The Higgs Boson Search Narrows

A recent report has ruled out the existence of the Higgs boson in the energy realm of 160-170 GeV, which was seen by some as the "sweet spot" of where it could exist. This leaves open the realm from 114 to 160 GeV. (There is also a slight possibility of it existing in the 170-185 GeV range, the theoretical upper limit of how energetic the Higgs boson can be, but the lower energies are far more probable.)

Particle colliders smash particles together, creating energetic collisions that can generate new particles. The Higgs boson is the final particle in the Standard Model of particle physics waiting to be observed by experiment ... and having the Higgs boson come out of the collision in particle accelerators is the most likely place to find it.

This new experimental constraint on the Higgs energy level comes from the Fermilab Tevatron collider, currently the most powerful particle accelerator while Europe's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is under repairs. It's possible that the Tevatron may still be the first to detect the Higgs, although it's likely that this honor might be reserved for the LHC when it resumes operation this fall.

Related Articles:

• Scientific American - Fermilab Provides More Constraints on the Elusive Higgs Boson
• Discover - Physicists Get Another Clue in the Hunt for the Higgs Boson Particle
• Cosmic Variance - Closing in on the Higgs Boson
• New Scientist - Search closes in on the 'God particle'