Scientists glimpse 'Zeptoverse' far smaller than atoms
Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 5 Nov, 10:56 · Archive
UK-led scientists have detected an extremely rare particle decay opening a window into scales 100 billion times smaller than atoms.
Researchers at CERN have detected signals of an extremely rare matter-decay event at scales physicists call the 'Zeptoverse'—a world 100 billion times smaller than an atom. The discovery involved observing a neutral B meson decaying into a muon and an antimuon, a phenomenon so improbable that physicists have been hoping to observe it for more than four decades.
The standard model of particle physics predicts this transformation will occur once in every 10 billion decays of neutral B mesons. Dr Harry Cliff of Cambridge University, who led the analysis, told Metro that 'we've just reached the borders of the Zeptoverse' and 'in the future, we hope to zoom down even closer'. Chris Parkes, a physicist at Manchester University, explained the scale: 'as a person is to an atom, an atom is to the Zeptoverse'.
The research was made possible partly by upgrades to the Large Hadron Collider in 2024, which allowed scientists to detect muons with the extreme precision required. According to CERN, the international analysis team's findings indicate this is the first time an experiment has obtained evidence of this specific decay phenomenon. Exploring such scales could help scientists understand fundamental questions about why the universe exists.
How it is being reported
- Particle Physicists Are Getting a First Glimpse Into the ‘Zeptoverse’An extremely rare matter-decay event opens up new possibilities for researching the physical world on scales 100 billion times smaller than an atom.Wired · 5 Nov, 10:30
- Humans are exploring the ‘Zeptoverse’ – a world 100billion times smaller than an atom'You’d need to do some serious shrinking.'Metro · 3 Nov, 16:02
In this story: Harry Cliff · Chris Parkes · University of Cambridge · University of Manchester · CERN · Large Hadron Collider
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