CERN scientists may have found tiniest particle: Toponium
Scientists from CERN have discovered a signal that may indicate the existence of a new type of matter. The hypothetical particle, called toponium, could be the smallest component of reality ever observed, and this discovery could revolutionize particle physics.
Researchers at CERN, analyzing data from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), have detected a mysterious phenomenon that suggests the existence of a new kind of matter. The toponium particle is formed as a result of the merging of top quarks into a single object and may prove to be the smallest particle ever observed. The discovery of this elusive component of reality may change the way physicists explore the quantum boundary.
What is toponium?
Matter is everything that has mass and occupies space. In the world of physics, this means that every object we can touch or measure is made up of atoms, which are composed of quarks. Theories have suggested the existence of particles like toponium, but until now it was doubted that this state could be observed in the Large Hadron Collider. This skepticism was due to the fact that top quarks are the most massive and exceptionally short-lived elementary particles.
In the Large Hadron Collider, scientists cause protons to collide to produce pairs of quarks and their antiparticles, their counterparts in antimatter. These are known as tt-bar pairs. Researchers use this method to test the Standard Model, which, despite being a comprehensive theory, is still considered incomplete.
Unstable states of matter
If toponium is confirmed, it would be another example of quarkonium, or unstable quark-antiquark states, but physicists claim this discovery would be unique. As reported by the Scitech Daily portal, charmonium and bottomonium were previously discovered, but toponium, due to its mass, would be the smallest known hadron.
The CMS team analyzed data from the years 2016-2018 and noticed an excess of top quark pairs at the minimum energy needed for their production. This led them to consider the hypothesis of the existence of toponium, although other explanations are also possible. Currently, the CMS and ATLAS teams are collaborating to more closely examine this phenomenon, which remains an open scientific question.
