Scientists may be getting closer to discovering the fifth force of nature

In 2021, scientists have already discovered an unexpected measurement. (photo: clone)

An international team of scientists is working on a new particle accelerator innovation at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) in the United States. According to a statement, after further testing of the Muon g-2 experiment, researchers may be on the verge of discovering the fifth force of physics — something so important that it could help better understand the universe.

In a study accepted by a scientific journal, scientists describe the possibility of a fifth force of nature. Currently, we know of only four forces, namely: gravity, electromagnetism, the strong nuclear force, and the weak nuclear force.

In the experiment, scientists investigated the unexpected behavior of muons, which are fundamental subatomic particles; They are similar to electrons, but about 200 times larger.

The researchers showed that the muons should behave in a specific oscillation, however, experiments showed oscillations much faster than the Standard Model of Physics. For Professor Graziano Venanzoni, this unexpected behavior may be due to a fifth force of nature; Something that has not yet been discovered by any current scientific method.

Physicists describe how the universe works at its most fundamental level through a theory known as the Standard Model. By making predictions based on the Standard Model and comparing them to experimental results, physicists can discern whether a theory is complete — or whether physics outside the Standard Model exists.

The fifth force of nature

Scientists explain that discovering evidence that the Standard Model is incomplete could cause major advances in physics. They claim that the results still need to be confirmed, however, and are impressed that they performed a statistically significant 5 sigma experiment; This means that the result is only a 1 in 3.5 million chance of being wrong.

The team states that the final measurement of the muon experiment’s calculations should be released in 2025, thus providing a more complete answer to explain the differences between the data collected and the Standard Model of Physics.

“The result announced today adds another two years of data to the first result. The Fermilab experiment will reach its maximum statistical uncertainty once scientists have incorporated all six years of data into their analyses, which the collaboration aims to complete within the next two years.”