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Proton identity theft

By slapping a proton with an energetic electron, experimenters can change the proton into a completely new particle. Theory predicts a wide range of particles that can be produced this way; but while some of these new particles, called “excited states of the proton,” have been measured, many are still unseen. Researchers at DOE’s Jefferson Lab recently logged new measurements of these particles in a paper published in Physical Review C. Accounting for some of these missing particles and identifying predicted ones that don’t exist will help researchers weed out theories of proton structure that don’t fit the data, aiding in deciphering the dynamics that hold protons together.

[Kandice Carter, 757.269.7263,
kcarter@jlab.org]