A New Method to Generate Muons with Ultra-Short High-Intensity Lasers

A new method to generate muons with ultra-short high-intensity lasers

Muons are elementary particles that resemble electrons, but they are heavier and decay very rapidly (i.e., in just a few microseconds). Studying muons can help to test and refine the standard of particle physics, while also potentially unveiling new phenomena or effects.

Scientists want to build a muon collider

New Delhi: Particle Colliders around the world typically smash together protons or atomic nuclei, such as those of lead or gold. These experiments have lead to breakthrough discoveries such as the top quark and the Higgs boson. The endeavour is similar to throwing a watch against a wall, and figuring out how it works by looking at the pieces. Now, scientists want to unlock more scientific knowledge by colliding subatomic particles, specifically …