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Beyond the Standard Model of Particle Physics

Posted by michael on from the twice-as-good-as-regular-symmetry dept.

tanmay writes "As time moves on, the case for supersymmetry keeps getting stronger. Physicsweb is reporting about an experiment that measures the relation between the spin of the muon and its magnetic moment, called the g-factor. The latest experiment is described as the most significant deviation to date between experiment and theory in particle physics, thus offering the clearest hint so far of new physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. We will know for sure if supersymmetry holds it's ground by 2007, when the Large Hadron Collider will commence operation."

3 of 47 comments (clear)

  1. Re:About time... by hcg50a · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is false. They didn't need the SCSC to make this discovery. They did it at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, which does not have a particularly high energy collider.

    All they did was refine some data from the 1970s experiment, which leads to the startling conclusion that the Standard Model is not a perfect description.

    Most tee vee shows like Nova assume that the only way to show that the Standard Model is not a perfect description is by using higher and higher energy colliders (like the SCSC).

    --
    HCG 50a = 2MASX J11170638+5455016
    11h17m06.4s +54d55m02s
  2. Re:Nuclear physics Slashdot? by jabberjaw · · Score: 4, Informative

    Hmm, while I do admit that that would be nice there already is PhysicsWeb, BottomQuark, and the Physics Forums. If anyone else can add to this list please do!

  3. Posters should RTFA by menscher · · Score: 5, Informative
    As time moves on, the case for supersymmetry keeps getting stronger.
    No, it just hasn't been shown to be wrong yet.
    Physicsweb is reporting...
    How about "Physicsweb reported" (on Jan 8)...
    ...the most significant deviation to date between experiment and theory in particle physics...
    2.8 sigma may be the most significant to date, but it's not particularly significant.
    We will know for sure if supersymmetry holds it's ground by 2007, when the Large Hadron Collider will commence operation.
    No, it needs to run for a few years. And then it is only guaranteed to add constraints to the space of theories, not to prove/disprove any.

    This isn't to say that the g-2 experiment is useless; only that we shouldn't get too excited about it yet. Once things pass 3 sigma then the scientists will start to pay attention. Until then, it will just around speculation. Oh yeah, and yes, I am a particle physicist. But I'm just a lowly theorist. The experimentalists working on g-2 are down the hall.