A search for one exotic particle uncovered two strange new structures

A search for one mysterious particle unexpectedly revealed evidence for two different structures that may belong to the bizarre family of exotic subatomic particles known as XYZ states. The findings could help physicists uncover new ways that quarks and gluons combine to create matter. A search for one exotic particle uncovered two strange new structures.

Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility have now identified evidence for two unexpected structures that may help clarify part of this increasingly complicated particle landscape. The signals could shed light on a puzzling group of objects known as XYZ states. These states do not fit neatly into the conventional picture of particles built from quarks, the fundamental building blocks of matter.

For the first time, Jefferson Lab researchers detected two such signals created when a beam of high-energy photons interacted with a proton target. The findings come from the Gluonic Excitations (GlueX) Collaboration in Experimental Hall D at Jefferson Lab and were recently published in Physical Review Letters. The results could help scientists better understand how one of nature’s fundamental forces contributes to the formation of matter.