Tevatron was the highest energy accelerator in the world for 25 years between 1986-2011 colliding protons and antiprotons at the center-of-mass energy of 1.8 Tev. CDF was one of the two detectors (D0 being the other one) performing measurements using Tevatron beams.
The CDF collaboration re-analyzed Tevatron data and came up with a new value for the W boson mass. The new value created a lot of excitement but also a lot of confusion as well. Now, we have a confused situation similar to the state of affairs in “muon g-2” and “Hubble tension“.
- The new value of the W boson mass measured by CDF is higher than the values measured by other experiments in the world.
- The CDF value for W boson mass is also higher than the theoretical number suggested by the Standard Model of particle physics.
- Error bar of the CDF measurement is much smaller than the error bars of the other experiments.
- If true, this would be a clear sign that there is new physics beyond the Standard Model.
- Experimental physicists around the world are approaching this new measurement cautiously.
- My goal here is to point you to the best expository articles on the new measurement.
- “How large is the W mass anomaly” by Adam Falkowski
- “Is The CDF W Mass Measurement a Nail in the SM Coffin?” by Tommaso Dorigo
- “Few Remarks on the W Boson Mass Measurement” by Matt Strassler
- “Do we have finally found new physics with the latest W boson mass measurement?” by Matthias Schott
- “Newly Measured Particle Seems Heavy Enough to Break Known Physics” by Charlie Wood – Quanta Magazine
A photograph of the CDF detector below
Suresh Emre
Renaissance Universal 