Another “new physics” alert, this time from Fermilab

The results from the Muon g-2 experiment show that fundamental particles called muons behave in a way that is not predicted by the Standard Model of particle physics

Fermilab, the American particle accelerator, has released . These results spotlight the anomalous behaviour of the elementary particle called the muon. The muon is a heavier cousin of the electron and is expected to have a value of 2 for its magnetic moment, labelled “g”. Now, the muon is not alone in the universe. It is embedded in a sea where particles are popping out and vanishing every instant due to quantum effects. So, its g value is altered by its interactions with these short-lived excitations. The Standard Model of particle physics calculates this correction, called the anomalous magnetic moment, very accurately.