Exploring Rare Decays: LIP's Role in Unveiling the Mysteries of the Universe
"LIP researchers lead a groundbreaking CMS study on rare B meson decays, offering new insights into the intriguing Flavor Anomalies and the search for physics beyond the Standard Model. "
Image credits: © CMS/CERN
The CMS experiment at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has unveiled exciting new results in the search for physics beyond the Standard Model. In a meticulous analysis, researchers investigated the rare decay of a B meson—nicknamed the "beautiful particle"—to explore an enigmatic phenomenon known as Flavor Anomalies.
These anomalies arise when observed particle decays deviate from the Standard Model predictions, suggesting the possible existence of unknown particles or forces. In this study, the CMS team examined how the B meson decays into a K* meson and two muons, focusing on intricate energy distributions and angular relationships among the decay products. These characteristics can be influenced by the subtle effects of new particles too massive to be directly observed.
While most results align with Standard Model predictions, intriguing discrepancies persist in key parameters, including those studied in previous experiments like LHCb and Belle. These hints could point to groundbreaking discoveries or, alternatively, to a complex interplay of known forces yet to be fully understood. The “naughty charming penguin”—a playful term for quantum effects involving charm quarks—adds further complexity to the puzzle.
LIP researchers play a pivotal role in this quest, leading CMS analyses and contributing decades of expertise in detector development and physics studies. From the discovery of the Higgs boson to the observation of rare B meson decays, LIP has been integral to CMS's success.
As the LHC enters its next phase, LIP continues to advance its capabilities, contributing to the detector's upgrades and refining the techniques needed to decipher these fascinating anomalies. With more data and improved theoretical models, the mystery of Flavor Anomalies might soon unfold, potentially reshaping our understanding of the universe.
Read CMS’s article for more details.