Scientists at CERN have made a groundbreaking discovery that could hint at new physics beyond the Standard Model. The team observed an incredibly rare event, where a charged kaon decayed into a charged pion and a neutrino-antineutrino pair, with a probability of less than 1 in 10 billion. This decay is precisely predicted by the Standard Model, but the observed rate was around 50% higher than expected.
The NA62 experiment at CERN collided high-intensity protons with a stationary target to produce secondary particles that could be detected and identified. The team reported evidence of this rare decay in 2020 and has now confirmed it with a 5-sigma detection, meaning there is only a 0.00006% chance that the detection is a statistical fluke.
While the Standard Model predicts this decay, the observed rate suggests possible new particles or physics at play. The team’s discovery has sparked excitement among physicists, who have been searching for theoretical extensions to the Standard Model to explain mysteries such as dark matter and the origins of the matter-antimatter imbalance in the universe.
The NA62 experiment is a testament to the power of teamwork and perseverance in pushing the boundaries of human knowledge. As the team continues to analyze their findings and conduct further experiments, they may uncover new insights that challenge our current understanding of the universe.
Source: https://www.iflscience.com/incredibly-rare-13-in-100-billion-event-seen-at-cern-particle-accelerator-76091