J. Strauss | Searcharxiv

arXiv2015

Observation of the rare $B^0_s\toμ^+μ^-$ decay from the combined analysis of CMS and LHCb data

A joint measurement is presented of the branching fractions $B^0_s\toμ^+μ^-$ and $B^0\toμ^+μ^-$ in proton-proton collisions at the LHC by the CMS and LHCb experiments. The data samples were collected in 2011 at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, and in 2012 at 8 TeV. The combined analysis produces the first observation of the $B^0_s\toμ^+μ^-$ decay, with a statistical significance exceeding six standard deviations, and the best measurement of its branching fraction so far. Furthermore, evidence for the $B^0\toμ^+μ^-$ decay is obtained with a statistical significance of three standard deviations. The branching fraction measurements are statistically compatible with SM predictions and impose stringent constraints on several theories beyond the SM.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2015

Presenting particle physics and quantum mechanics to the general public

The job of a physicist is to describe Nature. General features, hypotheses and theories help to describe physics phenomena at a more abstract, fundamental level, and are sometimes tacitly assigned some sort of real existence; doing so appears to be of little harm in most of classical physics. However, missing any tangible connection to everyday experience, one better always bears in mind the descriptive nature of any efforts to grasp the quantum. And elementary particles interact in the quantum world, of course. When communicating the world of elementary particles to the general public, the Bayesian approach of an ever ongoing updating of the depiction of reality turns out to be virtually indispensable. The human experience of providing a series of increasingly better descriptions generates plenty of personal pleasures, for researchers as well as for amateurs. A suggestive analogy for improving our understanding of the world, even the seemingly paradoxical quantum world, may be found in recent insight into how congenitally blind children and young adults learn to see, after having received successful eye surgery.

physics.pop-ph↗