Scientists looked inside the proton. Its mass is not proportional to its size

The proton is actually the basic element of every atom of any element. As far as we know that the atom consists of protons, neutrons and electrons, the knowledge inside the proton is vague even at the current stage of scientific development, to put it mildly, and scientists are still trying to study it.

Looking inside a proton is not easy. Despite this, scientists working on the particle accelerator named after him, Thomas Jefferson, decided to take on the task. Their results allowed for a slightly better understanding of how matter works at the lowest level.

What is inside a proton?

American physicists peer into a proton I looked at the gluons it consists of. To do this, a measurement known as proton gravitational aspect ratio determination must be performed. Based on its results, the mass distribution of the proton can be determined. The researchers then looked at the electric charge distribution of the same proton.

Also read: New elementary particles? Scientists at CERN have found something

Interestingly, it turns out that the mass size of a proton is different from the size of a proton determined by its electrical charge. No one had previously assumed that these sizes would be exactly the same, but information about the difference adds a lot to our knowledge of the proton’s structure.

To get some information about gluons, the researchers used a beam of electrons and a beam of photons passing through atoms of liquid hydrogen. The reactions produced in this way lead to the formation of mesons known as J/particles. Only measurements of the rate of fall of these particles allowed a calculation of the distribution of both mass and electric charge in the proton. After all, gluons themselves have neither charge nor mass, so they cannot be observed directly.

However, since the mass of a proton is smaller than the charge of a proton, this means that the mass is more concentrated. So it is possible for gluons to stretch out to a slightly larger volume than the quarks that give them mass.

To be honest, it must be admitted that compared to what happens inside the proton, the structure of the atom is very ordered. As you enter the interior of the proton, you have to factor in gluons, particles that have mass and those that don’t, the appearance and disappearance of quantum particles and many other oddities that elude logical understanding of the real world.

Scientists admit that they still have a long way to go before they can say they have discovered the nature of these subatomic particles. For now, it remains to be seen how the motion of the proton’s mass relates to the motion of the gluons themselves that bind them together.