The LHC found no quantum black holes and pushed one mass limit to 9.4 TeV

The analysis used 164 fb⁻¹ collected in Run 3 from 2022–2024 and compared electron+jet and muon+jet invariant masses with Standard Model backgrounds.

For the tested benchmark, threshold masses up to 9.4 TeV were excluded at 95% confidence, the strongest limit so far.

What kind of black hole

Some extra-dimension models make gravity strong at tiny distances and predict a quantum black hole at collision. Unlike stellar black holes, it would decay almost instantly into two particles.

Why 13.6 versus 13 TeV mattered

The dataset is similar in size to Run 2, but production rises steeply with collision energy. For the heaviest hypotheses, the 0.6 TeV increase raised the expected signal by up to about tenfold.

What a null result teaches

Agreement with background narrows the tested models. It does not rule out every quantum-gravity theory or decay channel, and each limit depends on the model and signature.

Next search

More Run 3 data and other final states can improve sensitivity. Testing much heavier thresholds directly may require a future collider with higher energy.

Primary source and independent checks

Primary source: ATLAS paper

Institutional explanation: CERN ATLAS briefing

Independent check: arXiv full analysis record

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