Physicists Are About To Test A Hypothesis That Could Rewrite The Textbooks

A team of physicists suggested that the fundamental building unit proton can alter its structure under certain circumstances. Scientists are now performing experiments to show that the structure of protons can change inside the nucleus under certain conditions. If they become successful, all the current studies are going to be reviewed. Anthony Thomas and his team have published their results in Physical Review Letters. The experiments, which are currently underway in the US, aim to prove that the structure of protons can change inside the nucleus of an atom under certain conditions. If that's found to be the case, a whole lot of experiments are going to have to be reassessed.

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The researcher, Anthony Thomas said “The idea that the internal structure of protons might change under some specific conditions seems to be ridiculous, for most of the scientists. While for others like me, indication of this internal change is highly pursued and would help to explicate some of the uncertainties in theoretical physics”. This study has certain insinuations in the fields of nuclear and theoretical physics. Protons are one of the smallest building blocks, made up of small particles known as quarks, bound together by gluons. They consider that the protons present inside the nuclei of atoms don’t have a fix structure.

But this concept seems not to satisfy the theory that explains relation between quarks and gluons named as Quantum Chromodynamics.

Thomas said “By bombarding the beam of electrons at an atomic nucleus, we can evaluate the difference in energy of the outgoing electrons. Now we are looking forward for the appropriate outcomes.”

Thomas also said “The results are substantial for us. This could put forward a new concept for nuclear physics”.

Whether their predictions are correct or not, the consequences are going to add a huge break-through in our notions regarding the fundamental building blocks – protons. And will give rise to some better concepts about the chemistry of everything around us.