“Near-misses” in Particle Accelerators can Illuminate New Physics, Study finds

March 26, 2026

Particle accelerators reveal the heart of nuclear matter by smashing together atoms at close to the speed of light. The high-energy collisions produce a shower of subatomic fragments that scientists can then study to reconstruct the core building blocks of matter.

An MIT-led team has now used the world’s most powerful particle accelerator to discover new properties of matter, through particles’ “near-misses.” The approach has turned the particle accelerator into a new kind of microscope — and led to the discovery of new behavior in the forces that hold matter together.

Complete article from MIT News.