The lifetime of the Higgs boson was measured with the greatest precision
CERN physicists have made the most accurate measurement of the lifetime of the Higgs boson ever. This discovery opens the door to further experiments.
The Higgs boson is one of the most elusive particles in the world of physics. After being formed in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), it "lives" for only less than a trillionth of a billionth of a second , or more precisely 1.6 x 10 to the -22 second power. Until now, it was only possible to measure the lifespan of the "divine particle" in an estimate, with great uncertainty. Now scientists at CERN have made progress.
How long does the Higgs boson live?
Physicists have long tried to accurately measure the lifetime of the Higgs boson. This is important as it would allow us to better understand the nature of the particle itself , as well as to find out if its properties are consistent with the Standard Model. A deviation from theoretical values would indicate that something is wrong with our understanding of the Higgs boson. Measuring the lifespan of the Higgs boson is not easy. Why? The life expectancy is so short that it cannot be directly measured. This can be avoided by measuring the so-called mass width , which is inversely proportional to the service life. In the case of the Higgs boson, this detection is also complicated. When physicists have no idea how to solve a problem, quantum mechanics always comes to the rescue. Theories indicate that ultra-short-lived particles (such as the Higgs boson) that arise may not only have an equal mass but also deviate from their nominal value, although the probability of such an event is low. This effect is the result of the so-called Heisenberg uncertainty principle . A comparison of the production rate of high-mass Higgs bosons with those of close-to-nominal mass can be used to determine the mass width of the divine particle, and thus its lifetime. This method was used in the latest experiment. Scientists analyzed the data collected at the LHC on Higgs bosons transforming into two Z bosons , which in turn turn into four charged leptons or two charged leptons and two neutrinos (all mentioned are types of elementary particles). What is the conclusion? It was possible to determine the exact lifetime of the Higgs boson equal to 2.1 × 10 to the power of -22 s. This is the most accurate measurement ever, in line with the predictions of the Standard Model. This is a milestone in research into the properties of this unusual particle.
