Rediscovering the W boson (Image: Atlas Experiment / CERN)

IT’S first blood to the massive Atlas detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Just days after the physics programme started, Atlas has reported its first detection of W boson particles.

W bosons have been seen at other colliders, but before any of the detectors at the LHC can attempt to discover new particles they must “rediscover” established ones. It is “an excellent sign” to spot the particles so soon, says Fabiola Gianotti, who heads the Atlas team. “It demonstrates that both the LHC accelerator and Atlas work extremely well.”

W bosons …