GoKawiilLattice QCD calculation pins down strong coupling constant to 0.5% precision
A calculation published in Nature has determined the strong coupling constant, α_s, to an uncertainty of five parts per mille using only low-energy lattice QCD input, independent of collider data. This improves on the previous precision of roughly one part in a hundred for the parameter governing interactions between quarks and gluons. Because the value was derived without fitting to collider measurements, it can be fed directly into predictions for LHC and future collider processes.