In 2021, the most precise measurement of the muon’s anomalous magnetic moment and a new high-precision lattice quantum chromodynamics calculation have in turn kindled, then dimmed, hopes for seeing signs of new physics. State of the art calculations, made possible by a series of recent advances, will be key to understanding these conflicting results.
Key advances
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In 2021, the most precise measurement of the muon’s anomalous magnetic moment was reported, showing a remarkable 4.2σ tension with the generally accepted theoretical value.
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Reported at the same time, a new high-precision lattice quantum chromodynamics calculation is at odds with the theoretical value, reducing the tension with experiment to 1.6σ, yet increasing tensions with other theoretical calculations to 3.7σ.
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The key to understanding these conflicting results lies in the value for the hadronic vacuum polarization. Advances in lattice quantum chromodynamics calculations will provide a new way to derive this quantity with high precision.
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Lehner, C. High-precision lattice QCD calculations of the muon anomalous magnetic moment. Nat Rev Phys 4, 14–15 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42254-021-00409-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42254-021-00409-z
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