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The Standard Model of particle physics is the theory describing three of the four known fundamental forces (electromagnetic, weak and strong interactions – excluding gravity) in the universe and classifying all known elementary particles. It was developed in stages throughout the latter half of the 20th century, through the work of many scientists worldwide,[1] with the current formulation being finalized in the mid-1970s upon experimental confirmation of the existence of quarks. Since then, proof of the top quark (1995), the tau neutrino (2000), and the Higgs boson (2012) have added further credence to the Standard Model. In addition, the Standard Model has predicted various properties of weak neutral currents and the W and Z bosons with great accuracy.
Although the Standard Model is believed to be theoretically self-consistent[note 1] and has demonstrated some success in providing experimental predictions, it leaves some physical phenomena unexplained and so falls short of being a complete theory of fundamental interactions.[3] For example, it does not fully explain why there is more matter than anti-matter, incorporate the full theory of gravitation[4] as described by general relativity, or account for the universe's accelerating expansion as possibly described by dark energy. The model does not contain any viable dark matter particle that possesses all of the required properties deduced from observational cosmology. It also does not incorporate neutrino oscillations and their non-zero masses.
The development of the Standard Model was driven by theoretical and experimental particle physicists alike. The Standard Model is a paradigm of a quantum field theory for theorists, exhibiting a wide range of phenomena, including spontaneous symmetry breaking, anomalies, and non-perturbative behavior. It is used as a basis for building more exotic models that incorporate hypothetical particles, extra dimensions, and elaborate symmetries (such as supersymmetry) to explain experimental results at variance with the Standard Model, such as the existence of dark matter and neutrino oscillations.
- ^ R. Oerter (2006). The Theory of Almost Everything: The Standard Model, the Unsung Triumph of Modern Physics (Kindle ed.). Penguin Group. p. 2. ISBN 978-0-13-236678-6. Retrieved 28 March 2022. [dead link]
- ^ R. Mann (2010). "25". An Introduction to Particle Physics and the Standard Model. CRC Press. ISBN 978-1-4200-8298-2.
- ^ Overbye, Dennis (11 September 2023). "Don't Expect a 'Theory of Everything' to Explain It All". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 11 September 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
- ^ Carroll, Sean M.; Rhoades, Zachary H.; Leven, Jon (2007). Dark Matter, Dark Energy: The Dark Side of the Universe. Guidebook Part 2. Chantilly, VA: The Teaching Company. p. 59. ISBN 978-1-59803-350-2. OCLC 288435552. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
...Standard Model of Particle Physics: The modern theory of elementary particles and their interactions ... It does not, strictly speaking, include gravity, although it's often convenient to include gravitons among the known particles of nature...
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