Scientists at the European Centre for Nuclear Research (CERN) have been narrowing the range where the supposed "God particle" formed at the beginning of the universe may be found, closing in on proof of its existence.

The particle, also known as the Higgs boson, may have a mass in the region between 116 and 130 gigaelectronvolts of energy being researched and analysed by one research team and between 115 and 127 gigaelectronvolts under observation by another team, according to data on released Tuesday by the Geneva-based research institute.

Self-regulating measurements point to a range of 124 to 126 gigaelectronvolts, researchers said.

The Higgs boson, named after British physicist Peter Higgs, in theory permits all other particles to have mass. Finding the Higgs boson could be a doorway to determine new physics, such as super particles or dark matter and part of the universe's construction material that was lost at the beginning of time. While the scientists found "tantalizing hints" of the particle, it's too premature to say whether it exists, the scientists said.

If the researchers don't come across the particle by the end of next year, they will rule out its existence, Rolf-Dieter Heuer, director-general of CERN, told reporters in Geneva in October. Failing to find the Higgs boson would provide trustworthiness to alternate theories that explain the apparatus that allows particles to have mass.

The effect of supplementary experiments will have inference for theories on dark matter, which makes up about 23 percent of the universe. Such research could help scientists gain a better perception of the universe and how galaxies hold together, according to CERN.

CERN mentioned in September that a research showed a neutrino beam looks as if to have moved more rapidly than the speed of light. The finding, if established, would contradict Albert Einstein, who said nothing can move faster than light.