Known as the zeptoverse, this unimaginably tiny realm is one of the places scientists hope to find answers to some of the biggest unanswered questions in physics, including what dark matter is made of and why the universe contains so much more matter than antimatter.<\/p>\n
The research was carried out at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), an enormous underground machine at CERN, near Geneva<\/a>, which smashes particles together at tremendous speeds to investigate what they are made of.<\/p>\n Scientists were studying particles containing what are known as beauty quarks, short-lived building blocks of matter that are produced during the collisions.<\/p>\n These particles survive for only around one-and-a-half trillionths of a second before breaking down into other particles.<\/p>\n The Cambridge-led team has now found evidence of an exceptionally rare event in which one of these particles produces two smaller particles called muons, which are heavier relatives of electrons.<\/p>\n Dr Harry Cliff, from Cambridge\u2019s Cavendish Laboratory, who led the analysis, said: \u201cWhat we found in these latest results is an incredibly rare decay of one of these beauty particles, where it turns into two even smaller particles called muons.<\/p>\n \u201cThis process only happens for one in every ten billion beauty particles, so it\u2019s incredibly difficult to find.\u201d<\/p>\n Researchers have been hunting for evidence of this particular event since 1984, but its extreme rarity has made it almost impossible to detect.<\/p>\n The team finally made progress using a recently upgraded detector at CERN, which collected enormous amounts of information during 2024 and 2025.<\/p>\n With the help of machine learning, scientists were able to sift through the results and separate the faint signals they were looking for from countless other particle collisions.<\/p>\n The finding could eventually help scientists investigate a world so small that its distances are measured in zeptometres \u2013 each equivalent to a trillionth of a billionth of a metre.<\/p>\n Researchers believe unknown particles or forces may exist at these scales, potentially offering clues to mysteries that current scientific theories cannot fully explain.<\/p>\n While the latest results do not establish the existence of any new particles, they give scientists a powerful new way to search for signs of previously undiscovered physics.<\/p>\n The evidence has reached a statistical confidence level known as 3.2 sigma, enough to suggest the signal is real, although more data will be required before physicists can declare a confirmed discovery.<\/p>\n \u201cPhysicists have been looking for this rare type of decay since 1984, which was before I was born,\u201d Cliff added.<\/p>\n \u201cSeeing clear evidence for this rarest decay for the first time was thrilling,\u201d he added. \u201cWe\u2019re knocking on the door of the zeptoverse now. I can\u2019t wait to see what we find as we explore deeper.\u201d<\/p>\n The findings, which have yet to undergo peer review, are being presented at CERN on today.<\/p>\n Scientists hope further upgrades to the collider\u2019s equipment in the 2030s will allow them to examine these rare events in much greater detail.<\/p>\n Professor Tim Gershon, from the University of Warwick, who leads the LHCb experiment, said: \u201cThis fantastic result showcases the extraordinary capabilities of LHCb to probe nature at the fundamental level. This project, driven and led by UK physicists, is producing beautiful science.\u201d<\/p>\n READ MORE:\u00a0Scientists and engineers quitting jobs as AI changes roles \u2018beyond recognition\u2019, study finds<\/a>.\u00a0Research involving more than 4,100 technology, engineering and life sciences professionals across five countries reveals growing concerns over career prospects, heavier workloads and employers struggling to replace experienced specialists.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/LHCb-2-1-578x282.webp\")
Scientists work inside the LHCb experiment at CERN\u2019s Large Hadron Collider near Geneva, where a Cambridge-led research team has detected evidence of an exceptionally rare particle decay after more than 40 years of searching, potentially opening new avenues for investigating the mysterious \u2018zeptoverse\u2019 and the fundamental building blocks of the universe. Credit: CERN \/ University of Cambridge<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Lhcbview-578x407.webp\")
A diagram of the LHCb detector at CERN\u2019s Large Hadron Collider, showing the powerful magnets and measuring equipment used to track particles created in high-energy collisions. Scientists from the University of Cambridge have used the experiment to detect evidence of an extraordinarily rare particle decay that could help unlock some of the universe\u2019s deepest mysteries. Image: CERN \/ Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a>). Original image<\/a><\/p>\n