Physicists discover a hidden gluon structure inside protons that could rewrite textbooks
Physicists may have uncovered a hidden feature inside protons that helps preserve one of matter’s most fundamental properties. RHIC collision data suggest baryon number is carried not simply by three quarks, but by a Y-shaped junction of the gluons connecting them. The finding challenges a decades-old textbook picture and could deepen our understanding of why protons—and ultimately matter…
New research at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) suggests that gluons, particles that bind quarks within protons, may play a crucial role in conserving baryon number. Baryon number, traditionally attributed solely to the three quarks in a proton, might instead be carried by these gluon structures. This discovery, reported in Science, challenges long-standing assumptions about the structure of protons and the conservation of baryon number.
The STAR collaboration at RHIC, a DOE user facility, collected data from high-energy collisions to test whether baryon number is more favorably associated with gluons when arranged in a specific Y-shaped configuration. This finding could significantly alter our understanding of fundamental physics and the stability of matter in the universe.
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