According to our current information, four fundamental forces operate within the universe: the strong force, the weak force, the electromagnetic force, and the force of gravity. Now, scientists could be on the verge of uncovering indications for a fifth fundamental force.
Physicists have revealed that an unexpected wobble in a subatomic particle has provided support for the intriguing hypothesis that a fifth force of nature might exist.
The discussion revolves around a fifth force because the behavior observed in these experiments cannot be entirely accounted for by the four known forces, according to Dr Mitesh Patel of Imperial College London, who spoke to The Guardian.
The data originates from experiments conducted at the Fermilab US particle accelerator facility, where researchers studied the movement of muons, which are particles similar to electrons but approximately 200 times heavier, within a magnetic field.
According to Patel, muons exhibit behavior akin to a child’s spinning top as they rotate around the axis of the magnetic field. However, as these muons move, they display a noticeable wobble. The standard model provides a prediction for the frequency of this wobble.
Interestingly, the experimental findings from Fermilab seem to diverge from these predicted outcomes.
“The wobbles are due to the way the muon interacts with a magnetic field. ey can be calculated very precisely in the standard model but that calculation involves quantum loops, with known particles appearing in those loops” Prof Jon Butterworth of University College London explains.
‘The carrier of a fifth fundamental force’
Butterworth who works on the Atlas experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at Cern went on to say, “If the measurements don’t line up with the prediction, that could be a sign that there is some unknown particle appearing in the loops – which could, for example, be the carrier of a fifth force.”
The experiments conducted at Fermilab are not the sole indicators of the potential existence of a fifth force. Research conducted at the LHC has also yielded intriguing results in this regard.
Patel, who played a role in the LHC experiments, pointed out that the results from those experiments have become less consistent. He emphasized that these experiments are distinct, measuring different phenomena, and it remains uncertain whether there is any correlation between them.
