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Proton baryon number may ride a Y-shaped gluon junction, RHIC data suggest
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RHIC collision data suggest that baryon number in protons is carried by a Y-shaped gluon junction rather than by the three valence quarks, challenging the standard textbook picture.
If confirmed, this would overturn the long-held assumption that each valence quark carries one-third of a proton's baryon number. It could also help explain why protons are so stable and why matter dominates antimatter in the universe.
Written by elseif from the cluster below · every claim links back to a sourceThe three things worth knowing
The STAR detector at RHIC analyzed several collision types to test where baryon number resides.
The data support the idea that a Y-shaped gluon junction, not individual quarks, carries baryon number.
The finding challenges the textbook model and may deepen understanding of proton stability and matter-antimatter asymmetry.
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