CERN scientists hope particle discoveries will give clues to universe

Scientists at the world's largest smasher have discovered two new subatomic particles that could widen our understanding of the universe.

An experiment using the European Organisation for Nuclear Research's Large Hadron Collider found the new particles, which were predicted to exist.

Both are baryons made from three quarks bound together by a strong force, with experts saying the discovery could shed more light on how things work beyond the "standard model" physics theory explaining the basic building blocks of matter.

The results were also submitted to the publication Physical Review Letters.

"Nature was kind and gave us two particles for the price of one," said collaborator Matthew Charles, of Paris VI University.

The new particles are more than six times as large as the protons scientists have been deliberately crashing into each other in the 27km tunnel on the Swiss-French border near Geneva to see what they can discover about the makeup of the universe.