A recent measurement of a fundamental particle called the W boson appears to defy the Standard Model of particle physics, our current understanding of how the basic building blocks of the universe interact.
The scientists at the Fermilab Collider Detector (CDF) in Illinois, USA have found that elusive W boson has a slightly (1%) higher mass (80,433,000 electron volts) than predicted in the Standard Model (80,357,000 electron volts).
The difference is tiny but in the world of particle physics, it is a huge anomaly. This means that the Standard Model may be in for a massive overhaul.
W boson
Discovered in 1983, the W boson is a fundamental particle. Together with the Z boson, it is responsible for the weak force, one of four fundamental forces that govern the behaviour of matter in our universe. Particles of matter interact by exchanging these bosons, but only over short distances.
The W boson, which is electrically charged, changes the very make up of particles. It switches protons into neutrons, and vice versa, through the weak force, triggering nuclear fusion and letting stars burn.
This burning also creates heavier elements and, when a star dies, those elements are tossed into space as the building blocks for planets and even people.
