Scientists may have found 'God
particle'
Higgs boson crucial to theory on origin of
mass in the universe
(From left) Belgian physicist Francois Englert, Dr Rolf
Heuer and Dr Peter Higgs at Cern yesterday. The Higgs boson is
dubbed the "God particle" because it is powerful and ubiquitous,
yet so hard to find. PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS
GENEVA - After a quest spanning nearly half a century, physicists
say they have found a new subatomic particle that could be the
basic building block of the universe.
Rousing cheers and a standing ovation erupted at the
European Organisation for Nuclear Research (Cern) yesterday as
scientists presented astonishing new data in their search for the
mysterious particle, known as the Higgs boson.
Many hailed it as a moment in history, and white-haired
veterans of the quest shed tears of joy.
"We have reached a milestone in our understanding of
nature," said Cern director-general Rolf Heuer.
He and others cautioned, however, that further work was
needed to identify what exactly had been found. "As a layman, I
would say we have it, but as a scientist, I have to say, 'what do
we have?'" Dr Heuer told a press conference. "We have discovered a
boson, and now we have to determine what kind of boson it is."
British physicist Peter Higgs, who in 1964 published the
conceptual groundwork for the particle and whose name became
associated with it, expressed delight.
"I never expected this to happen in my lifetime and shall
be asking my family to put some champagne in the fridge," the
83-year-old said in a statement.
Finding the Higgs would validate the Standard Model, a
theory which identifies the building blocks for matter and the
particles that convey fundamental forces.
It is a hugely successful theory but has several gaps,
the biggest of which is why some particles have mass but others do
not.
Mooted by Dr Higgs and several others, the boson is
believed to exist in a treacly, invisible, ubiquitous field created
by the Big Bang some 13.7 billion years ago.
When some particles encounter the Higgs, they slow down
and acquire mass, according to the theory. Others, such as
particles of light, encounter no obstacle.
Cern uses a giant underground laboratory where protons
are smashed together at nearly the speed of light, yielding
sub-atomic debris that is then scrutinised for signs of the
fleeting Higgs.
The task is arduous because there are trillions of
signals occurring among particles at different ranges of mass. The
Higgs has been dubbed the "God particle" because it is powerful and
ubiquitous, yet so hard to find.
Over the years, tens of thousands of physicists and
billions of dollars have been thrown into the search, gradually
narrowing down the mass range where it might exist.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
World, The Straits Times, Thurday, 5 July 2012, Pg A20
