Finding the Higgs

Bumps, backgrounds and five sigma

An interactive lesson with 6 steps, about 5 minutes: you predict, drag and solve, with instant feedback on every answer. It runs in your browser and needs JavaScript.

What you’ll learn

• The invariant mass of decay products reveals the parent particle’s mass.
• Signals appear as bumps on a smooth background; significance grows as √(data).
• Particle physics requires 5σ before claiming a discovery.

Steps

1. Reconstructing a particle
2. Back to back
3. Hunting for a bump
4. Why five sigma?
5. Not back to back
6. Doubling the significance