LHCb data again hints at a non–standard model particle
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.028005
New Scientist : The standard model predicts that the Z boson will decay into either electrons or muons at roughly the same rate. However, early data from the LHCb experiment appears to show that the decay path favors electrons 25% more often. The strength of that signal is still relatively low—there is still a 1 in 100 chance that the signal is just noise that will disappear when more decays are analyzed. If the signal turns out to be real, the preponderance of electrons suggests that a particle not predicted by the standard model may be present. One possible option is a Z’ boson, a heavier version of the Z boson. A previous LHCb experiment also found hints of the existence of the Z’ boson, but was not able to confirm them.
