Muon g-2
Despite its successes, the Standard Model of particle physics doesn’t explain everything that physicists observe in the universe—so they are looking for ways to break the model. The highly anticipated results of the Muon g-2 experiment at Fermilab in Illinois will likely provide some insights into one area where the Standard Model could fail. Preliminary results already seem to show hints of a discrepancy between the Standard Model and actual measurements.
A muon is basically a heavier cousin of the electron, and its “g” value, a number that governs how it behaves in a magnetic field, is thought to be around 2. Scientists at Brookhaven National Lab built a huge circular magnet and passed muons through it, and they measured that the g-2 value (the difference between g and 2), was slightly off from what the Standard Model predicts. Brookhaven National Lab officials coordinated with Fermilab to continue the experiment with even more muons. The newest g-2 measurements should be released soon!
