom" Hits Audiences Worldwide

2012-07-04
As the coming weeks are a time for celebrating independence, Country Music Television debuts the new single by musician Jimmie Van Zant. A song whose title, "Feels like Freedom" not only suggests that feeling, but embraces it as well. The first single and title track from Jimmie Van Zant's upcoming album Feels like Freedom debuted on CMT.com June 29th, 2012. The video was shot in central Florida, directed by Ben Bacharach-White and features a heart-warming tale of a young couple's eternal love for one another. Also known for his single "Ronnie's Song," ...

Stanbridge College Donates Over 500lbs of Canned Foods to Eliminate Hunger in OC

2012-07-04
Stanbridge College, a technical college that offers diploma programs and Associate, Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Healthcare and Information Technology, donated over 500lbs of canned foods in April and June to help feed the hungry in Orange County. Students, staff and faculty of Stanbridge College gathered together and donated vegetables, fruits, beans, and other canned food items to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. In June, one vocational nursing class donated over 150 cans of food to support the cause. According to Ms. Adeline Justeson, Vocational ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Sound is a primary issue in the lives of skateboarders, study shows

Watch what you eat: NFL game advertisements promote foods high in fat, sodium

Red Dress Collection Concert hosted by Sharon Stone kicks off American Heart Month

One of the largest studies on preterm birth finds a maternal biomarker test significantly reduces neonatal morbidities and improves neonatal outcomes

One of the largest studies of its kind finds early intervention with iron delivered intravenously during pregnancy is a safe and effective treatment for anemia

New Case Western Reserve University study identifies key protein’s role in psoriasis

First-ever ethics checklist for portable MRI brain researchers

Addressing 3D effects of clouds for significant improvements of climate models

Gut microbes may mediate the link between drinking sugary beverages and diabetes risk

Ribosomes team up in difficult situations, new technology shows

Mortality trends among adults ages 25-44 in the US

Discontinuation and reinitiation of dual-labeled GLP-1 receptor agonists among us adults with overweight or obesity

Ultraprocessed food consumption and obesity development in Canadian children

Experts publish framework for global adoption of digital health in medical education

Canadian preschoolers get nearly half of daily calories from ultra-processed foods: University of Toronto study

City of Hope scientists identify mechanism for self-repair of the thymus, a crucial component of the immune system

New study reveals how reduced rainfall threatens plant diversity

New study reveals optimized in vitro fertilization techniques to boost coral restoration efforts in the Caribbean

No evidence that maternal sickness during pregnancy causes autism

Healthy gut bacteria that feed on sugar analyzed for the first time

240-year-old drug could save UK National Health Service £100 million a year treating common heart rhythm disorder

Detections of poliovirus in sewage samples require enhanced routine and catch-up vaccination and increased surveillance, according to ECDC report

Scientists unlock ice-repelling secrets of polar bear fur for sustainable anti-freezing solutions 

Ear muscle we thought humans didn’t use — except for wiggling our ears — actually activates when people listen hard

COVID-19 pandemic drove significant rise in patients choosing to leave ERs before medically recommended

Burn grasslands to maintain them: What is good for biodiversity?

Ventilation in hospitals could cause viruses to spread further

New study finds high concentrations of plastics in the placentae of infants born prematurely

New robotic surgical systems revolutionizing patient care

New MSK research a step toward off-the-shelf CAR T cell therapy for cancer

[Press-News.org] A new particle has been discovered -- chances are, it is the Higgs boson