Today, scientists from the CDF collaboration have unveiled the world's most precise measurement of the W boson mass, based on data gathered at the Tevatron accelerator. The precision of this measurement surpasses all previous measurements combined and restricts the space in which the Higgs particle should reside according to the Standard Model, the theoretical framework that describes all known subatomic particles and forces.
Albert Einstein's law of special relativity might shrug off the challenge of faster-than-light neutrinos after all. Scientists in the OPERA collaboration announced today that they have found two possible causes for the surprising results they presented in September 2011, in which neutrinos seemed to beat Einstein's cosmic speed limit.
Our February issue runs the gamut from the proud 30-year-legacy of the Tevatron Collider to the latest popular physics sensation: faster-than-light neutrinos.
You're invited to tour an underground cavern that holds one of the largest scientific experiments in the world. Tomorrow, Feb. 15, the head of the CMS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, physicist Joe Incandela, will chat live from the CMS detector 100 meters underground in France via a Google+ Hangout.
CERN scientists will begin running the Large Hadron Collider at a higher energy than ever before when this winter’s technical stop comes to a close in mid-March, the laboratory announced in a press release today.
Before next week’s holiday, we at Symmetry Breaking want to know about your affair with physics. Send us a love letter (or “Dear John” letter) about your research, a playful pun about a physical concept, or a story about a connection you’ve made with a fellow scientist. Post your comments here or send them to scharley@fnal.gov. We will publish our favorites on Feb. 14.