Swedish model dark matter on the tracks – Västerbotten Courier

Swedish model dark matter on the tracks – Västerbotten Courier

The elusive Higgs particle could be the key to the universe known as dark matter. A partially Swedish model is now being tested in the CERN particle accelerator.

– It is a dream for us theorist, says Chalmers University researcher Christopher Petersson.

The Higgs particle caused a great stir when it eventually discovered in particle physics laboratory, CERN, outside Geneva in 2012, almost 50 years after it was predicted first time. But the little elementary particle are nonetheless not quite everything. Among other things, so-called dark matter right now not fit in the puzzle.

The hope Christoffer Petersson, researchers at Chalmers University in Gothenburg and the Université Libre in Brussels, and his colleagues could change with its particle model.

– We have produced a more complete model that includes dark matter particles. Since it is also a fun feature of our model is that the Higgs particle in the can decay into dark matter particles, says Petersson.

Two research teams at Cern have already been searching for the Higgs particle new theoretical properties. But since just about every hundredth Higgs particle according to the model decomposes to just dark matter needed more data.

– If the model is correct would be the first direct evidence of particles beyond the standard model. But it can probably take some years before any data is collected, says Petersson.