- Physicists have long struggled to resolve how a proton carries its baryon number, traditionally attributed to its three quarks.
- A team of physicists investigated the gluonic structure at Brookhaven National Laboratory's Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider.
- Experiments involving photon and gold nuclei collisions tracked baryon numbers separated from electric charge.
- Results consistently agreed with the baryon junction model, suggesting quarks are not the only factor.
- Findings published in Science on August 13, 2026, support the theory that a gluonic structure called a baryon junction holds quarks together.
- This property, known as the baryon number, and its related structure—the baryon junction—comprise two elements that lie at the core of quantum chromodynamics, one of the building blocks of the Standard Model.
- The team of physicists behind the new work provides new evidence for a decades-old theory and insight into the matter-antimatter imbalance.
- This new work supports the theory that a gluonic structure called a baryon junction holds these quarks together to form a proton.
- The researchers say that this finding may explain not just the tiny inner workings of the smallest elements of an atom, but the very organization of matter on a universal scale.
A new study conducted by physicists at Brookhaven National Laboratory has linked the baryon number of protons to a gluon structure called the baryon junction, providing evidence for a long-standing theory regarding the fundamental nature of matter.168
The baryon number, a conserved quantum number, is traditionally thought to be determined by the three quarks within a proton. However, this research suggests that the baryon junction's gluon field plays a significant role in this property. The findings were published in *Science* on August 13, 2026.5
The experiments involved high-energy collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, where researchers tracked protons' baryon numbers during particle interactions. Notably, the baryon number was found to be easier to transport than the electric charge, indicating that quarks alone do not dictate this property.
“In every instance that these experiments were run, the results agreed with the baryon junction model,” the researchers stated, highlighting the model's validity. This work not only sheds light on the inner workings of protons but also addresses the broader implications for the matter-antimatter imbalance in the universe.47
The study's implications extend beyond particle physics, potentially influencing our understanding of the organization of matter on a universal scale. Future measurements may uncover even more about how protons derive their identity and the fundamental forces at play.
“The experiments at Brookhaven's Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider involved collisions with photons and gold nuclei, tracking baryon numbers separated from electric charge. Results consistently matched the baryon junction model, with baryon number easier to move than electric charge, suggesting quarks are not the only factor.”
The Debrief
