Data from the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) have provided evidence that a proton's baryon number—a property essential to the stability of matter—may be linked to a Y-shaped configuration of gluons known as a "baryon junction." This finding challenges the long-standing scientific model that attributes this property exclusively to the three valence quarks within a proton.
For decades, the standard textbook explanation has held that each of the three valence quarks carries one-third of a proton's baryon number. However, researchers analyzing high-energy particle collisions at the Brookhaven National Laboratory facility observed an unexpected excess of baryons emerging perpendicular to the collision beams. By comparing the distribution of these particles with the movement of electric charge, the team concluded that the observed baryon count could not be explained by quark behavior alone.
Physicists propose that the "baryon junction," a structure of gluons connecting the quarks, is more easily stopped during high-energy collisions than the rapidly moving quarks themselves. Once halted, this junction can convert its energy into new baryons. "Our findings strongly support the idea that baryon number is more favorably carried and transported by gluons," said Kent State University professor Zhangbu Xu.
Understanding the mechanism behind baryon number conservation is significant, as it relates to the stability of protons and the broader question of why matter dominates over antimatter in the universe. The study suggests that the internal structure of the proton is far more complex than the simplified three-quark model, involving a dynamic interplay of gluons and vacuum-popped particles. These results, published in Science, may necessitate a revision of how the fundamental structure of matter is taught and understood.
Source: Brookhaven National Laboratory
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