Physicists at Fermilab Discover New Subatomic Particle

Physicists at Fermilab Discover New Subatomic Particle

High-speed collisions at a giant atom smasher have produced what physicists say is a new particle, a heavier relative of the familiar neutron.

The particle is called the neutral Xi-sub-b. When it's formed in the Fermilab Tevatron particle accelerator in Batavia, Ill., the neutral Xi-sub-b lasts just a mere instant before decaying into lighter particles. Scientists at Fermilab uncover these ephemeral particles by racing particles around a 4-mile (6.3 km) ring at near light speed. When the particles collide, the outpouring of energy disintegrates them into other particles.




Physics theory called the Standard Model predicted that the neutral Xi-sub-b should exist, but this is the first time researchers have seen it firsthand. The particle is a baryon, meaning it consists of three fundamental particles called quarks. Protons and neutrons, which make up the nucleus of atoms, are baryons. Protons contain two "up" quarks and one "down," while neutrons have two "down" quarks and an "up."

The newly discovered particle contains a strange quark, an up quark and a bottom quark. The bottom quark is called a heavy bottom quark, making the neutral Xi-sub-b about six times heavier than a proton or neutron. [Read Wacky Physics: The Coolest Little Particles in Nature]


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This has come up in the past as speculation, and a few threads here on ATS from April of 2011 talk about the possibility.

Looks like this might be what the gag order was all about. It looks like scientists have confirmed the new particles existance. I am curious what this new particle will tell us about the universe and how it affects us.

Originally posted by Xcathdra
This has come up in the past as speculation, and a few threads here on ATS from April of 2011 talk about the possibility.

Looks like this might be what the gag order was all about. It looks like scientists have confirmed the new particles existance. I am curious what this new particle will tell us about the universe and how it affects us.

You might be confusing three different things.

1. The discovery of a particle in April was a fluke and not confirmed: www.livescience.com...

A report in April suggesting a giant atom smasher may have detected a never-seen-before subatomic particle had physicists at the edge of their seats with hope, albeit with a healthy dose of skepticism. Now an independent test of the results suggests it was just a fluke.

2. What gag order? This one? www.theregister.co.uk... That one isn't for Fermilab, it's for CERN, and ATS deleted the thread on it for some reason?? Was it a hoax? And if so why didn't they just move the thread to the hoax bin?

3. This OP is about the neutral Xi-sub-b. It was predicted, now it's confirmed. Cool.

reply to post by Arbitrageur


I included the gag order since both labs work closely together yet remain independent. Gag on cern in order to give Fermi the discovery announcement.

Originally posted by Xcathdra
I included the gag order since both labs work closely together yet remain independent. Gag on cern in order to give Fermi the discovery announcement.

There's no relationship between the discovery of the particle, and the gag order regarding drawing conclusions about cosmic rays, they have nothing to do with each other.

reply to post by Arbitrageur


nevermind... your missing my point.

thanks anyways.

reply to post by Xcathdra


Your point appeared to be that the "gag order" on the physicists at CERN was to give Fermilab the benefit of announcing the discovery of a new particle, since the two work together.
However, the "gag order" was to keep the physicists at CERN from announcing any interpretation of the data obtained in an experiment that was, specifically, looking for the affect of cosmic rays on cloud formation.
The experiment at CERN, and the subsequent "gag order," is unrelated to the discovery of a previously-predicted particle at Fermilab.

I'm not sure what kind of "point" can be made from such a nonexistent connection.

This discovery, itself, however, is an exciting one, as it provides further confirmation of the Standard Theory. Though, I think it should also be noted that this is a new subatomic particle, not a new fundamental particle. The neutral cascade b ("Xi-sub-b") particle is composed of three quarks - which are fundamental particles.