The exotic particles that could break the Standard Model
An analysis from CERN's LHCb experiment has found a growing deviation in the decay of B mesons into kaons and muons, with particle angles differing from Standard Model predictions. The anomaly, observed with 4 sigma significance, hints at possible new physics such as undiscovered virtual particles influencing the decay. While supported tentatively by CMS data, the results remain inconclusive due to theoretical uncertainties involving competing 'charming penguin' decays.
- ▪The LHCb experiment observed B meson decays into kaons and muons at angles inconsistent with Standard Model predictions.
- ▪The anomaly has reached 4 sigma significance, meaning a 1 in 16,000 chance of being due to random fluctuation.
- ▪A competing process called 'charming penguin' decay complicates interpretation, as its effects are hard to predict precisely.
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NEWS EXPLAINER 01 May 2026 The exotic particles that could finally break the Standard Model ‘Penguin’ decays from CERN’s latest Large Hadron Collider experiment hint at weird new physics. By Elizabeth Gibney Elizabeth Gibney View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Email Bluesky Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Whatsapp X An engineer works on equipment for the LHCb experiment inside the tunnel of the Large Hadron Collider.Credit: Francis Demange/Gamma-Rapho via GettyPhysicists know that their elegant theoretical description of forces and particles – the Standard Model – must be incomplete, because there are a host of phenomena it cannot explain, such as the existence of dark matter.But observations continue to confirm the model’s accuracy with ever greater precision.
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