Summary
Prepared after editorial review.
- Scientists at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider in Geneva have discovered a new subatomic particle composed of two charm quarks and one down quark.
- This new particle weighs four times more than a proton and has a lifespan six times shorter than previous particles of similar type.
- Discovered following the 2023 upgrade of the LHCb detector, it is the first particle found that will help deepen understanding of strong force and quantum chromodynamics.
Scientists working at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva have discovered a new subatomic particle.
Presented at the Moriond conference, the research revealed that this new particle consists of two “charm quarks” and one “down quark.” Although its structure is similar to the proton, which is a fundamental building block of matter and the universe, this particle’s mass is four times greater.
According to scientists, this is the first new particle discovered after the LHCb detector was upgraded in 2023. This raises the total number of particles discovered at the Large Hadron Collider to 80.
A similar particle was found in 2017, but it contained an “up quark” rather than a “down quark.” The new particle’s lifespan is six times shorter than that earlier particle, making its detection significantly more challenging.
This discovery will help scientists gain deeper insights into the strong interaction, which binds particles in the universe, and the principles of quantum chromodynamics.
