Physicists offer theories to explain mysterious collision at Large Hadron Collider

phys.org ^ | 01/08/2016

[BenLurkin]

Physicists around the world were puzzled recently when an unusual bump appeared in the signal of the Large Hadron Collider, the world's largest and most powerful particle accelerator, causing them to wonder if it was a new particle previously unknown, or perhaps even two new particles. The collision cannot be explained by the Standard Model, the theoretical foundation of particle physics.

Adam Martin, assistant professor of physics at the University of Notre Dame, said he and other theoretical physicists had heard about the results before they were released on Dec. 15, and groups began brainstorming, via Skype and other ways, about what the bump could mean if confirmed; a long shot, but an intriguing one. He and some collaborators from Cincinnati and New York submitted a pre-peer-review paper that appeared on arXiv.org on Dec. 23.

...

The paper considers four possible explanations for the data, including the possibility that it could indicate a heavier version of the Higgs boson. Further research could yield mundane explanations, Martin says, and the excitement could fade as it has many times in his career. Or it could open up new insights and call for new models.

[shibumi]

The answer is a new particle I discovered last week in my kitchen.

It appeared in the frying pan while I was preparing an egg sandwich.

[The_Victor]

bump for a later read.

[Magnum44]

A collision in a collider....how unexpected :)

[FroggyTheGremlim]

Bump? It's a Higgs bison?

[TADSLOS]

Woman driver.

[shibumi]

Maybe the new particle will explain why this
physicist has a hand growing out of his armpit.

[ichabod1]

they gonna create black hole on the earth an its gonna suck us all in

[The Duke]

Where is Homer Simpson working these days?

[shibumi]

Right Here -

[TexasFreeper2009]

Has none of these genius’s figured out yet... that no matter how small something is... you can always break it into something smaller?

[Larry Lucido]

Baconium?

[ichabod1]

by the heisenberg uncertainty principle you may be creating smaller particles just by looking for them,

[Riley]

I am saddened to report that I am unable to find that there has been a naval vessel named “USS Higgs”. Comedic opportunity- lost.

[libertylover]

But what’s the effect on a flux capacitor?

[GraceG]

It is just the portal to hell they are opening there....

[MUDDOG]

the excitement could fade as it has many times

Kicks just keep getting harder to find.

[shibumi]

Either that or Donutium.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

The Higgs bison pharts photons.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

It’s a new particle. They’ve named it the Hiccup Boson.