Key Points
- Physicists believe they have detected a three-particle interaction inside an atom’s nucleus for the first time.
- The experiment was conducted at the Department of Energy’s Jefferson Lab using a high-powered electron beam.
- Researchers used simple “mirror nuclei” (helium-3 and tritium) to get a clear view of the interaction.
- The findings are a “first glimpse,” but more data is needed for a definite confirmation.
For the first time, physicists believe they have spotted a rare, high-energy “dance” between three particles inside an atom’s nucleus. Protons and neutrons are known to move around and sometimes briefly pair up, but this new research provides the first evidence of them forming short-lived trios.
The discovery published in Physics Letters B, made at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Jefferson Lab, could help solve long-standing mysteries about the fundamental properties of matter and even shed light on the inner workings of distant neutron stars.
To find these elusive trios, the research team designed a clever experiment. They aimed a high-powered electron beam at two very simple “mirror nuclei”: helium-3 (two protons, one neutron) and tritium (two neutrons, one proton). Because these nuclei only contain three particles, it gave the scientists a clean and simple view of the three-way interaction, without the noise and complexity found in heavier atoms.
By measuring how the electrons scattered after hitting the nuclei, the team was able to detect the signature of these three-particle interactions, which are moving at extremely high speeds.
The results are being called a “first glimpse,” and the researchers say they need more data to be certain. But the finding is a major step forward. Scientists have long suspected that these three-particle interactions were the missing piece needed to explain the highest-energy components of the atomic nucleus.
Ultimately, understanding these tiny, high-energy groups helps build a more complete picture of the atom. It could also help us understand neutron stars, which are incredibly dense objects where matter behaves in similar, extreme ways. As one researcher put it, “It’s much easier to study a three-nucleon correlation in the lab than in a neutron star.”
