CERN touts discovery of exotic particles amid third run of Large Hadron Collider
CERN says the observation could provide clues about the force that binds subatomic particles together
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CERN, the world’s largest atom smasher, says it has observed three new "exotic particles" while carrying out its third run of collisions.
After a three-year pause for maintenance and routine checks, the Large Hadron Collider will run for close to four years, operating at an unprecedented 13.6 trillion electronvolts.
FILE - A technician works in the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) tunnel of the European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN, during a press visit in Meyrin, near Geneva, Switzerland, Feb. 16, 2016. (Laurent Gillieron/Keystone via AP, file)
CERN, based in Geneva, said the observation of three new "exotic particles" could provide clues about the force that binds subatomic particles together.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The observation of a new type of pentaquark and the first duo of tetraquarks offers a new angle to assess the "strong force" that holds together the nuclei of atoms.
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Most exotic hadrons, which are subatomic particles, are made up of two or three elemental particles called quarks. The strong force is one of four forces known in the universe, along with the "weak force" — which applies to the decay of particles — as well as the electromagnetic force and gravity.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The LHC's underground ring of superconducting magnets propel infinitesimal particles along a 17-mile circuit and at near light speed, smashing them together. Data from the collisions is snapped up by high-tech detectors along the circular path.
CERN scientists hailed a smooth start to what is expected to be nearly four years of operation in "Run 3" — the third time the LHC has carried out collisions since its debut in 2008.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The announcement of the exotic particles came a day after CERN celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the confirmation of the Higgs boson, the subatomic particle that has a central place in the so-called Standard Model that explains the basics of particle physics.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.