Something Wild Just Happened at the CERN Particle Accelerator

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DisCERNing the Truth

Scientists at CERN, home of the Large Hadron Collider, have observed an exceptionally rare subatomic phenomenon that could open a new window into testing the Standard Model of particle physics.

In the NA62 experiment, researchers detected and measured an ultra-rare decay of a charged kaon—one of the rarest processes ever recorded in particle physics. According to the team, fewer than one in ten billion kaons decay in this specific way.

The Standard Model predicts this “golden channel” decay with high precision, making any observed deviation a potential sign of new physics beyond our current understanding.

“If we measure a deviation from the Standard Model, it’s a clear sign of new physics,” Cristina Lazzeroni, a particle physicist at the University of Birmingham who contributed to the experiment, told Interesting Engineering.

Pure Kaos

Kaons, also known as K mesons, are composed of two quarks. The charged kaons studied in this experiment each contain an up quark and an anti-strange quark.

In the ultra-rare decay mode under investigation, a charged kaon transforms into three particles: a charged pion, a neutrino, and an antineutrino.

To capture this fleeting event, the team used CERN’s Super Proton Synchrotron to direct a high-intensity proton beam onto a fixed target, generating secondary particles that included kaons. These particles were then precisely tracked and measured by the NA62 detector.

The researchers successfully recorded the rare decay, observing it at a rate of approximately 13 times in 100 billion decays—about 50 percent higher than the Standard Model prediction. This discrepancy will require further investigation to determine whether it points to new physics or falls within experimental uncertainties.

Precisely the Case

While the result does not yet challenge the Standard Model, it represents the most precise measurement of this decay to date. Earlier observations existed, but this is the first time the process has been recorded with a statistical significance of five sigma—the threshold traditionally required for a discovery in particle physics.

“Searching for hints of new physics in this decay requires more data, but this result is a leap forward and further strengthens the strong interest in this line of research,” NA62 physics coordinator Karim Massri said in a statement.

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