The Heavyweight W boson - an Upset to the Standard Model of Particle Physics

The Standard Model of particle physics has been a crowning achievement of fundamental physics, culminating in the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012. As a quantum theory of the building blocks of matter and forces, it has been one of the most successful theories in science. The recent measurement of the mass of the W boson disagrees with the theory prediction. This upset to the Standard Model may point towards exciting new discoveries in particle physics in the coming years. We will discuss the Standard Model, the crucial role of the W boson, and how it has become the harbinger of new laws of nature.

Bio: Ashutosh V. Kotwal is the Fritz London Distinguished Professor of Physics at Duke University. His research focuses on the physics of fundamental particles and forces at high energies. Prof. Kotwal leads the worldwide effort to measure very precisely the mass of the W boson, which is sensitive to the quantum mechanical effects of new particles or forces. In particular it is directly connected to the properties of the Higgs boson. If the properties of the Higgs differ from the current Standard Model theory, the mass of the W boson will also differ from its predicted value.

https://scholars.duke.edu/person/ashutosh.kotwal