Scientists have discovered that the toes of Mexican free-tailed bats glow under ultraviolet light, sparking a mystery about their purpose. Additionally, researchers have confirmed the rare ‘golden channel’ decay of subatomic particles called kaons, which could potentially break or bolster the standard model of particle physics.
Toe-tally Mysterious
Hairs on the toes of Mexican free-tailed bats light up under ultraviolet light, but the reason is unknown.
A Logical Thought
Reader Eleanor Peterson asked if the glowing toes might attract prey. It is unlikely, but it is a logical thought, says biologist Fernando Gual-Suárez of the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City.
Diving Deep on Decay
Scientists spotted the rare “golden channel” decay of subatomic particles called kaons. Further studies could break or bolster the standard model of particle physics, Emily Conover reported in “Rare particle decay confirmed” (SN: 9/24/24).
Reader Derek Lenehan asked how the decay might stray from the standard model.
A New Physics Scenario
If the decay strays from standard model predictions, it would point to new physics that is largely unknown. In this decay, a kaon produces a pion, a neutrino and an antineutrino. But other particles called W and Z bosons mediate the decay, says particle physicist Cristina Lazzeroni.
Related Stories
A Rare Particle Decay Confirmed
Questions and Comments
A Possible Explanation for Glowing Bat Toes
Particle physicist Cristina Lazzeroni of the University of Birmingham in England explains that in new physics scenarios, some physicists have proposed new particles that could act as intermediaries, such as a Z′ (pronounced “Z prime”) boson. Another is a leptoquark, a particle with properties similar to electrons and their lepton relatives and to quarks — the particles that make up protons, neutrons and other composite particles.
Correction
A correction was made regarding a graph in an earlier article about Earth’s temperature highs and lows. The labels for curves showing global temperature and atmospheric CO2 data were reversed, and fifth-percentile values were shown instead of average (50th-percentile) values.
- sciencenews.org | Readers ask about glowing bat toes and a rare particle decay
- strategian.com | Readers ask about glowing bat toes and a rare particle decay ...
