In physicists’ ongoing search for new particles, it’s always easiest to find them when you have an idea where to look. Theories can serve to narrow and focus those searches to particles with a particular mass or a mass range, or to those with specific parent, child, or sibling particles as they burst forth from the firework-like cascades of particle collisions.
Far more challenging – like searching for a home on a map when you don’t know the address or the owner’s identity – is to search for a new particle without any clue of what the particle might look like or how it will behave. Click here to learn more.