CERN finds first evidence of a beauty-particle decay after 42 years
The LHCb collaboration has found first evidence of a beauty particle decaying into two muons, a process predicted to occur only once in every 10 billion beauty particles. The result reached 3.2 sigma, below the five-sigma threshold for a discovery, and agrees with the Standard Model; researchers say more data will let them test it with greater precision.
Bottom line — LHCb plans to collect more data into the early 2030s; the decay remains evidence, not a confirmed discovery.
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The search began in 1984, according to the University of Warwick team.
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Beauty particles last around 1.5 trillionths of a second before decaying, according to Anadolu Agency.
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Researchers combined data from 2024 and 2025 with earlier LHCb runs from 2011 to 2018, the University of Warwick team reported.
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The upgraded detector records collisions at up to five times its previous rate, according to the University of Liverpool team.
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Researchers used machine learning to distinguish the rare signal from collision background, the University of Warwick team said.
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The UK made the largest national contribution to the upgraded detector, according to the University of Warwick team.
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The process is a possible way to look for the influence of unknown particles, but the current result matches Standard Model predictions, the University of Manchester team said.