The observation of the Higgs boson supplies new insights that go beyond all discoveries in particle physics over the past 30 years, according to University of Amsterdam (UvA) professor Stan Bentvelsen, who is also affiliated with the National Institute for Subatomic Physics (Nikhef).

More than 3,000 scientists are trying to find answers to questions about new particles resulting from high energy collisions (including the Higgs boson ) and dark matter, with the assistance of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in Geneva. One of the experiments taking place at the LHC is called ATLAS. This research is organised through Nikhef in the Netherlands, and Bentvelsen is the programme leader of ATLAS.

Together with the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at CERN, ATLAS led to the observation of the Higgs boson . According to Bentvelsen, Professor of Large Hadron Collider Physics, this result was made ​​possible by a global collaboration between scientists and technicians, with crucial contributions from the Netherlands. ‘Everything indicates that we are dealing with the Higgs boson is, but more measurements are needed to see whether the properties of this agree with the predictions. It is a fantastic time for physics, in which experimental answers to fundamental questions are playing a major role.’