The universe could collapse into oblivion at any moment, the culprit being related to a recently discovered particle. The Higgs particle, known as the Higgs boson, was discovered in 2012 by the ATLAS and CMS detectors – A Toroidal LHC ApparatuS and the Compact Muon Solenoid respectively – of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The LHC is a huge particle accelerator, 27 kilometres (16.7 miles) in circumference, located underground at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland.
The existence of the Higgs particle was first predicted by a group of scientists including Peter Higgs, who won a Nobel Prize for the discovery alongside François Englert in 2013. They used the Standard Model to make their prediction, which scientists have been using as a guide to the discovery of new particles since the 1960s. The Higgs was included in those early days, but very few thought that it could ever be found.
The Higgs field gives matter particles – and also the Higgs boson – mass. However, scientists were somewhat torn on the discovery of the Higgs boson. Many were astounded and elated by it, while others were somewhat disappointed that the Standard Model didn’t turn up something more unexpected and interesting. However, it turns out that the Higgs may be exciting enough.
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Denne historien er fra Issue 105-utgaven av All About Space.
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15 AUTUMN STARGAZING TARGETS
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MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE WHY IS VENUS SO DRY?
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WHEN BLACK HOLES TURN WHITE
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THE MOON'S THIN ATMOSPHERE IS MADE BY CONSTANT METEORITE BOMBARDMENT
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INTERSTELLAR TRAVEL AND HOW TO BECOME A SPACE TOURIST
Having explored much of the Solar System, attention is now turning to the stars beyond
NASA'S PERSEVERANCE ROVER FINDS POSSIBLE SIGNS OF ANCIENT RED PLANET LIFE
Further analysis is needed, but a rock contains potential evidence that life once existed on Mars in the distant past
A NASA TELESCOPE MAY HAVE FOUND ANTIMATTER ANNIHILATING IN POSSIBLY THE BIGGEST EXPLOSION SINCE THE BIG BANG
The massive explosion was captured in 2022
Jameel Janjua "This is how we get to Mach 3”
Jameel Janjua made it to the bitter end in a Canadian government astronaut selection in 2009, but wasn't chosen. He found a different path to space through Virgin Galactic
BOEING NEEDS TO IMPROVE QUALITY CONTROL ON THE SLS MOON ROCKET
The NASA Inspector General's report finds serious quality-control issues affecting the upgraded version and expects cost overruns and delays
DARK ENERGY
THE MOST DOMINANT FORCE IN THE UNIVERSE IS ALSO ITS MOST MYSTERIOUS AND MOST UNANTICIPATED