A search for one exotic particle uncovered two strange new structures
Physicists at the Jefferson Lab have identified two unexpected subatomic structures while searching for XYZ states. These findings provide new data on how the strong nuclear force contributes to the formation of matter.
Why it matters
This discovery challenges existing models of particle physics and helps scientists better understand the fundamental building blocks of the universe.
Physicists have spent decades organizing the growing collection of subatomic particles, yet some discoveries continue to resist easy classification. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility have now identified evidence for two unexpected structures that may help clarify part of this increasingly complicated particle landscape.
The signals could shed light on a puzzling group of objects known as XYZ states. These states do not fit neatly into the conventional picture of particles built from quarks, the fundamental building blocks of matter. For the first time, Jefferson Lab researchers detected two such signals created when a beam of high-energy photons interacted with a proton target.
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