What's with the W Boson?

The Collider Detector at Fermilab

Something is just not right with the mass of the W boson - it's just a bit heavier than expected. How much? Well, in terms of atomic measurements, it was expected to be 80,357 mega electron volts, or MeV, plus or minus 6 MeV. But the value as measured by the Collider Detector at Fermilab, or CDF, during the period between 1985 and 2011, is 80,433 MeV, plus or minus 9 MeV. That's significant and is a problem. It's critical to know the precise weight of the W boson because that value is factored into the finely tuned equations that are woven into the Standard Model of subatomic physics, one of the most successful theories in science. For the complete story head on over to UniverseToday.