New experiments have shown that there is an anomaly in the properties of this fundamental particle that cannot be explained by science, which calls into question the reliability of the foundation of the universe as we understand it.

what do we know

The modern theory proposes that the proton consists of subatomic particles such as quarks and gluons. Due to the strong interaction, the bond of quarks is such a strong structure that it can only be destroyed with the help of very, very high energies.

Until relatively recently, theory and experiments showed that the electron-photon impact curve on protons is continuous and smooth. As the energy of the beam increases, the proton becomes polarized (takes up a charge) and decays into quarks after a certain strength.

In a series of experiments on the CEBAF accelerator at the Jefferson National Accelerator Laboratory (JLab), a spike was found at a certain point on the graph, as if the proton were starting to resist the impact. After further increasing the proton luminosity, the graph returns to normal and the proton polarization continues to increase. However, scientists cannot explain what caused the detected anomaly.

New properties of the proton

There is a suspicion that the strong interactions in the proton, whose carrier is the massless gluon particle, have certain properties that terrestrial science has not yet suspected. The discovery of these properties seems extremely important for an absolute understanding of all processes occurring in our universe.

This knowledge is important to humanity because it identifies the essential features of the basic element of ignorance that can be short-sighted and even dangerous.

There is one thing we clearly do not know at the moment. Proton is the only stable building block in nature. So if we miss something fundamental there, it has consequences for all physics,
– Confirmed Nikos Sparveris, Associate Professor of Physics at Temple University.

The physicists state that the next step will be to further elucidate the details of this anomaly and make sensitive probes to check for other divergence points and provide more detailed information about the source of the anomaly.